France claimed a spot on the Nations League podium after beating Germany 2-0 in Stuttgart. Kylian Mbappé stole the show, handing Germany their second consecutive home loss. The German team’s lackluster performance was capped off by wasted scoring chances – three of them glaringly obvious.
Mike Maignan was the hero of the first half, making four crucial saves. Florian Wirtz and Woltemade were the main culprits behind Germany’s missed opportunities. Even the post denied Wirtz a goal in the 37th minute. Karim Adeyemi had a rough game, earning a yellow card for simulating a penalty and consistently making poor decisions.
No Justice Here
Germany’s Julian Nagelsmann outmaneuvered France’s Didier Deschamps tactically, but his team trailed on the scoreboard. Nagelsmann substituted Woltemade with Deniz Undav at halftime, and Undav responded with a would-be equalizing goal in the 53rd minute. However, the VAR review disallowed the goal due to a foul by Fullkrug on Rabiot earlier in the play.
France then shifted into high gear. Rayan Cherki came close to scoring in the 58th minute, a minute before Marcus Thuram hit the post, mirroring Wirtz’s earlier attempt. Ter Stegen made a stunning save to deny Thuram’s well-placed shot in the 70th minute.
Barcelona took notice as Ter Stegen put on a show, saving a powerful shot from Mbappé in the 79th minute. However, he couldn’t stop Mbappé from providing the assist for Michael Olise’s easy goal in the 84th minute.
The final result was a fair reward for France, who relied on Maignan’s exceptional performance and then capitalized on their scoring chances. Germany, on the other hand, drew attention to their struggles, particularly with Ter Stegen’s impressive display. This leaves a big question mark hanging over the team’s prospects, just a year away from the 2026 World Cup: how will the German team bounce back from two consecutive home losses?