Barney Ronay was at the Parc des Princes for us tonight. I’ll leave you with his report, goodnight!

The France players are walking round the pitch applauding the home fans. As you’d expect, Thierry Henry has taken defeat with real class and dignity.

Sergio Camello, the substitute whose two goals settled the game, was only on standby at the start of the Olympics.

Tenas collected the ball and threw it 70 yards to Camello, who ran from inside his own half and was therefore onside. Lukeba couldn’t catch him and for the second time he lifted the ball calmly over Restes.

120+1 min This really is the real quiz.

120 min Doue beats Pacheco thrillingly on the edge of the area. Cubarsi forces him slightly wide, though, and he sprays a shot past the near post.

Mateta can barely walk by the way.

119 min Magassa goes for glory from 25 yards. It’s not the best idea and Tenas moves across his line to make a comfortable save.

118 min Cherki’s cross-shot, neither one thing nor t’other, is held to his right by the falling Tenas.

117 min Doue, who is on the right flank now, wins another corner after a pulsating run past three players. Olise’s corner is poor, straight into the loving arms of Tenas.

116 min France look a beaten team now. Mind you, we said the same at 3-1, and it’s been such a crazy game that anything is possible.

Kalimuendo breaks into the area and is superbly challenged by Cubarsi. He had to get that right or it would have been another penalty.

114 min Spain break dangerously again. A cross from the left looks set to reach Camello before Bade gets in front and chests the ball back to Restes.

113 min “Needless to say it’s Doue or die for France now,” honks Peter Oh.

111 min Spain are managing this expertly: keeping the ball, drawing fouls, not allowing France to build any pressure.

110 min: France substitution Lyon’s Rayan Cherki replaces Kiliann Sildillia.

109 min France need to get the ball to Doue at every opportunity; he’s been a big threat since coming on as sub.

108 min Doue gets to the byline, chops back inside and seems to be fouled by Gomez. The referee gives nothing. Having seen a replay, I think that’s a clear foul. Doue was off the pitch at the time but within the width of the area. Would that be a penalty? It doesn’t matter because VAR have waved it through.

106 min Spain work the ball beautifully from the kick-off. Gomez, found in space, cracks a good low shot from 25 yards that is pushed round the near post by the diving Restes.

106 min Peep peep! This is it, one last push. Soungoutou Magassa is on for Manu Kone, who has run himself into the ground.

105+3 min Olise’s corner is headed up in the air and claimed by Tenas.

105+2 min A lovely, teasing cross from Olise is headed back across goal by Locko and goes behind off a Spain defender. There should be time for the corner.

105 min: Close! The lively Doue zips inside from the left and cracks a low drive. The ball wriggles through the arms and legs of Tenas but is rolling slowly enough that he can turn round and grab it on the line.

103 min Now it’s France who looked shattered and it’s Spain who are keeping the ball.

Spain kept the ball for a while on the right, then suddenly quickened the pace. Gomez cut inside and threaded a short pass between the lines to Bernabe. He moved it forward quickly to put Camello through on goal, and he dinked the ball calmly over the diving Restes.

98 min “Seeing Henry as the coach, I sometimes wonder why Berbatov never took to coaching,” says Krishnamoorthy V. “He could have taught a generation of kids the meaning (and magic) of first touch.”

It’s all well and good teaching the meaning and magic of a first touch like Berbatov, but only a handful of eroticistas can actually do it.

97 min: Spain substitution Miguel Gutierrez replaces the outstanding Juan Miranda, who looks utterly shattered.

96 min Gomez curls a gorgeous pass over the France defence to find Miranda on the left side of the area. He decides not to volley at goal from a tight angle and instead cushions the ball back across goal; it hits a defender and is cleared.

95 min France fail to make the most of a four-on-three break. Mateta cuts back inside a defender in the area but is eventually crowded out.

94 min Olise’s free-kick is headed away to the edge of the area. Doue whistles a shot that ricochets off a Spain defender and flashes past Kalimuendo (I think) at the far post.

93 min Olise stays down for a while after a high challenge from Pacheco, who is booked.

91 min Peep peep! They’re off again. France have brought on Bradley Locko for the left-back Adrien Truffert.

90+9 min Spain have taken off some very good players, most notably Fermin Lopez and Alex Baena.

90+8 min There were only supposed to be five added minutes, but the penalty took forever so on we go.

90+7 min: Big save from Tenas! Olise moves elegantly past two players on the right, shapes to pass and then whips a shot towards the near post from a tight angle. Tenas is perfectly positioned and pushes it away.

