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Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappé became French football heroes in the final of the League of Nations in Milan against the Spaniards.
Both scored in the second half and the French, after a turn from 0: 1 to 2: 1, won the second edition of this prestigious competition of European national teams. The first champions of the League of Nations were the Portuguese two years ago.
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“This is the first time that, as a member of the French national team, I have raised the winning cup over my head. I am proud and honored. In the final tournament, we gave two excellent performances in terms of team and individual, ” stated Karim Benzema.
Real Madrid’s 30-year-old striker was not a member of the winning team “Les Bleus” at the World Cup in Russia in 2018. He paused in the national team for various disagreements for five years, returning to it only before this year’s European Championships. There, the French did not unexpectedly cross the Swiss in the round of 16, but currently improved their reputation in the League of Nations.
In the semifinals they turned against the Belgians from 0: 2 to 3: 2 and in the finals against the already mentioned Spaniards from 0: 1 to 2: 1. In both matches, Benzema led the goal to a turn. Against the Spaniards, he struck the excellently distant upper corner of the goal, in which Unai Simón stood. He touched the ball with his fingertips, but did not change its direction.
“I usually try ground shots in such situations. The factor of luck was also important in this particular goal. The moment the ball bounced off my football, I sensed that it would fall there. But I didn’t expect it to fit in the upper corner of the goal. “ admitted Benzema on the European Football Union website.
Photo gallery
Didier Deschamps
Source: SITA
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“Karim is a vital player for us and he showed it in these two matches. In addition to the undeniable quality, he also has a huge will to win. And it can also drive teammates crazy with it. I’m happy to have him on the team. He was very important for our overall triumph in the League of Nations, ” declared the coach Didier Deschamps.
What Benzema started in the 66th minute was completed fourteen minutes later by Kylian Mbappé. His goal after the pass of the excellent player Theo Hernández also examined the VAR system, as it seemed that he fell from a 20-centimeter offside. However, the video showed that before Mbappé got to the ball, she was touched by the Spanish defender Eric García. He tried to catch Hernández’s pass. Mbappé has scored twice in two Final Four LN games (and added two assists), having previously scored two goals in thirteen national team appearances.
“I have never spoken badly about the judges, I only focus on what I can influence. So I will not say anything about this situation either. I try to make my team as ready as possible for the matches and pass the maximum in them, ” commented with a clear Spanish coach Luis Enrique.
The Spaniards were sent to the lead by Mikel Oyarzabal in the final in the 64th minute, but they kept him for less than two minutes. Then the already mentioned Benzema took office. Only 107 seconds passed between the first two goals of the match. The Spanish footballers put a lot of pressure on the opponent’s goal at the end of the match, but the French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris also resisted with luck.
Photo gallery
Luis Enrique with Spanish players.
Source: SITA
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“We should have kept the lead longer and maybe it would have ended otherwise. But Benzema showed something special. Unchanged chances cost us the title, ” added Luis Enrique. Oyarzabal added: “We gave an excellent performance and our opponent showed two great moments. Some of our chances were really huge, but Lloris hit well against my or Yeremi’s shot. We’ve worked hard all this match and we can be proud of ourselves, ” said the 24-year-old winger Oyarzabal, who in the semifinals scored Ferran Torres for both goals against the Italians.
“I think we did better football than the French. However, it is not played on the performed game, but on the goals. However, we have confirmed the affiliation to the top despite the large number of young players in the team, “ he added Spanish defender Aymeric Laporte.
The European champions of the Italians defeated the Belgians 2: 1 in the fight for the 3rd place in Turin. Their winning goal was scored in the 66th minute by the penalty kick Domenico Berardi. striker Sassuola also became a man of the match. “I am satisfied with my performance, but our victory is important. We sent him a signal that we were still here. We are happy because we really wanted to win this match, “ commented Berardi on the UEFA website.
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