France have been the standout side at this World Cup. They have won all six of their matches and are determined to make amends for their defeat to Argentina in the 2022 final.Standing in their way are Spain. The European champions have yet to reach the standards many expected of them in this tournament, but they remain the team best equipped to halt France’s charge.It promises to be a fascinating contest, with France odds-on favourites to reach the final.Beyond Tuesday’s semi-final, France coach Didier Deschamps’ side are also favourites to win the World Cup itself. Yet for many, Spain are the only team capable of stopping them.So far, Luis de la Fuente’s side haven’t played with the same intensity and incisiveness we know they are capable of, yet there is good reason to believe they can win.No team is averaging more possession per match at the World Cup than Spain (66 percent). Though de la Fuente has added a certain directness to Spain’s play after the tedium of the Luis Enrique era, the European champions’ game is still primarily based around control. They want to have the ball, and they want to have it in the opposition half.Not only this, but when Spain lose the ball, they want to win it back as quickly as possible.This has been a hallmark of their game for decades — and it remains the case. Only Uruguay have averaged more possessions won in the final third per 90 minutes than Spain at this World Cup — and they didn’t make it out of the group stage.This will test France’s ability to build out from the back.Their team is potentially top-heavy with Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise, as well as either Desire Doue or Bradley Barcola, expected to start the semi-final, which could put a lot of pressure on players deeper on the field to play through the lines.