2021 UEFA Nations League final explained

2021 UEFA Nations League final
Event:2021 UEFA Nations League Finals
Team1:Spain
Team1score:1
Team2:France
Team2score:2
Stadium:San Siro
City:Milan
Man Of The Match1a:Karim Benzema (France)
Referee:Anthony Taylor (England)
Attendance:31,511
Weather:Clear night
12°C
57% humidity
Previous:2019
Next:2023

The 2021 UEFA Nations League final was a football match that determined the winners of the final tournament of the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League. It was the second final of the international football competition involving the men's national teams of the member associations of UEFA. The match was held on 10 October 2021 at the San Siro in Milan, Italy, and was contested by Spain and France.[1]

France won the match 2–1 for their first UEFA Nations League title.

Venue

The final was played at the San Siro in Milan, home to Milan and Inter Milan.

Route to the final

Note: In all results below, the score of the finalist is given first (H: home; A: away).

SpainRoundFrance
OpponentsResultLeague phaseOpponentsResult
1–1 (A)Match 11–0 (A)
4–0 (H)Match 24–2 (H)
1–0 (H)Match 30–0 (H)
0–1 (A)Match 42–1 (A)
1–1 (A)Match 51–0 (A)
6–0 (H)Match 64–2 (H)
Group A4 winnerFinal standingsGroup A3 winner
OpponentsResultNations League FinalsOpponentsResult
2–1Semi-finals3–2

Pre-match

Officials

On 8 October 2021, the UEFA Referees Committee announced the officiating team for the final, led by 42-year-old English referee Anthony Taylor of the Football Association. He was joined by seven of his compatriots, including assistant referees Gary Beswick and Adam Nunn. Craig Pawson served as the fourth official, while Stuart Burt was selected as the reserve assistant referee. At UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, Stuart Attwell worked as the video assistant referee (VAR) for the match. Chris Kavanagh and Lee Betts were appointed as assistant VAR officials, along with Dutchman Pol van Boekel.

Taylor has been a FIFA referee since 2013. The match was his third UEFA final as lead referee, having officiated the 2015 UEFA European Under-19 Championship final and the 2020 UEFA Super Cup. He also was selected as a referee at UEFA Euro 2020, where he officiated three matches. He previously served as an additional assistant referee at UEFA Euro 2016, including the final,[2] as well as in the 2015 UEFA Europa League final and 2016 UEFA Champions League Final.[3] [4] Domestically, he officiated the FA Cup final in 2017 and 2020, the Football League Cup final in 2015, and the FA Community Shield in 2015. The final was the fourth time Taylor had refereed Spain (two wins and one loss) and the third for France (one win and one loss).[5]

Team selection

Spain had all their players available for selection. However, Ferran Torres was a doubt with an ankle issue which required him to be substituted out of Spain's semi-final against Italy and miss Spain's final training session.[6] France had two players missing, after left-back Lucas Digne left the squad due to a muscle injury,[7] while midfielder Adrien Rabiot testing positive for SARS‑CoV‑2.[8]

Both teams made two changes to their starting line-ups after their semi-final victories. Spain replaced centre-back Pau Torres with Eric García and midfielder Koke with Rodri, while France replaced centre-back Lucas Hernandez with Presnel Kimpembe and COVID-positive Rabiot with Aurélien Tchouaméni.

Match

Summary

After a goalless first half, Mikel Oyarzabal put Spain into the lead after 64 minutes with a low finish from the left to the bottom right corner of the net after a pass from Sergio Busquets which French defender Dayot Upamecano failed to cut out.[9] This goal came seconds after Théo Hernandez shot against the underside of the crossbar for France. Two minutes later Karim Benzema scored to make it 1–1, cutting in from the left to the edge of the penalty area before shooting to the top right corner of the net past Unai Simón who managed to get a touch on the ball but could not prevent it going into the net.[10] With ten minutes remaining Kylian Mbappé got the winning goal when he received the ball from Théo Hernandez before shooting low under the advancing goalkeeper Simón from the left. Mbappé was initially in an offside position from the pass but as the ball was deflected into his path by Eric García he became onside and so the goal was given.[11] [12]

Details

width=25!width=25
GK 23Unai Simón
RB 2 César Azpilicueta
CB 19
CB 12Eric García
LB 17Marcos Alonso
CM 9
CM 5 Sergio Busquets (c)
CM 16
RF 11
CF 22
LF 21Mikel Oyarzabal
Substitutions:
FW 7
MF 8
MF 20
MF 18
Manager:
Luis Enrique
width=25!width=25
GK 1 Hugo Lloris (c)
CB 5
CB 4
CB 3 Presnel Kimpembe
RM 2
CM 6
CM 8 Aurélien Tchouaméni
LM 22Théo Hernandez
AM 7
CF 19Karim Benzema
CF 10
Substitutions:
DF 15
DF 12
MF 17
Manager:
Didier Deschamps
Man of the Match:
Karim Benzema (France)[13]

