France won the second edition of the UEFA Nations League (2020-2021) by overcoming Spain 2-1 in the final. Spain could not have the last smile after playing fantastic football in the final and dominating ball possession for longer periods of time. On the contrary, France's counter-attacking style had caught the youthful Spanish team off guard. The French team was defeated by Switzerland in the round of 16 of EURO 2020. This victory will help them to move on from some of their past regrets. The match report of the UEFA Nations League 2021 final is discussed in this article.

Nations League Final Match Report: France vs. Spain

Kylian Mbappe's goal in the 80th minute of the match gave France's first-ever Nations League victory. Spain grabbed the lead in the 64th minute of the final match in Milan's iconic San Siro stadium.

Spanish striker Mikel Oyarzabal placed the ball into the bottom corner after receiving a long pass from Sergio Busquets. French defender Dayot Upamecano tried but failed to stop him in a one-on-one duel.

Read Argentina wins; Brazil draws in World Cup qualifiers

Following the goal, the French side responded immediately and took the lead within two minutes, thanks to a spectacular long-range strike from veteran forward Karim Benzema.

The Real Madrid striker received a through pass from Mbappe and went inside before firing a stunning shot towards the far right corner to level the score at 1-1 in the 66th minute.

Both teams tried to equalize after that, but it was Mbappe who scored in the 80th minute to give France the victory. He sprinted forward after catching a through pass from Hernandez and calmly placed the ball into the net.

Read: UEFA Nations League 2021: Semifinals Preview

Spain claimed Mbappe was offside when he got the ball, but a VAR assessment revealed a tiny contact from defender Eric Garcia. So, France's lead was maintained following this decision.

Match Stats: France vs. Spain

Overall, Spain had more ball control and executed with more efficiency than France. Spain dominated the game from the start, with 64% ball possession. They passed with an accuracy of 85%, compared to France's 78%.

Both teams launched 12 attempts at the goalpost. Spain had four shots on target, whilst France had five. But the most important number was that Spain completed 624 passes in the match, whereas France only completed 354 passes.

Also read: France wins Nations League with late goal from Mbappé

Spain committed 11 fouls, while France committed 14. Four yellow cards were awarded by the referee in the UEFA Nations League 2021 final. France received three yellow cards, while Spain got one.

Belgium's Romelu Lukaku and Spain's Ferran Torres finished as joint top scorers in the tournament with 6 goals.

Player of the Finals in UEFA Nations League 2021

Spain's Sergio Busquets was voted Player of the Finals after the championship match in Milan. He played really well in the tournament. Busquets played 180 minutes in the 2021 Nations League and had one assist, nine balls recovered, and a 94% percent passing accuracy.  

Read Ballon d'Or 2021: Meet the Nominees

Afterword 

Football fans praised the excellent UEFA Nations League 2021 final between France and Spain. France are the champion as a worthy contender. Veteran French striker Karim Benzema has continued his excellent form after returning to the national side earlier this year. His artistic performances were instrumental in the French team's first-ever Nations League triumph. On the other hand, the Spanish team has exhibited elegance. Undoubtedly, this youthful Spanish squad has a bright future ahead of them.

Read Premier League club Newcastle bought by Saudi sovereign fund