France made history by reaching the Euro 2024 semifinals without scoring any goals in open play. They secured their spot with a penalty shootout victory over Portugal. In all five games of the tournament, France’s goals came from own goals or penalty kicks. They also had two scoreless draws, including a 0-0 result against the Netherlands in the group stage and the recent 0-0 (5-3) shootout win over Portugal.
Despite not scoring from open play, France has also not conceded any goals in open play. The only goal they allowed was a penalty kick from Polish captain Robert Lewandowski. France’s only non-own goal goal in the tournament came from a penalty kick by captain Kylian Mbappé, which was equalized by Lewandowski. France’s advancement to the knockout stage was secured by this 1-1 draw against the Netherlands.
France, currently ranked as the No. 2 team in the world by FIFA, has struggled to convert their shots into goals. They have outshot all their opponents in the tournament, with 87 shots taken and 20 on target. Despite their scoring difficulties, France has managed to hold on and will now face Spain in the semifinals.
Spain, their upcoming opponent, has had no trouble finding the net in the tournament, scoring 11 goals in their five games, with all but one coming from open play. The clash between France and Spain promises to be an exciting match as France looks to overcome their goal-scoring struggles and secure a spot in the Euro 2024 final.