France's semi-final pedigree: Positive omens

1984: Portugal 2-3 France, aet (Domergue 24 114, Platini 119; Rui Jordão 74 98) 
One of the competition's all-time classics. It was pretty much one-way traffic in Marseille after Jean-François Domergue thumped in the opener; until Rui Jordão headed in an equaliser, that is. From then on it was thrilling end-to-end stuff, with the pendulum swaying one way then the other. Jordão edged Portugal in front and the siege began. Domergue made it 2-2, setting the stage for French skipper Michel Platini, creator of France's first two goals, to clip in his eighth of the finals. Pandemonium ensued.

1996: France 0-0 Czech Republic (Czech Republic win 6-5 on pens)
Les Bleus were without injured captain Didier Deschamps and suspended midfielder Christian Karembeu against a Czech Republic side missing four players of their own. Perhaps inevitably, a cautious encounter unfolded in Manchester. Five successful spot kicks apiece followed in the shoot-out before Petr Kouba denied Reynald Pedros and Czech captain Miroslav Kadlec set aside his reluctance to step up with a clinical finish. It extended his team's unlikely adventure into the Wembley showpiece.

2000: France 2-1 Portugal, aet (Henry 51, Zidane 117pen; Nuno Gomes 19)
Portugal broke the deadlock with their first effort on goal on 19 minutes but France rose to the challenge, finally fashioning an equaliser through Thierry Henry. Still, had Abel Xavier's added-time header been any further away from Fabien Barthez, it would have been Portugal, not France, in the final. Zinédine Zidane ensured otherwise with the shoot-out looming, converting from the spot to give France a golden goal victory in Brussels after Xavier was adjudged to have handled a Sylvain Wiltord strike.