Juve get Ronaldo for £92m
well, with Mbappe quickly skinning Vertonghen for pace and charging into the penalty area, only to waste his opportunity.
Eden Hazard, wriggling free on the left, flashed a shot wide then watched one whistle inches over the bar, deflected up and over by the head of Raphael Varane.
Olivier Giroud should have done better at the other end when he fired tamely wide after Antoine Griezmann had picked out Mbappe with a first-time cross.
It then took a great save from Thibaut Courtois to deny French right-back Benjamin Pavard the opener, sticking out a leg to deflect the shot wide of the far post.
Les Bleus were ahead shortly after the break when Giroud won a corner with a shot on the turn. Griezmann swung it in and Umiti somehow beat Marouane Fellaini in the air to glance it home at the near post past Courtois.
Confidence soaring, the French started bringing out all the tricks with Mbappe pulling off an outrageous backheel to play in Giroud, whose shot was blocked by Dembele.
Martinez had seen enough and abandoned the Dembele experiment, bringing on Dries Mertens instead. But first Kevin De Bruyne volleyed over then Fellaini headed wide.
Lloris turned away a fierce effort from Axel Witsel too, but substitute Corentin Tolisso nearly added a late second as France headed into the final against England or Croatia in formidable form.
FRANCE (4-2-3-1): Referee: Booked: (4-3-3): Booked: Goal:
CRISTIANO Ronaldo yesterday agreed to join Juventus for a reported £92million and then pleaded for understanding from Real Madrid’s fans.
Ronaldo, 33, who moved to Real from Manchester United in 2009 for a then world-record £80m, said on Real’s website: “These years at Real Madrid and in this city have been possibly the happiest of my life.
“I only have feelings of enormous gratitude… I can only thank everyone for the love and affection I have received. However, I believe the
RONALDO: ‘Gratitude’
time has come to open a new stage in my life and that is why I have asked the club to accept transferring me. I ask everyone, and especially our followers, to please understand me.”
Ronaldo, four times a Champions League winner with Madrid, became the club’s record goalscorer with 451. He also won four Ballons d’Or.