Assistant referees

[14]
Gary Beswick (England)
Adam Nunn (England)
Fourth official


Craig Pawson (England)
Reserve assistant referee


Stuart Burt (England)
Video assistant referee


Stuart Attwell (England)
Assistant video assistant referees


Chris Kavanagh (England)
Lee Betts (England)
Pol van Boekel (Netherlands)

|style="width:60%; vertical-align:top;"|Match rules[15]
  • 90 minutes
  • 30 minutes of extra time if necessary
  • Penalty shoot-out if scores still level
  • Maximum of twelve named substitutes
  • Maximum of five substitutions, with a sixth allowed in extra time

|}

Statistics

First half[16]
StatisticSpainFrance
scope=rowGoals scored00
scope=rowTotal shots21
scope=rowShots on target10
scope=rowSaves01
scope=rowBall possession65%35%
scope=rowCorner kicks22
scope=rowFouls committed56
scope=rowOffsides01
scope=rowYellow cards00
scope=rowRed cards00
Second half
StatisticSpainFrance
scope=rowGoals scored12
scope=rowTotal shots1011
scope=rowShots on target35
scope=rowSaves32
scope=rowBall possession56%44%
scope=rowCorner kicks53
scope=rowFouls committed68
scope=rowOffsides01
scope=rowYellow cards13
scope=rowRed cards00
Overall
StatisticSpainFrance
scope=rowGoals scored12
scope=rowTotal shots1212
scope=rowShots on target45
scope=rowSaves33
scope=rowBall possession60%40%
scope=rowCorner kicks75
scope=rowFouls committed1114
scope=rowOffsides02
scope=rowYellow cards13
scope=rowRed cards00

Notes and References

  1. Web site: UEFA Nations League finals: all you need to know . UEFA.com . Union of European Football Associations . 11 July 2021 . 6 October 2021.
  2. Web site: Clattenburg named referee for UEFA Euro 2016 final . . 8 July 2016 . 8 July 2016.
  3. News: Atkinson to referee UEFA Europa League final . UEFA.com . Union of European Football Associations . 18 May 2015 . 18 May 2015.
  4. Web site: Clattenburg to referee Champions League final. UEFA.com. 10 May 2016.
  5. Web site: Anthony Taylor » Matches as referee . WorldFootball.net . 8 October 2021.
  6. News: García-Ochoa . Juan Ignacio . Milan . Ferran: "Mi tobillo va mejor y me probaré en el calentamiento" . Ferran: "My ankle is better and I will test myself in the warm-up" . . 9 October 2021 . 10 October 2021 . es.
  7. News: Lucas Digne va quitter le groupe . Lucas Digne will leave the squad . . 8 October 2021 . 10 October 2021 . fr.
  8. News: Adrien Rabiot forfait pour la finale . Adrien Rabiot withdraws for the final . . 9 October 2021 . 10 October 2021 . fr.
  9. Web site: Spain 1-2 France: Karim Benzema stunner and Kylian Mbappe strike clinch Nations League trophy for France. 10 October 2021. Sky Sports. 11 October 2021.
  10. Web site: Spain 1 France 2. 10 October 2021. BBC Sport. 11 October 2021.
  11. Web site: Kylian Mbappé sinks Spain to clinch Nations League for France. 10 October 2021. Guardian. 11 October 2021.
  12. Web site: Mbappe, Benzema lead France over Spain in Nations League final. 10 October 2021. ESPN. 11 October 2021.
  13. News: Spain 1–2 France: Les Bleus seal trophy with another comeback . UEFA.com . Union of European Football Associations . 10 October 2021 . 10 October 2021.
  14. News: English ref Anthony Taylor and his team to take charge of Spain v France in Milan . . 8 October 2021 . 8 October 2021.
  15. Web site: Regulations of the UEFA Nations League, 2020/21 . UEFA.com . Union of European Football Associations . PDF . 13 October 2019 . 13 October 2019 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20201116082336/https://documents.uefa.com/internal/api/webapp/documents/jJTWTpzi2KN9D8VRYz~Bpg/content . 16 November 2020.
  16. Web site: Team statistics – Final – Spain v France . UEFA.com . Union of European Football Associations . PDF . 10 October 2021 . 10 October 2021.