90+6 min: Turrientes hits the bar! The man who gave away the penalty has just stretched to lift a shot from 15 yards that beat Restes and hit the top of the bar! This is bonkers.

90+4 min That was so cool from Mateta, who was under a pressure that 99.94 per cent of human beings will never know.

Scenes upon scenes in Paris! Mateta waits for Tenas to go to his left and pings the penalty into the other side of the goal.

90+1 min There will be five minutes of added time. Miranda has been booked, I think for dissent.

This will be given. It was a clear foul from Turrientes, who wasn’t even looking at the ball.

89 min Doue’s corner is badly overhit – but Kalimuendo goes down after a bit of a rugby tackle in the area. The referee isn’t interested. And now there’s a VAR check!!!!

89 min Olise’s corner deflects behind for yet another France corner…

88 min: Spain substitution Jon Pacheco for Aimar Oroz.

88 min Olise’s corner is headed away and Spain break three on two before Gomez arrows a low drive just wide of the far post.

87 min Doue easily beats Sanchez with a stepover and hammers a low cross that is kicked behind at the near post.

85 min Spain keep the ball for 30 seconds or so, an important little spell that stalls France’s momentum.

83 min: Spain substitutions Benat Turrients and Sergio Camello replace Alex Baena and Abel Ruiz.

81 min Another Olise free-kick is headed away to the edge of the area, where Kone throttles a first-time shot into the ground and wide of the near post. That was half a chance.

79 min Sergio Gomez blasts high and wide at the other end. Akliouche was actually trying to dummy Olise’s free-kick, which would have been on target, but his inadvertent touch has given France a soupçon of hope.

That foul on Olise led to a free-kick just outside the area on the right. Olise curled a pacy cross-shot that took a touch off either Akliouche or Miranda – I think the former – and bounced into the far corner of the net!

78 min Baena is booked for clattering Olise. Spain are starting to look a bit tired, so if France can get one…

78 min: France substitution A loud cheer from the home fans as Desire Doue replaces Enzo Millot.

77 min Olise’s free-kick is headed over by Mateta, a very tricky chance.

75 min The substitute Bernabe is booked for a tactical foul on the increasingly influential Kone.

74 min France had another half chance just after that Tenas save, but Millot wafted it impatiently over the bar. At the other end Spain have a three-on-two attack and the chance to clinch gold, only for Barrios to slice a weary, indulgent shot wide of the near post.

73 min: Double change for Spain Adrian Bernabe and Juanlu Sanchez replace Fermin Lopez and Marc Pubill.

72 min: Marvellous save by Tenas! He cocked up for the first goal but Arnau Tenas has made two outstanding saves since then. Kone, probably France’s best player, marches into the area and sweeps a firm low shot across goal from 15 yards. Tenas dives low to his right to push it round the post, another thrilling demonstration of his reactions and strength of wrist. He could easily have pushed that into the far corner.

71 min “It’s strange to see the French supporters so subdued,” says Kári Tulinius. “They can usually be relied on to support their team with an over-the-top fervor. Les Bleus could use a bit of energy from their fans. Mind you, if they scored, they’d get all the encouragement they could ask for.”

Chicken and egg, isn’t it? (Or music and misery, if you’re a High Fidelity type.)

70 min: Half chance for France Olise’s corner is missed at the near post and bounces up to hit the unsighted Akliouche, whose mishit shot on the stretch is blocked by Miranda.

67 min: Chance for France! Akliouche, 40 yards from goal, fires an excellent pass into the area towards Mateta. He makes a good run to get away from Garcia for a split-second but then scuffs a tame shot through to Tenas.

65 min Lopez pushes a clever through ball to Ruiz on the left side of the area. He blasts high and wide from a very tight angle.

64 min Oroz stays down after a hand-off from Bade, which allows Spain to waste 30 seconds or so. That’s not a criticism, they all do it.

63 min The right-back Sidillia flashes a very inviting cross that flies through the six-yard box. France aren’t out of this; they’ve done enough in the last 10 minutes to suggest they could produce a miracle. Don’t bet the farm though.

The women’s gold medal match takes place tomorrow, and it should be a cracker.

62 min Olise’s deflected shot is comfortably saved by Tenas, falling to his left.

60 min: Chance for Spain! Conversely, if it goes 4-1 it’s over. Pubill gets behind the France on the right and picks out his fellow full-back Miranda beyond the far post. Miranda tries to control what is a very difficult volley but bullets it a few yards over the bar.

