Burkina Faso
Indonesia
Lithuania
Montenegro
Nigeria
North Macedonia

Spainvs.France

sportsmole.co.uk, 8 July 2024, 14:27
France striker Randal Kolo Muani has warned Euro 2024 semi-final opponents Spain that Les Bleus are not "scared" of anyone ahead of Tuesday's mouthwatering encounter.

Didier Deschamps's men have progressed to the final four of this summer's tournament despite not scoring a single goal from open play, where their only two strikes so far have been own goals.

As well as a Kylian Mbappe penalty against Poland, France defeated Austria in their opening match courtesy of a Maximilian Wober own goal, before Jan Vertonghen inadvertently condemned Belgium to a last-16 exit to Les Bleus.

The former Tottenham Hotspur defender saw a strike from Kolo Muani take a wicked deflection off of him and nestle into the net, seeing the Paris Saint-Germain attacker promoted to the starting lineup over Marcus Thuram for the quarter-final win over Portugal.

Kolo Muani failed to justify his inclusion as he was taken off in the 86th minute - and therefore did not take a penalty in the shootout - but his teammates were perfect from the 12-yard mark while Joao Felix fluffed his lines for Portugal.

Kolo Muani talks up "close-knit" France before Euro 2024 semi-final

Spain also failed to prevail in normal time in their quarter-final encounter with Germany, but they got the job done 2-1 in extra time, prior to which they also hit Georgia for four in the last 16.

Nevertheless, speaking to UEFA ahead of Tuesday's first Euros semi-final, Kolo Muani insisted that the 2018 World Cup winners will not be intimidated by Luis de la Fuente's men, now considered the favourites by many to hoist the trophy aloft.

"They are a very good team; it is going to be a very good match. We'll be ready; the whole team will be ready. We're not scared of anyone," the ex-Nantes man said.

"We are very confident and solid. We know that they have qualities but we are a very close-knit group. That will see us through. It feels good to reach the semi-finals and we're very proud of the match we played.

"We were strong defensively and even though we weren't able to score that goal, we kept going until the end and we did brilliantly in the penalty shoot-out. Character has always been our strength; we're all strong and very confident. We stick together and that's very important for us. That is what will take us deep into this tournament."

Kolo Muani reveals "key" to France's Euro 2024 success

Reflecting on his match-winning cameo against Belgium, Kolo Muani admitted that his "freshness" played its part but stressed the qualities of the whole team, adding: "It is thanks to everyone, not just me coming on to play.

"It is the mindset of the group, we played a great match. I just tried to bring some freshness and the group helped me to score the goal. We won together.

"We all defend together, fight together and give everything for each other, which is the way it's been since the beginning of the tournament. That's the key to our success."

France have reportedly been handed one injury boost and one setback ahead of Tuesday's semi-final, where Spain must cope without the injured Pedri and the suspended Dani Carvajal and Robin Le Normand.

Either England or the Netherlands - who square off in Dortmund on Wednesday night - will face the winner of Tuesday's semi-final in the final on July 14 at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.

Show more

Top News

5 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea are one of several clubs to have been alerted to Borussia Dortmund star Jamie Gittens' availability after he reportedly announced his exit plans to teammates. 5 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal are reportedly poised to sign Leroy Sane amid speculation that contract renewal talks with Bayern Munich have broken down. 5 May 2025 talksport.com UEFA have acted quickly after they unintentionally rubbed salt into the wounds of Tottenham Hotspur fans. 5 May 2025 talksport.com Coventry City's Tatsuhiro Sakamoto may have picked up the wrong sport as a child. 5 May 2025 talksport.com The Europa League winners should be stripped of automatic Champions League qualification, according to Arsene Wenger. 5 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal veteran Jorginho has apparently reached an agreement to join Brazilian giants Flamengo when his contract runs its course at the end of the season. 5 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool are said to be prepared to push for Bournemouth centre-back Dean Huijsen amid concerns that Ibrahima Konate could leave the club. 5 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Six days on from a classic encounter in Spain, Inter Milan and Barcelona meet again on Tuesday, as they fight it out for a place in this season's Champions League final. 5 May 2025 talksport.com Harry Kane will spend one more season at Bayern Munich before he returns to the Premier League. 5 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United are said to have been involved in talks with Juventus regarding the transfer of striker Rasmus Hojlund. 5 May 2025 talksport.com Huddersfield have confirmed nine first-team players have joined Jonathan Hogg in leaving the club. 5 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal are reportedly concerned about the prospect of William Saliba becoming a target for Real Madrid within the next two years. 5 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City have reportedly suggested that they are prepared to pay €65m (£55.37m) to sign a Tottenham Hotspur star. 5 May 2025 talksport.com Chelsea have shared a moment to forget for Trent Alexander-Arnold after his Liverpool exit was officially confirmed. 5 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal have reportedly identified a Real Madrid star as a potential summer transfer target. 5 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United are reportedly open to cashing in on one of their attackers should an offer arrive from Chelsea this summer. 5 May 2025 talksport.com Jamie Carragher has warned Trent Alexander-Arnold that he has lost the 'unconditional support' of Liverpool fans. 5 May 2025 talksport.com Liverpool will attack the transfer market this summer in a bid to retain their Premier League title, talkSPORT understands. 5 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold has reportedly agreed to sign a long-term contract with Real Madrid. 5 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Either Paris Saint-Germain or Arsenal will be just 90 minutes away from a first-ever Champions League title when the final whistle blows in Wednesday's semi-final second leg at the Parc des Princes. 5 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United are reportedly prepared to join the race to sign Brentford attacker Bryan Mbeumo this summer. 5 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Crystal Palace talisman Eberechi Eze is "tailor-made" to play for Arsenal and should arguably be above Athletic Bilbao's Nico Williams on the Gunners' transfer shortlist, journalist Charles Watts has claimed. 5 May 2025 talksport.com Former Barnsley manager Gerhard Struber has sensationally been sacked by Cologne with the side on the brink of Bundesliga promotion. 5 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool reportedly tabled a series of contract offers in a bid to keep Trent Alexander-Arnold at Anfield 5 May 2025 talksport.com Trent Alexander-Arnold will be forced to move on from his iconic No.66 after completing his switch to Real Madrid. 5 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea have reportedly identified a La Liga defender as a potential target for the summer transfer window. 5 May 2025 talksport.com Harry Kane can be considered on par with Lionel Messi given his scoring success at Bayern Munich. 5 May 2025 talksport.com With the reality setting in over Trent Alexander-Arnold's Liverpool departure, he'd be well advised to not check his phone for a while. 5 May 2025 talksport.com That's it, Trent Alexander-Arnold has confirmed that after 20 years at Liverpool, he's leaving the club. 5 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk The worst kept secret is out; Trent Alexander-Arnold is leaving Liverpool.