STUTTGART, Germany: Spain starlets Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams dazzled as La Roja beat France 5-4 in a thriller in Stuttgart on Thursday, to set up a Nations League final with Portugal.
Yamal bagged a brace while Williams scored and provided an assist as the two wingers cut France’s makeshift defense to ribbons.
Mikel Merino and Pedri were also on the scoresheet for the Euro 2024 champions.
Kylian Mbappe netted a second-half penalty, but Spain were 5-1 up and cruising, before Les Bleus suddenly woke up as their opponents took their foot off the pedal.
France’s three late goals — a Rayan Cherki screamer, a Spain own goal and a stoppage time strike from Randal Kolo Muani — were not enough.
Spain held on to book an all-Iberian Nations League final against Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal on Sunday in Munich, while France will face hosts Germany in Stuttgart for the bronze medal, earlier in the day.
Returning to Germany where they won the European Championship in dominant fashion a year ago, Spain seem a more complete team, despite their late fadeout.
France were more dangerous in the opening stages, with Didier Deschamps electing to channel his attack through Ousmane Dembele rather than Mbappe.
Dembele, fresh from Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League triumph, created an early chance for Mbappe, but the Real Madrid superstar wasted it, electing to pass rather than shoot when one-on-one with the ‘keeper.
Minutes later, Spain escaped again as Theo Hernandez’s long-range effort shaved the top of the crossbar.
Spain made France pay soon after, when Williams and Oyarzabal, La Roja’s two goalscorers in the Euro 2024 final, linked up with 22 minutes played.
After a tear down the right, Yamal threaded it to Oyarzabal, who held off three defenders with his back to goal before finding Williams, who rifled his shot into the top of the net.
Spain grabbed full hold of the match just three minutes later when Oyarzabal dinked the French defense, allowing Merino to collect and hammer past an off-balance Maignan.
France had the better chances later in the half, with Dembele finding space in the box three times only to blast straight at a grateful Unai Simon.
Just before half-time, the narrowest of offsides robbed Spain of what would have been an incredible third.
In a clearly rehearsed free-kick play, Yamal found Martin Zubimendi behind the lines, who cut it back for Huijsen.
The second-half played out line the first, with France missing two big chances before Spain again scored a quick-fire double.
With 54 minutes played, Yamal won and converted a penalty, taking the ball from Williams before calmly slotting home.
France were reeling but Spain’s starlets had no sympathy, Williams setting up Pedri for a fourth just one minute later.
Mbappe won and converted a penalty with 59 minutes played but Yamal stepped up again to snuff out French hopes of an unlikely comeback, scoring Spain’s fifth with just over 20 minutes remaining.
Spain made four changes a their thoughts turned to Sunday, allowing France to score two late consolation goals.
Substitute Cherki scored a long-range effort and then forced Spain into conceding an own goal through Daniel Vivian.
Kolo Muani’s goal came in the fourth minute of stoppage time to cut the deficit to one, but France had left their comeback too late, as Spain held on.

HONG KONG: Uzbekistan qualified for the World Cup for the first time on Thursday as a 0-0 draw with the UAE confirmed the nation’s progress to next year’s finals as Australia and Jordan moved to the verge of booking berths in North America.

Aziz Behich’s 90th minute strike earned the Socceroos a 1-0 win over already-qualified Japan in Perth in Group C to keep Tony Popovic’s side three points clear of Saudi Arabia, who won 2-0 against Bahrain in Riffa.

Goals from Musab Al-Juwayr and Abdulrahman Al-Obud earned Saudi Arabia a victory that puts Australia’s celebrations on hold until the two nations meet in Jeddah on Tuesday.

But Australia’s vastly superior goal difference means they can lose that meeting with the Saudis by up to four goals and still advance to a sixth consecutive World Cup finals as second-placed finishers behind the Japanese.

Jordan also moved to the cusp of qualification as Ali Olwan’s hat-trick delivered a 3-0 win over Oman in Muscat to leave Jamal Sellami’s side waiting for the result from South Korea’s clash with Iraq in Basra later on Thursday in Group B.

Uzbekistan goalkeeper Utkir Yusupov made a string of second-half saves in Abu Dhabi to frustrate the UAE and earn his nation their first World Cup qualification since the country gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

Abbosbek Fayzullaev had hit the crossbar with a 54th minute header for the visitors but it was Yusupov who frustrated the Cosmin Olaroiu-coached Emiratis, who needed to win to maintain their hopes of automatic qualification.

The draw means the UAE will now progress to the fourth round of qualifying as the point earned guarantees a third- or fourth-placed finish in Group A.

Indonesia guaranteed their involvement in the World Cup preliminaries would continue into the fourth round as a 1-0 win over China also ended the qualification hopes of Branko Ivankovic’s side.

Ole Romeny’s 45th minute penalty separated the sides in Jakarta to ensure Indonesia would finish in either third or fourth place in Group C, thereby progressing to the next phase, which will be played in October.