L'Equipe has delivered scathing assessments of the France team despite Kylian Mbappe and his teammates reaching the semi-finals of Euro 2024.

Les Bleus advanced past Portugal in a lacklustre quarter-final match that ended goalless after 120 minutes, necessitating penalties to decide the outcome.

It was Joao Felix's missed penalty that saw the two-time champions progress to the last four, leaving Cristiano Ronaldo and Pepe disheartened on the pitch after their elimination was confirmed.

Despite their advancement, France has faced criticism for their performances, failing to score a single goal from open play in the tournament so far, managing only three goals in five matches in Germany.

French publication L'Equipe mirrored this sentiment, issuing low ratings for the match, with the lowest score reserved for captain and star forward Kylian Mbappe.

Mbappe, substituted at the halfway mark of extra time, struggled throughout the game and has only managed one goal in the competition thus far, from a penalty against Poland in the group stage.

His performances at the Euros have come under scrutiny, with L'Equipe giving the 25-year-old a meagre score of just two out of 10.

"While expected to inject pace into the game, he slowed it down," the analysis read. "He was not well served either, but it is increasingly difficult to find him since he no longer challenges in the air and avoids duels.

"Besides a blocked shot (67th minute) and another weak attempt (90th + 3), his record was poor."

The criticism extended to Antoine Griezmann, who competed with Mbappe for the French captaincy after Hugo Lloris stepped down, receiving an equally harsh rating of three out of 10.

Starting in a No. 10 role behind Mbappe and Randal Kolo Muani, Griezmann was substituted after 67 minutes and replaced by Ousmane Dembele.

"He should have been more comfortable, but his impact on the game was erratic at best, often insufficient, struggling to direct and drive forward," the analysis said. "He was replaced by Ousmane Dembele (67th minute, scored: 7), who injected dynamism, made a difference, and even hit the woodwork (74th minute)."

There's a possibility that the Atletico Madrid man could lose his place for the semi-final against Spain on Tuesday night.

France enters the match as heavy underdogs due to their performances thus far, with Spain defeating Germany in the quarter-finals and now being favourites to lift the trophy next weekend.

Meanwhile, Portugal has some soul-searching to do after their disappointing campaign in Germany and their exit in the shootout.

Much attention has been given to Cristiano Ronaldo's performances, with the 39-year-old failing to score and being visibly upset after missing a penalty in the round of 16 victory over Slovakia.

Manager Roberto Martinez stood by Ronaldo, but the gamble didn't pay off, and his team was eliminated despite possessing numerous attacking talents, including Bruno Fernandes and Rafael Leao.

L'Equipe gave Ronaldo a rating of three out of 10, not shying away from another disappointing showing by the five-time Ballon d'Or winner.

"Although he was hardly involved in the early stages of the match, he applied himself to his passes and had some good moments (30th minute, 52nd minute), but he didn't come close to having a real chance," the analysis read.

"Non-existent in the second half, where he lost the few balls he touched. He missed a significant chance in extra time (93rd minute) but failed to hit the target."

Elsewhere in the Portugal team, Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes, substituted after 74 minutes, received severe criticism with a rating of two out of 10.

"He took very poor set pieces, whether from corners or a direct free kick that CR7 had allowed him to take (42nd minute)," the analysis stated. "He wasted another significant opportunity and lost a duel against Maignan (61st minute). He was replaced by Francisco Conceicao, who created two chances wasted by CR7 (97th minute) and Felix (108th minute)."

Additionally, Bernardo Silva received a four out of 10, Joao Cancelo received four out of 10, and N'Golo Kante received five out of 10, alongside other stars. English referee Michael Oliver received a rating of six out of 10 for his performance at the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg on Friday night.

However, there was praise for William Saliba, who continues to shine in an unfamiliar left-sided centre-back role for his country.

He received a rating of eight out of 10, with the analysis noting that he "dominated in the air and displayed unwavering calmness" during the match.

"He knew how to defend while standing up, leaving no chance for the opponent, and his confidence was evident," it continued.