France boss: Spain…

ARLINGTON, Texas — France’s head coach Didier Deschamps playfully dodged questions regarding his team’s status as a World Cup favorite during a press conference on Monday. Instead, he praised their semifinal opponent, Spain, predicting a “spectacular game” set to unfold on Tuesday.

“Spain is very strong both in attack and defense,” Deschamps remarked. “They’ve only allowed one goal. Both Luis and I understand how to defend well, but given the offensive capabilities of both teams, I believe we can anticipate a fantastic match.”

Both Spain and France were favorites heading into the World Cup. According to Opta, Spain had the highest chances of winning the tournament at 16.1%, followed closely by France at 13.0%. Sportsbooks echoed this, with DraftKings listing Spain at +450 and France at +475 as the pre-tournament favorites.

“Forget about their first match against Cape Verde [which ended in a 0-0 draw],” Deschamps said. “In their other matches, Spain has proven to be the favorite. I don’t want to put extra pressure on Luis [de la Fuente, Spain’s manager] and his team,” he added with a chuckle, “he’s well aware of the expectations surrounding them.”

Aside from the scoreless draw against Cape Verde, which occurred without star winger Lamine Yamal in the starting lineup, neither team has given analysts or oddsmakers reason to question their strengths.

Yamal, who celebrated his 19th birthday on Monday, has registered one goal and no assists, but despite featuring in only 405 of Spain’s 540 minutes so far, he leads the squad in shots, shots on goal, ground duels won, and completed crosses.

“This will be an exciting game for all the fans, especially in Spain and France,” Yamal commented. “I’m sure everyone looks forward to this match in a World Cup. Both teams will give their all in attack and defense, and it will be a closely contested game.”

France boasts the best goal differential (+2.3 per match) and xG differential (+1.7 per match), scoring an average of 2.7 goals per game while conceding just 0.3. Meanwhile, Spain has allowed the fewest goals (one in six matches) and recorded the second-lowest number of shot attempts against them (5.8 per match).

De la Fuente, however, steered clear of the favorites narrative entirely. “From the start, I’ve maintained that discussions about favorites don’t determine the outcome,” he stated. “It’s true that we’re two exceptional national teams, precisely the kind of contest you’d anticipate in a major final. How one team is perceived as the favorite doesn’t carry much weight.”

“I’d also like to recall a dear friend who used to say: ‘If anyone wants to label someone as the favorite, let them.’ We don’t seek any added pressure. Our only pressure comes from the responsibility we hold towards our country, our supporters, and ourselves.”

The matchup between Spain and France is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET on Tuesday, with the winner advancing to face the winner of Wednesday’s England vs. Argentina match in the finals on Sunday in New Jersey.