Raul the fall guy as France go through

Hard to beat, this. As a game of intricate, intense, fascinating and exciting international football, Euro 2000 must have some matches in store if last night's is to be overtaken as the game of the tournament. Other nights may have held more drama, more noise and more goals, but as a contest between two sides of unquestioned excellence, this was as good as it gets. An announcement at the end asked for a standing ovation, but everybody in this tight, animated stadium was already on their feet with hands smacking.

The intrigue had kept them all here until then and the reward was not withheld. Unless you're Spanish. With France having led 2-1 since a minute before half-time, and having maintained that lead with the confidence of world champions, Spain were awarded a last-minute penalty, their second of the game.

Throwing everyone forward in last ditch desperation, including centre-half Abelardo, Spain were given a lifeline by Fabien Barthez's peculiar decision to pull Abelardo by the right leg. That was the good news for Spain. The bad was that the scorer of the first penalty, Gaizka Mendieta, had been taken off, rather strangely given his influence on the night. In Mendieta's absence the prince of Real Madrid, Raul, took the kick and hit it yards over.

The clock above Barthez's goal told that there were 11 seconds left of normal time. But still Spain came and in injury-time the bulky substitute Ismael Urzaiz put a difficult six-yard header over the French crossbar.

That was finally it for the Spanish. France had held on to the lead given them by Youri Djorkaeff after Mendieta had equalised Zinedine Zidane's magnificent 32nd-minute free-kick. France now face Portugal in Brussels on Wednesday and despite Spain's worthy assault, the Portuguese must have watched and worried. Hard to beat, France.

A Spanish victory would have been the first over their northern neighbours for 19 years. Their start was solid. The manager Jose Camacho makes windmills with his arms when agitated on the touchline - as he often is - but for most of the first half Camacho's exasperation was with his forward line and the wastefulness he saw, a sure sign the Spain defence was looking composed.

Camacho was concerned especially with the final ball from the anxious, eccentric winger known as Pedro Munitis. The sparky running of Munitis was causing Lilian Thuram some anxiety of his own, principally because with Spain breaking quickly, Munitis was receiving the ball in space. Munitis' tendency to get excited, however, negated much of the work being done in midfield by Josep Guardiola, Ivan Helguera and Mendieta.

Nevertheless, the pace of Munitis was a valuable Spanish outlet. It also served as a distraction and in the 21st minute, with Munitis jitterbugging down the right, Raul broke through the middle and was fed by Alfonso. Raul shot on the turn and Barthez did well to push the ball away.

Barthez had made one other useful save, from Guardiola, and with France restricted to headers from Patrick Vieira and Christophe Dugarry, the Spanish were coping admirably. Then came the half-hour and the man they call Zizou.

The threadneedle pass with which Dugarry found Zidane lurking on the six-yard line may well have unsettled the previously authoritative Paco and Abelardo more than was at first thought. Unbelievably, though, Zidane missed his kick.

It could not happen twice. Three minutes later after Agustin Aranzabal upended Djorkaeff 20 yards out, Zidane struck one of the most perfect free-kicks likely to be seen at this tournament or any other. Mendieta appeared to criticise his 'keeper Santiago Canizares afterwards, but the ball was travelling at such speed and on such a difficult trajectory, Canizares would have been responsible for some save had he managed contact.

But this Spanish side knows how to stage a comeback. A response took only five minutes and came via Munitis, Thuram taking the bandy legs from underneath him in the penalty area. Mendieta's penalty was almost as cool as Zidane's free-kick.

Yet just as Camacho was thinking of an interval team-talk about holding their own, suddenly it had to be altered. In the 44th minute Spain were chasing the game again. Vieira initiated France's second, loping upfield in his unexpectedly skilful manner before laying the ball to the oncoming Djorkaeff.

Djorkaeff's momentum was transferred into his explosive shot. It beat not only the lunge of Aranzabal but also the dive of Canizares. No keeper should be beaten at the near post, but you felt Canizares would have had an involuntary hand amputation had he touched the ball.

Behind but far from out of it, it would have been understandable had Spain's tactic been to stay as you were and more of the same. Curiously, though, Camacho's first action was to withdraw Mendieta and replace him with the ungainly, un-Spanish striker Urzaiz. His first touch was so poor he could soon be playing in England.

Without Mendieta Spain lost their shape. France remained calm and their comfort was such that Paco should have been dismissed for his rugby tackle on Thierry Henry with 20 minutes to go.

With Didier Deschamps masterful in midfield, France were ceding nothing. Then Spain came again and Barthez lost his head. But so did Raul. A cracking game had ended. But not France's challenge.

They will be hard to beat.