Spain vs France prediction and betting tips - July 9, 2024
In the first semifinal match of the UEFA Euro 2024, held in Germany, Spain will face France. This encounter will take place on Tuesday, July 9, and will begin at 21:00 Central European Time. Analysts from Dailysports have prepared a forecast for this match.
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Spain
Spain had an excellent group stage in this tournament, securing a maximum of nine points from three matches. In their first match, La Furia Roja overwhelmed Croatia with a resounding 3-0 victory. Next, they faced Italy in a central match and emerged victorious with a narrow win, thanks to an own goal by Calafiori. For the final group match, Spanish head coach De la Fuente rested several key players and rotated the squad. Despite this, La Furia Roja still secured a 1-0 win. In the end, they accumulated nine points and did not concede a single goal during the group stage, becoming the only team to achieve a perfect record and maintain a clean sheet.
In the knockout stage, Spain faced Georgia. The Georgians surprised the Spaniards by scoring first in the 18th minute. However, from then on, it was all Spain, scoring four unanswered goals to secure a commanding 4-1 victory. In the quarterfinals, Spain encountered the host nation, Germany. The match was evenly contested, with both teams creating several scoring opportunities. Spain took the lead, but Germany equalized in the 89th minute. After extra time, Mikel Merino's goal in the 119th minute clinched the victory for Spain, sending them to the semifinals.
France
The French team had a less convincing group stage at the European Championship. In their first game, Les Bleus secured a win thanks to an own goal by Austrian defender Wöber. In their next match against the Netherlands, France appeared the stronger side but could not score, resulting in a draw. In their final group stage match, the French faced an unmotivated Polish team. Despite this, they could not secure a victory, with Mbappé's penalty being matched by a Lewandowski penalty, ending in a 1-1 draw. France finished the group stage with five points, advancing to the knockout stage from second place behind Austria.
In the Round of 16, France faced a tough opponent in Belgium. Les Bleus played better but struggled to break down Belgium's defense, seeming destined for extra time. However, in the 85th minute, a shot from Dembélé deflected off a defender and into the net, securing a 1-0 win. France then faced another difficult opponent, Portugal. The match was evenly balanced, progressing to extra time and ultimately a penalty shootout, where João Félix's miss handed victory to France. Notably, France did not score a single goal from open play, with their goals coming from two own goals and one penalty – an interesting fact about this team at Euro 2024.
Interesting facts about the match and head-to-head history
- The last time France and Spain faced each other was in 2021, when Les Bleus won 2-1 in the Nations League final.
- France has drawn 4 of their last 6 matches. Spain has won 10 of their last 11 matches.
- France remains unbeaten in their last 9 matches, while Spain is unbeaten in their last 11 matches.
Spain vs France prediction
In the semifinal stage, teams are unlikely to take excessive risks. Overall, France has only scored three goals in all their matches, indicating they will likely continue to play defensively. Despite La Furia Roja's higher goal tally, their match against Germany showed they can be pragmatic. Therefore, my bet is on the match total being under 2.5 goals with odds of 1.5.
