Spain have gone into half-time drawing 1-1 with France in the last match of the second round in Hanover on Tuesday with Valencia’s David Villa opening the scoring from the penalty-spot, but with Franck Ribery equalising minutes before half-time.

The game started off fairly tentatively, with a few half-chances on both sides, but with both teams testing each other out, knowing that a win would secure a quarter-final encounter with Brazil.

Arsenal’s Thierry Henry, who was playing a lone striker role in the match, had the first real attempt on goal in the 12th minute, but Iker Casillas in the Spanish goal wasn’t troubled.

Spain were having a few half-hearted attempts at goal but nothing that the strikers could connect to.

France were shading the possession and almost took the lead when Zidane played a great ball to Thierry Henry on the right-wing, who then crossed an inviting ball across the goalmouth that Franck Ribery and Patrick Vieira just needed a touch to poke the ball home, but neither Frenchmen could connect.

Spain were awarded a penalty in the 27th minute when Pablo was fouled by Lilian Thuram, with Valencia’s David Villa despatching the spot-kick past Fabien Barthez, who managed to dive the right way, to make it 1-0.

The game was being slowed by the vast amount of free-kicks and offside decisions being awarded, which seemed to stilt the flow of both teams.

Franck Ribery and Patrick Vieira combined beautifully to score an equaliser minutes before half-time, with Vieira threading the ball through to Ribery, who rounded the Spanish keeper and slotted the ball with his left-foot past the onrushing defenders into the goal to make it 1-1.

The half then sprang into life, but ended 1-1, with an exciting second-half to look forward to.

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