France booked a semi-final date with Spain in Munich on Tuesday after beating Portugal in a penalty shoot in Stuttgart.
After a low-key first hour, the game only came to life in the final half-hour of normal time with both sides creating chances which should really have seen the deadlock broken.
As it was they could not be separated by 90 minutes, or extra-time and the game went to penalties
FRANCE WIN ON PENALTIES! 🇫🇷#BBCEuros #Euro2024 #PORFRA pic.twitter.com/0m18qR0wam
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 5, 2024
Having saved all three Slovenia penalties in the Round of 16 shootout in Frankfurt on Monday, Portugal Diogo Costa was beaten by Ousmane Dembele from the first attempt.
Cristiano Ronaldo found the side-netting to beat Mike Maignan and level the scores but Youssef Fofana fired down the middle to put France back ahead.
Bernardo Silva whipped into the top-corner to make it 2-2 before Jules Kounde did likewise to put France in front.
Joao Felix dragged his shot into the base of the post allowing Bradley Barcola to coolly slot France 4-2 ahead.
Nuno Mendes found the roof of the net to keep the shootout going but Theo Hernandez stepped-up to place the ball in the top corner to spark wild celebrations for a country which lost on penalties at Euro 2020 and in the 2022 World Cup Final.
France reach the last-four without a French player having scored a goal from open play in five matches in Germany – the first side to do that in Euros history.
The shootout brought an end to Cristiano Ronaldo’s European Championship career after appearing in a record six tournaments while 41-year-old Pepe was brought to tears after a virtuoso defensive display which belied his years.
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Insipid first half fare
Chances were at a premium in the first half and Randal Kolo Muani cut-back to nobody after being found neatly in the Portugal area by Antoine Griezmann early-on while Rafael Leao sent Nuno Mendes free with a wonderful backheel on the left but his cross was poor and evaded everyone.
🤤#EURO2024 | #PORFRA pic.twitter.com/LZwHuinN75
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) July 5, 2024
Bruno Fernandes saw a 25-yard drive deflect wide off William Saliba on 16 minutes but despite the pressure building and a series of corners, they failed to trouble Mike Maignan in the France goal.
Theo Hernandez saw a swerving piledrive from outside the area beaten away by Diogo Costa at the other end on 20 minutes, while the keeper pushed out a low cross from Kylian Mbappe from the left soon after.
Griezmann’s curling free-kick into the area from the left flank was well dealt with by the Portugal defence while Leao danced past Jules Kounde to the byline before seeing a cut-back cleared for Portugal’s fifth corner on 27 minutes.
Eduardo Camavinga lashed high and wide from long range for France while there was a surprise as Bruno Fernandes whipped a free-kick over the angle of post and bar from just outside the penalty area on 42 minutes, with Cristiano Ronaldo standing nearby as a decoy.
The first half ended without a shot inside the area from either side.
More chances after the turnaround
Mbappe fired straight at Diogo Costa early in the second half while Nuno Mendes went flying under a challenge from Dayot Upamecano in the area but failed to pick up the booking he deserved for diving from referee Michael Oliver.
Hernandez fizzed a low cross across the face of Portugal’s goal from the left but there was nobody there to tap it in while Camavinga came to the rescue with a last-ditch tackle as Leao bore down on goal from the left touchline on the hour as the game finally sprung to life.
Magic Mike!#EURO2024 | #PORFRA pic.twitter.com/byCU0mYY2P
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) July 5, 2024
Fernandes was denied by a strong hand from Maignon after being played in down the right of the area by Joao Cancelo’s pass, and Cancelo himself fired off target as he tried to bend into the top corner from an angle soon after.
Maignon produced a reaction save to deny Vitinha’s close-range shot from Leao’s pass moments later, while Ronaldo’s attempted back-heel in the aftermath was scrambled behind.
That block 😤#EURO2024 | #PORFRA pic.twitter.com/idgZ0zfMKT
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) July 5, 2024
After a neat ball over the top, Kolo Muani was denied by a desperate sliding block by Ruben Dias with the goal at his mercy, the deflection bouncing inches past the far post, while Mbappe was thwarted by a block from Nuno Mendes seconds later.
Griezmann was withdrawn after a quiet display on 66 minutes but almost immediately his replacement Ousmane Dembele drove to the byline and saw his cross deflected to Camavinga who dragged his shot across the face of goal when he should have done better.
Dembele continued to make an impact as he curled narrowly past the top corner on 73 minutes.
Joao Palinha was cautioned for a lunge on Mbappe on 79 minutes – ruling him out of the semi-final were his side to make it.
Saliba followed him into the book moments later after blocking off the marauding sub Francisco Conceicao on the edge of the box, though Ronaldo smashed his angled free-kick straight into the wall.
Him again 😤#EURO2024 | #PORFRA https://t.co/oZEp5UY2Z5 pic.twitter.com/Xuukyc64pH
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) July 5, 2024
Ngolo Kante twice flashed efforts straight at Diogo Costa in the dying minutes of normal time while at the other end Saliba blocked a Bernardo Silva drive superbly.
The last chance of normal time saw Mbappe curl straight at the keeper from the edge of the box.
Still no breakthrough in extra-time
Less than three minutes into extra time Conceicao drove down the right and pulled back for Ronaldo who blazed well over the bar from eight yards out with the goal at his mercy – his wait for a goal at an 11th international tournament continuing.
Dembele slalomed his way 60 yards forward with the ball before offloading to Mbappe who saw a shot blocked by evergreen Pepe before sub Marcus Thuram lashed off target.
At the other end Leao saw a half-volley blocked as defences remained on top while Conceicao scooped well over the crossbar before the interval.
After the turnaround Joao Felix headed into the side netting as he ran to meet Conceicao’s lofted cross while Dembele drove towards the box before lashing over the woodwork.
Bernardo Silva squared to Nuno Mendes who could only shoot straight at Maignan in the dying seconds as the game went to spot-kicks.
