Well that didn’t go as expected. The legendary France side boasting Michael Olisé, Ousmane Dembelé, and Kylian Mbappé was silenced after being held to a clean sheet in a game that lacked any real bite from the attacking trio. Early on, it felt as though France would come back in a big way during the second half, but it was never to be.
Losing team jersey swap: Nobody
While it always feels harsh giving this award to no one, there was simply no one that warranted a jersey swap. Before the match, it would be hard to believe that none
of France’s several superstar players did anything to warrant an award, you wouldn’t believe it, but here we are. Didier Deschamps’ side will return to France with an impressive run, but one that will without a doubt be looked at as a failure when you consider the wealth of talent they possess.
Der Kaiser: Pedro Porro, Spain
Pedro Porro certainly isn’t the biggest name on this team. He isn’t someone that fans would consider a star player in football, however, he was massively important for Spain, not only defensively, but he scored the goal that seal the deal for Spain. After his goal, France’s hope was shattered and they were never able to get into their flow.
Fußballgott: Rodri, Spain
There is a reason that Rodri’s name is considered among the very best midfielders in the world. It’s not easy to look good against a team like France, but Rodri was absolutely dominant, winning 7 out of 11 ground duels and 4 out of 4 aerial duels. That is outstanding and shows why France struggled so much generating any sort of attack in this match.
Most impressive of all, Rodri was not dribbled past a single time in this entire match. Outstanding.
Der Bomber: Mikel Oyarzabal, Spain
The Real Sociedad veteran started the match off on the perfect tone for the Spaniards, burying a penalty in the back of the net, even when Mike Maignan dove the right way. While he wasn’t out of this world, he was the standout in a Spain attack that did enough to get over the line, thanks to a masterclass effort in keeping France quiet.
Meister of the Match: The entire Spanish backline
In a match where Spain swept every award, their best player has to be their entire backline. Against one of the best attack’s in the history of the sport, not one Spanish defender was dribbled past more than once. That is a simply outrageous stat and the backline should be celebrated as a cohesive unit.
The German backline would have been demolished by the French trio, like most teams that have faced the French side, but this Spanish side just completely pocketed France today.
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