Ranking France's 5 best players against Spain | UEFA Nations League final
Another comeback from France saw them beat Spain at the San Siro to be crowned champions in the second edition of the UEFA Nations League. Goals from Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappe helped world champions France get the better of a determined Spanish side and taste glory in the Nations League.
The final had no shortage of drama and was an action-packed encounter between the two best teams in the tournament. While the first half of the match was more of a tactical battle, both Spain and France came into their rhythm in the second half to produce an entertaining end to the tournament.
✅ World Cup 2018 Winners
✅ Nations League 2021 Winners
Well done, France!
🇫🇷 https://t.co/D9Wf9lpi5p
After France's Theo Hernandez was denied from the crossbar, in-form Mikel Oyarzabal gave Spain the lead in the 64th minute. Two minutes later, Karim Benzema marked a great move with a sensational strike for the equalizer. Kylian Mbappe left it late but scored in the 80th minute to help France seal the tie, leaving Spain with little chance of a comeback.
Les Bleus had to produce their best performance to win their maiden UEFA Nations League trophy. Without further ado, let us take a look at the
Five best performers for France against Spain in the UEFA Nations League final
#5 Presnel Kimpembe
Despite stars like Raphael Varane and Jules Kounde present in the French defense, it was Presnel Kimpembe who impressed the most in the final. The Paris Saint-Germain centre-back stood out with his no-nonsense defending and happily did the dirty work for France by breaking up Spain's attacks throughout the game.
Kimpembe's strong aerial presence and his crunching tackles limited Spain's possession-based style to a minimum in the final third. The 26-year old did not allow any space for Spain to utilize and helped France maintain their defensive shape in the final.
Kimpembe might not be a superstar in the French squad, but his mature display once again justified his importance for France.
#4 Kylian Mbappe
Kylian Mbappe was quiet initially in the match as he was tightly marked by Eric Garcia. Mbappe's pace was unable to make any difference, with Garcia keeping a close eye on his mark in the first half. But it was hard to keep someone like Mbappe quiet for long enough and the French superstar eventually had his say, deciding the match for France.
Mbappe ⚡️ https://t.co/kqGKNcWING
First, Mbappe's devastating partnership with Benzema bore fruit as the 22-year old assisted the goal for Benzema's equalizer. In the 80th minute, Mbappe latched on to a pass, popped up again with his extra-terrestrial pace and calmly put the ball into the net for the winner in the UEFA Nations League final.