Spain's semi-final blueprint held up exactly as planned: draw the foul, take the lead, manage the game from ahead. Mikel Oyarzabal converted a 22nd-minute penalty, and by the time Pedro Porro doubled it in the 58th — turning in a low ball from Dani Olmo — France's response had nowhere to go. Kylian Mbappé, booked late for his frustration, never found the space he needed against a Spain back line that gave up almost nothing after halftime. The underlying numbers tell an odd story: France leaned heavily on their left flank (57% of their attacking output) without ever generating real danger there, while Spain's much smaller central slice — just 21% of their own attacking share — produced 1.5 expected goals on its own, more than the rest of the match combined. Spain needed only two clean looks at goal to make the difference; France never really got one. A defining defensive performance sends Spain to the final; France's World Cup ends in the semis for the second straight cycle.