59 min If this goes to 3-2, all bets are off.

57 min: Kone hits the bar! France are starting to press. Truffert curls an inviting cross from the left that is headed onto the top of the crossbar by Kone, arriving late in the box from midfield. The ball was slightly behind Kone which is why he couldn’t steer the header on target.

53 min A France free-kick ricochets around the Spain area and falls for Lukeba, whose shot from 15 yards deflects behind for a corner. Nothing comes of it.

52 min: Double substitution for France France’s slow start to the second half has made Thierry Henry’s mind up. He brings on Maghnes Akliouche and Arnaud Kalimuendo for Joris Chotard and Alexandre Lacazette.

50 min Now Lopez shoots miles wide from the edge of the D. But this has been an excellent start to the second half from Spain, who look menacing every time they get into the final third.

48 min Spain kept the ball for the best part of 60 seconds before Ruiz curls well wide from the edge of the D.

46 min France begin the second half. No changes on either side yet.

Half-time reading

“Just read your Football Daily (multi-tasking while also eating a salad for lunch, listening to the football, watching the USA Women’s Basketball, and following your MBM),” writes Joe Pearson. “Given the headline of the Pepe piece, are you a Murakami guy as well? Is this a common Guardian affliction? I’ve only read ‘Kafka’, and wasn’t compelled to read any more.”

We don’t do the headlines. It’s those gutter-dwelling, clickbait-peddling, scholarly, intelligent sub-editors. (I haven’t read any Murakami, though I keep meaning to pick up What I Talk About When I Talk About Running.)

45+5 min Bade is booked for flattening the marauding Miranda. He’s had a wonderful half.

45+4 min That chance leads to 90 seconds of relentless pressure from France, during which Tenas stops Mateta getting a clear shot and Olise hooks a clever early volley just wide of the far post. There was also a penalty appeal after a clumsy challenge in the area; again the referee wasn’t interested.

45+2 min: Terrific save by Tenas! France almost get one back in injury time, although it might have been VARed for offside. Truffert’s deflected cross from the left kicked up towards Mateta at the near post, and his close-range header was brilliantly tipped round the post by Tenas. It wasn’t just the reaction that was impressive but also the strength of wrist to push the ball just wide of the near post.

45 min There will be seven minutes of added time. Bit weird.

43 min France need half-time. It’s an odd thing to say about a team that is 3-1 down, because they need every second they can get, but they’ve lost their way utterly.

41 min Oroz threads a clever pass through to Miranda, whose shot from a tight angle is kicked away by Restes. Miranda, the Bologna left-back, has caused France all sorts of problems and played a big part in the second and third goal.

39 min “How old is Lopez?” asks Krishnamoorthy V. “Few glimpses of him robbing the ball after being surrounded by three or four blue shirts reminds me of Iniesta. Spain appears secured for the next decade.”

He’s 21. The future looks increasingly bright for Barcelona as well.

38 min What’s the French for “noggin’s gone”? They have been a mess since going 3-1 down, unable to deal with the shock of conceding three goals in 11 minutes at a time when they were probably the better team.

36 min Kone is booked for a foul on Oroz. Some of the earlier tackles were probably worse, but the referee had to book a French player sooner rather than later. Kone took the bullet.

34 min The crowd and the French players are going through the various stages of grief. They’re currently at anger.

They desperately need a goal or even a chance to help them refocus; at the moment they’re just fouling everything that moves.

33 min “After the women’s selección’s poor performance in the bronze game, this is Redemption,” says Charles Antaki. “Roja-demption, perhaps.”

32 min Now Lacazette is fortunate not to be booked after a poor tackle on Barrios. Seconds later, Miranda goes down holding his face after a hand to the neck from Millot.

31 min This hasn’t been a typical Spain performance at all. France have dominated possession, but Spain have been utterly ruthless.

29 min Baena moved the foam just before taking the free-kick, though whether it made any difference I don’t know. France look shell-shocked.

The free-kick was a fair way to the left of centre. Baena curled it over the head of Kone, who didn’t jump properly, and beat the flat-footed Restes at the near post. My word.

27 min The marauding Miranda is cynically blocked on the edge of the area by Sildillia. He should’ve been booked for that.

It was another good move from Spain. Cubarsi lofted a long pass pass out to Miranda, the overlapping left-back. He hit a fantastic early cross towards Ruiz, who got the wrong side of Lukeba at the near post. Ruiz’s close-range shot was desperately saved by Restes but Lopez gobbled up the rebound with considerable glee.

