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Euro 12 Quarter Final - Spain v France - Saturday 23 June 7.45pm

Saturday 23nd June
Kick Off: 7-45pm


Fifa Rankings:
Spain 1
France 14

Road to the Quarters:

France came out of the same group of England but didn't really live up to their pre-tournament as a "team to watch". For all their slick movement they failed to really threaten England despite having more possession, They brushed aside a poor Ukraine but then lost to Sweden when they needed to win to avoid this very game.

There were rumours of heated words apres the Sweden defeat which have now been confirmed by their manager. The spectre of the strike in South Africa two years ago hangs over the squad and few French pundits give their side a chance against the world champions.

Spain won their group as most would have expected and at times they pass the ball to death. At one point they are said to have made 90 consecutive passes against Ireland but there is the rub. It was Ireland. If you are playing a team as poor as Eire why do you need 90 passes to create a chance. The world champions lack of real fire power is such a worry that they even tried playing without a striker in their first game. It didn't work and Italy could count themselves slightly unlucky not to have won that one.

Ones to Watch:
Spain - Whoever plays up front, they need to find the missing spark and convert possession into goals
France - Alou Diarra, the holding midfielder will be key to breaking up the Spanish tippy-tappy


Odds:
Spain 2/5 to qualify
France 15/8 to qualify

Prediction:

For all the praise lavished on Spain watching them can sometimes be, whisper it,a little boring. The opposition have to take a big slice of blame for this, often sticking 9 or 10 players behind the ball but Spain's patience, admirable and game winning though it is, doesn't always make for the best viewing for the neutral. So expect a tight game but with the expected result:
1 - 0 to the Champions
«1

Comments

  • Are France really down to 14th in the FIFA rankings now ?? wow - that really is a fall from grace !!
  • Spain to win but only just. Benzema to score first before Torres equalises and Iniesta win in the last minute.
  • Spain V France 2-2 score ( 30-1 Betvictor )
    Alonso to score anytime ( 13-2 Paddypower )
    Ribery to be shown a card ( 4-1 Betfair )
  • Spain are playing without a striker again. Fabregas to start.
  • Nice preview.

    Watching this on the floating Barcelona bar at embankment so hoping for a Spanish win.

    2-1 Espania AET

  • Full time 0-0 ,, after extra time 0-0 and France win on penalties even without ZZ Top
  • I'm not sure you can play top class international football without a recognised centre forward??!
  • Unless you're Spain.
  • indeed
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  • Spain 1 up. Game over.
  • Went for spain to win 2-0 on the basis they might score early then France would leave holes late on looking for an equaliser.
    But with my luck so far, that's not going to happen...
  • So far all the quarter final games have been one sided affairs. France are whimpering out of the competition like a punch drunk boxer and it is not as if Spain have pushed out of 2nd gear.
  • What a boring game...
  • Got a sneaky feeling France might nick an equaliser.
  • Cant see past Germany winning on this showing.
  • Without a shadow of a doubt the worst game of the tournament.
  • Went for spain to win 2-0 on the basis they might score early then France would leave holes late on looking for an equaliser.
    But with my luck so far, that's not going to happen...

    they left that late :)

  • Without a shadow of a doubt the worst game of the tournament.
    It's a stinker.

  • As the preview said Spain games can be a little boring due to the oppositions fear and their patience.
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  • Blimey!
  • edited June 2012
    what a crap game. france, was their any point them being there? they were scared to tackle. they were scared to attack. they didnt look bothered and at the end they look rather pleased with themselves. as if they played well but got beaten by a world class side. spain are world class but tonight they looked quite content playing in second gear.
    Poor france. If ever England played like that, no heart, no passion, no spirit, no clue i would be ashamed, as those french players should be, they seem more bothered getting a Spanish shirt as a souvenir.
  • 1-0 nil down with 10 mins to go, France had basically one up front....why do teams not play with more conviction against Spain??? Croatia at least had a go and probably should have won. Italy gave them a decent game but still lacked the belief in the end.
    If Portugal go for it then they could defo beat Spain.
  • Toothless performance from the French. Completely different against England.

    Perhaps a confidence thing but as the pundits are saying the attitude wasn't right....that pedestrian walk back by malouda would be out of place in League 2 let alone a major tournament. Would get dropped doing that at Chelsea.
  • So after 3 one sided games is the England Italy game set up to be a mouth watering feast of football? I hope so. France were awful and waving the white flag after the first goal.
  • So after 3 one sided games is the England Italy game set up to be a mouth watering feast of football? I hope so. France were awful and waving the white flag after the first goal.
    I couldn't care less if it 10 times worse than tonight's game ( and it won't be ) as long as we win. One thing is for sure that England have more desire than the French will ever have. 800 French fans turned up for that game and that sums the nation up.
  • Sorry, but I find the whole Spain worship mystifying, they have great skill but their games are like watching paint dry.

    Tonight's game showed why the EPL - despite all of its flaws - is worth about 10 times the money on the international TV market that La Liga is.

    The English game is about getting forward and attacking, the Spanish game is about holding the ball and controlling the game. The latter is more effective than the former but nowhere near as compelling to watch.
  • what a crap game. france, was their any point them being there? they were scared to tackle. they were scared to attack. they didnt look bothered and at the end they look rather pleased with themselves. as if they played well but got beaten by a world class side. spain are world class but tonight they looked quite content playing in second gear.
    Poor france. If ever England played like that, no heart, no passion, no spirit, no clue i would be ashamed, as those french players should be, they seem more bothered getting a Spanish shirt as a souvenir.
    Reflects the general French support in the French league, and the French public with regards to their feelings for football.
  • What a borefest. France didn't even give it a go. Reminded me a bit like when we lost to 10 man Brazil in I think 2006. We still never went for them.
  • Maybe I'm a bit out of step but I don't find watching Spain as tedious as some seem to. No doubt they haven't been at their best in this tournament but for me this is due to a lack of cutting edge. David Villa in other words.

    I still find the way they work so bloody hard pressing the oppo until they make a mistake then the movement and control they have a pleasure to watch tbh. Rather watch that then both sides endlessly conceding possesion and hopeful long punts.

    That said it takes two to make a game of it and tonight the french were awful. In Ribery they have a top quality player yet he might as well have not bothered travelling to tournament. No goals and 1 assist in 4 games is nowhere near good enough for him.

    The Germans are playing the best all round game by a country mile imo.
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