Spain then produced a hurricane of a performance, edging past favorites France 5-4 in an astonishing end-to-end thriller. That victory propelled them into the one-off Nations League final. That exciting contest played out in front of an energized home crowd. Each team featured an exciting mix of youth and experience on both sides of the ball. Spain’s impressive performance featured goals from Nico Williams, Mikel Merino, Lamine Yamal, and Pedri, while France’s scoring included notable contributions from Rayan Cherki and Kylian Mbappe.
Nico Williams got Spain off to a flying start in the first half, though that would be just the start to a tumultuous contest. Moments later, Mikel Merino doubled the lead, then spiraled Spain’s lead into a more commanding position. Young winger Williams has been making waves of late. Now there are plenty of rumors circulating about a possible winter transfer to Arsenal, following his Man of the Match MVP-like performance.
Rayan Cherki had just made his senior debut for France and left his stamp immédiat. He netted an incredible goal only four minutes after getting into the game. Cherki’s dazzling debut has predictably drawn the admiration of some of the world’s biggest clubs, with Manchester City linked with making an offer to bring his services to England.
As the game went on, Lamine Yamal was a central figure to Spain’s success, netting a brace to put the victory beyond doubt. The second goal was entirely down to the generosity of French goalkeeper Mike Maignan. Maignan has let it be known that he wants out of AC Milan and to join Chelsea. Defensively, this was a major misstep that Yamal was more than happy to punish and double Spain’s lead.
Pedri quickly followed suit, extending Spain’s lead to 4-0 before the halftime whistle. That was immediately countered by a France penalty, as star player Kylian Mbappe made it 2-1 for his side.
The panic was brought by yet another drama when Mikel Oyarzabal looked to set up Dean Huijsen but suffered an offside flag. This controversial no-goal led to brief outrage on behalf of La Roja. Despite this setback, Spain maintained their composure.
France launched an impressive comeback when Randal Kolo Muani found the net in added time. Even that spectacular goal wasn’t enough to change the course of the game. Dani Vivian’s tragic own goal made things even worse for France as they found it harder to come back into the match.
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