Too many things went wrong for Germany: Coach Loew

“Euro 2004 was special – I was just 19 and it was my first tournament”, Ronaldo said after scoring a magnificent header in Portugal’s 2-0 semi-final win over Wales.

“We’re thrilled, we feel like kids”, Griezmann said.

And he added: “It’s a great emotion, of course, I don’t know if it’s better than anything else”. We provide you with an update on the list of the tournament’s leading goal scorers.

The referee had no hesitation in awarding France a spot-kick and Griezmann calmly guided the ball past Neuer, who went the wrong way. Considering that no French team wanted the young Griezmann.

I wouldn’t say the better team won on a night when an injury hut Germany side were beaten by hosts France, but this was an occasion that befitted the semi-finals of a major tournament. A skillful display by Pogba who made a cross into the area was fumbled by the German goalkeeper unto the path of Griezmann who tapped it in to seal the game for the hosts.

Griezmann’s six goals at a single European Championship is bettered only by countryman Michel Platini’s nine-goal haul at Euro 1984, while the 25-year-old has now scored as many goals for France at the Euros as Thierry Henry (six). We’re into the final and there’s a trophy up for grabs.

“On the second goal, I was waiting for an error from the goalie and it fell at my feet”.

Deschamps deserved credit for sticking to the team that beat Iceland and resisting the temptation to bring N’Golo Kante back, even though he is flavour of the month for many people at the moment. The team is on an 8-win streak against Portugal, and their record at home is excellent, winning 12 of 15 games.

“Today we didn’t have the luck we needed”, said Loew.

“The two cases are very different but we have talented and very young players, and with their talent they’re already in big clubs in all the top European teams, so I hope that we can see what they can deliver…” The Germans arguably played the better football on the day, but were unceremoniously knocked out.

“We have our chances and so do Portugal”, he said. You can say the hand shouldn’t be there but there are movements when you jump and you can’t control them.

“Portugal believe in themselves, we believe in ourselves”.

“I had my share [of finals] as a player”, he said.

Once again, the former Real Sociedad man benefitted from being deployed behind Olivier Giroud in a 4-2-3-1 formation, and Deschamps has hit upon a system that could serve France well for the final and in 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification, too.