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Caminero rescues Spain against France in EURO '96 Group B

Monday, October 6, 2003

France 1-1 Spain
José Caminero cancelled out Youri Djorkaeff's effort and left three teams vying for qualification from Group B.

15 Jun 1996: Jose Caminero (#15) of Spain scores during the Group B match against France in the European Football Championship match played at Elland Road. The result was a 1-1 draw.
15 Jun 1996: Jose Caminero (#15) of Spain scores during the Group B match against France in the European Football Championship match played at Elland Road. The result was a 1-1 draw. Getty Images

France and Spain preserved impressive unbeaten runs with a 1-1 draw that left both sides with work to do in order to reach the quarter-finals.

Treated to a tremendous atmosphere at Elland Road, neither side was able to put on a showing worthy of their supporters' spirit in the stands. The two teams' mutual respect for one another meant a paucity of clear-cut chances and a point apiece which guaranteed a tight three-way battle for the two qualifying berths in Group B. Les Bleus looked well placed to be in pole position in the section thanks to Youri Djorkaeff's effort just after half-time, but José Caminero struck five minutes from the end to ensure the spoils were shared.

EURO '96: All you need to know

Spain could have been worse off had Andoni Zubizarreta not pulled off a brilliant one-handed stop to keep out Vincent Guérin, though it was an opening not in keeping with a first half dominated by two experienced defences. Three minutes after the interval the Spanish rearguard was breached, Djorkaeff tucking away Christian Karembeu's chipped pass with characteristic aplomb.

The best goals of EURO '96

Spain rallied, however, José Amavisca denied by Bernard Lama before Caminero turned Julio Salinas's pull-back past the wrong-footed Lama. It was a late strike which left both sides sweating on the final round of fixtures but also still in receipt of impressive undefeated sequences: Spain 18 games, France 25.

EURO '96: Team of the Tournament

Lineups

Spain line up in Leeds
Spain line up in LeedsIcon Sport via Getty Images

France: Lama; Lizarazu, Blanc, Desailly, Angloma (Roche 65); Karembeu, Djorkaeff, Guérin (Thuram 81), Zidane, Deschamps (c); Loko (Dugarry 74)
Substitutes: Di Meco, Leboeuf, Lamouchi, Barthez, Madar, Pedros, Martins, Martini
Coach: Aimé Jacquet

Spain: Zubizarreta (c); Sergi, Abelardo, Alkorta, Juanma López, Otero (Kiko 59); Amavisca, Hierro, Caminero, Luis Enrique (Manjarín 55); Alfonso (Salinas 83)
Substitutes: Belsué, Guerrero, Donato, Cañizares, Amor, Molina
Coach: Javier Clemente

Referee: Vadim Zhuk (Belarus)

Man of the Match: José Luis Caminero (Spain)

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