France have beaten Spain 3-1 in the last match of the second round in Hanover on Tuesday with Les Bleus coming from a goal behind to win with strikes from Franck Ribery, Patrick Vieira and an injury-time goal from Zinedine Zidane to earn France a quarter-final encounter with Brazil.

Valencia’s David Villa opened the scoring, with Spain taking the lead from the penalty-spot, with Franck Ribery equalising minutes before half-time and Juventus’ Patrick Vieira scoring in the 83rd minute. It was the French captain sealed the win in injury-time with a great strike.

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.

The second-half carried on as the first finished, with chances on both sides, but with France looking the more progressive side in the opening stages.

Florent Malouda had a lobbed-shot saved by Casillas in the 52nd minute, but it was never really going to trouble the Spanish number 1.

Spain head coach Luis Aragones made a double substitution in the 57th minute to try and give the La Furia Roja another dimension, taking off captain Raul and David Villa for Liverpool striker Luis Garcia and Real Betis’ Joaquin.

Luis Garcia placed a dangerous cross into the area which was defended well by Willy Sagnol, who cleared the danger with two Spanish players lurking in-front of goal.

France had a couple of shots, but it was Spain that were pushing harder with Joaquin having a couple of attempts and looking the stronger team.

France turned things around with only seven minutes to go with Patrick Vieira latching on to a deflected free-kick from Zinedine Zidane, which he tucked away from close-range to make it 2-1.

The French captain sealed the win in injury-time with a great solo-strike after Spain left themselves open at the back, to book a quarter-final match against the world champions, Brazil.