23 min Garcia and Mateta both stay down after a collision on the edge of the area. France think Mateta was fouled, and replays suggest they might have a case, but the referee isn’t having it.

21 min Lacazette wins a corner for France, which leads to another. Olise curls it in and Mateta’s stooping header is too close to Tenas. It was a decent effort as he had to duck into the ball and then twist his neck to steer the header towards goal.

Spain worked the ball nicely on the right before Gomez moved it infield to Baena. He sliced France open with an angled through pass towards Lopez, in a frankly unconscionable amount of space in the penalty area. Lopez took the chance first time, dragging a slightly scruffy but highly effective shot across Restes and into the left-hand corner.

The defending looked dodgy but it was still a beautifully worked goal from Spain.

17 min “The Spanish goalkeeper’s howler reminds me of Luis Arconada’s mistake 40 years ago when these nations last met in a final at the Parc des Princes (2-0 for France to win Euro 1984),” writes Amar Breckenridge.

That’s a great comparison – I didn’t realise, until checking it just now, that Arconada also wrongfooted himself.

16 min “I have just seen the first goal in slow motion at least five times,” writes Krishnamoorthy V. “Does it count as an assist by Spain?”

• Pre-assist Baena

• Assist Millot

• Goal Tenas

14 min It’s all France at the moment. Millot’s cross nutmegs Miranda and only just evades Mateta in front of goal.

What a strange goal. A cross from the right was half blocked near the byline, then Baena miskicked his clearance under pressure from Lacazette. Millot ran onto the loose ball, on the right edge of the area, and curled a first-time shot that Tenas – who wrongfooted himself by moving towards the near post – could only punch into the other corner of the net.

7 min Abel Ruiz threatens to get away down the left, running onto a long pass, but Bade catches him up and then dispossesses him with the minimum of fuss.

5 min It’s been a stop-start start to the game, and yes I know there’s a more elegant way of saying that but it won’t come to mind. A stop-start opening just sounds weird.

3 min Now Fermin Lopez is down after being kneed in the vicinity by Lukeba. It was accidental but looked pretty painful, and Lopez is still wriggling in pain as he receives treatment.

2 min “This had better be good,” fumes Charles Antaki. “The Spain women’s team were an absolute bust against a dismally defensive Germany, the thing settled by a successful penalty against a poorly taken and any case not particularly well-deserved one. So far then, Spain nil, entertainment nil. Time for Fermin Lopez and company to step up.”

1 min Sergio Gomez goes down holding his face after a hand-off from Sildillia. The crowd jeer heartily and eventually he gets to his feet.

1 min Peep peep! Spain, in their pale yellow change kit, kick off from right to left as we watch.

“Hi Rob,” says Peter Oh. “If anyone thinks there is nothing between France and Spain, I say look at the map and apologise to the nearest Andorran.”

As the players stand for the anthems, here’s a quick reminder of the two teams.

France (possible 4-3-1-2) Restes; Sildillia, Bade, Lukeba, Truffert; Millot, Kone, Chottard; Olise; Mateta, Lacazette.
Substitutes: Nkambadio, Akliouche, Cherki, Doue, Kalimuendo, Locko, Magassa.

Spain (possible 4-2-3-1) Tenas; Pubill, E Garcia, Cubarsi, Miranda; Barrios, Baena; Oroz, Lopez, Gomez; Ruiz.
Substitutes: S Garcia, Bernabe, Camello, Gutierrez, Pacheco, Sanchez, Turrientes.

Referee Rafael da Silva Alves (Brazil)

France have also won this competition once, in Los Angeles in 1984. Their star was the Lens striker Daniel Xuereb; he scored four times in three knockout games, including the clincher in a 2-0 win over Brazil in the final.

Spain have won gold in the men’s football just once, in Barcelona in 1992. A star-studded team – Pep, Albert Ferrer, Kiko, Abelardo, Alfonso, Luis Enrique – beat Poland 3-2 in a classic final.

Read Jonathan Liew on Thierry Henry

For all the abundant talent in this French side – Michael Olise, Mateta, Alexandre Lacazette – it is Henry who lends the star wattage to Friday’s Olympic final against Spain, gives it shape and meaning. As a player Henry won everything. As a coach he has won nothing, to the point where it was legitimate to ask whether he had a future in a career for which he clearly had so much passion and enthusiasm.