How to stop Mbappe? Cucurella knows

Even though Spain established itself as a team which plays arguably the best football at EURO 2024, while France struggled not being able to score for a long time, the duel between these two teams is undoubtedly a unique derby. For that reason, the public's attention is on both teams and their players. Regarding Les Blues, all eyes are logically on the captain, Kylian Mbappe, who, just like France in general, has failed to live up to expectations so far.

Nevertheless, the Spaniards are mainly afraid of the new Real Madrid player and are already planning how to stop him. At a press conference, Marc Cucurella revealed some key components of that plan.

"I think football is a collective sport, and it's true that if it was one-on-one it would be tricky, but it's up to us in the end. Apart from being good with the ball, we are a very hard-working team, we give everything for each other, and I think that's the key. We have to be united, to know what to do in each moment, and above all we need to minimize their counterattacks which are perhaps their strongest weapons," stated Cucurella.

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Spain boss Luis de la Fuente will, however, have a lot of trouble choosing the starting 11, given he won't be able to count on as many as three starters for the France clash. Namely, Robin Le Normand has a two-booking suspension, whereas Dani Carvajal was sent off in the dying minutes of the quarter-final against Germany. Finally, Pedri's knee injury doesn't look good, making him questionable for the semi-final. Carvajal's suspension could require Cucurella's change of position, given that he sometimes played at the right-back for Chelsea.

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"I'll try to give my best, to contribute my grain of sand. I feel more comfortable on the left but in the end I have to try to do the best I can and help the team. What's important is that we win, and it doesn't matter who plays, if on Sunday we are in the final," said the Spaniard, prioritizing the team's result.

Finally, Cucurella couldn't avoid the question about the penalty controversy when he blocked Jamal Musiala's strike with his hand, but the Germans weren't awarded a shot from the spot.

"If the referees said it wasn't a penalty, then I will respect that. In the end these are things that happen, they are decisions... Kroos could have been booked before and then sent off. Football is a game of errors and accuracies; in the end we were more accurate than them, we scored one goal more and we got through," Cucurella concluded.

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP - 1/2 FINALS

Tuesday

22.00: (2.70) Spain (3.05) France (3.15)

Wednesay

22.00: (3.15) Netherlands (3.10) England (2.60)

***odds are subject to change***