Müller and Sané ice cold: DFB team beats runner-up world champion France after Flick-Aus

In game one after Flick

There is only one Rudi Völler. After the national team’s decline under Hansi Flick, the DFB sports director, as interim team boss, led the European Championship hosts out of their low spirits with a 2-1 (1-0) win against runner-up world champions France. Instead of whistles, there was thunderous applause in Dortmund on Tuesday evening. Nine months before the home tournament, Rio world champion Thomas Müller (4th minute) got the team off to a dream start with his 45th international goal.

The DFB team then defended passionately and as a collective, Leroy Sané (87th) perfected their first success after five winless test matches. After a penalty, Antoine Griezmann (89th) only managed to score the next goal for the French, who were playing without superstar Kylian Mbappé.

And now? The 63-year-old Völler declared his comeback as team boss after 19 years as a “one-off thing”. But in the package with the new young sports director Hannes Wolf and ex-national player Sandro Wagner, he did a top job in a very short time after Flick was released after the disastrous 1:4 against Japan. The appearance of the DFB team was completely different in front of 60,486 spectators. The national coach question will also determine the coming days – with Völler, celebrated by the fans, right in the middle. “There is only one Rudi Völler,” shouted the audience. Is someone like Julian Nagelsmann really coming? The national team is going on tour to the USA in October and a solution should be found by then.

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7,020 days after his last game as team boss, Völler did not act like a great Zampano. The 63-year-old mostly stayed on the bench, only jumping into the coaching zone for important actions. He communicated a lot with the U20 coaching team Wolf and Wagner, who supported him, and spoke well to the substitutes.

The DFB’s 23-man squad for the international matches in September

Goal: Oliver Baumann (TSG Hoffenheim)

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Market value: €4 million | These 24 players are included in the squad for the international matches against Japan and France.

Goal: Marc-André ter Stegen (FC Barcelona)

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Market value: €35 million

Goal: Kevin Trapp (Eintracht Frankfurt)

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Market value: €8.5 million

Defense: Antonio Rüdiger (Real Madrid)

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Market value: €32 million

Defense: Robin Gosens (Union Berlin)

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Market value: €18 million

Defense: Nico Schlotterbeck (BVB)

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Market value: €40 million

Defense: Malick Thiaw (AC Milan)

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Market value: €20 million

Defense: Benjamin Henrichs (RB Leipzig)

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Market value: €15 million

Defense: Niklas Süle (BVB)

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Market value: €35 million

Defense: Jonathan Tah (Bayer 04)

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Market value: €20 million

Defense: Emre Can (BVB)

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Market value: €14 million

Defense: Joshua Kimmich (FC Bayern)

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Market value: €75 million

Defense: Felix Nmecha (BVB)

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Market value: €15 million

Offensive: Pascal Groß (Brighton & Hove Albion)

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Market value: €8 million

Offensive: Kevin Schade (FC Brentford)

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Market value: €25 million

Offensive: Julian Brandt (BVB)

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Market value: €40 million

Offensive: Kai Havertz (Arsenal)

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Market value: €55 million

Offensive: Leroy Sané (FC Bayern)

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Market value: €65 million

Offensive: Jonas Hofmann (Bayer 04)

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Market value: €13 million

Offensive: Ilkay Gündogan (FC Barcelona)

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Market value: €25 million

Offensive: Florian Wirtz (Bayer 04)

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Market value: €85 million

Offensive: Serge Gnabry (FC Bayern)

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Market value: €55 million

Offensive: Thomas Müller (FC Bayern)

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Market value: €12 million

The immediate measures took effect. Völler made three changes to the starting line-up: Benjamin Henrichs, Müller and Jonathan Tah moved into the starting line-up to replace the ailing Joshua Kimmich as well as Kai Havertz and Nico Schlotterbeck. The measures worked.

The strong Henrichs, after a one-two on the left with Serge Gnabry, put the ball back to Müller in the penalty area – and the Munich player, who was also brought back in the spirit of optimism, scored his first international goal in 15 months from close range. For France it was the first goal conceded since losing the World Cup final against Argentina at the end of 2022. Chants of “Rudi Völler” immediately echoed from the stands.

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20 Scotland | Squad value: €281.8 million

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Ranked 30th in the FIFA world rankings As of September 11, 2023

19 Ukraine | Squad value: €296.7 million

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Ranked 24th in the FIFA world rankings

18 Austria | Squad value: €296.9 million

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Ranked 29th in the FIFA world rankings

17 Morocco | Squad value: €315.15 million

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Ranked 14th in the FIFA world rankings

16 Croatia | Squad value: €332.6 million

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Ranked 6th in the FIFA world rankings

15 Nigeria | Squad value: €346.2 million

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Ranked 39th in the FIFA world rankings

14 Uruguay | Squad value: €352.8 million

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Ranked 16th in the FIFA world rankings

13 Serbia | Squad value: €369.2 million

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Ranked 25th in the FIFA world rankings

12 Denmark | Squad value: €407.2 million

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Ranked 19th in the FIFA world rankings

11 Norway | Squad value: €408.45 million

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Ranked 44th in the FIFA world rankings

10 Belgium | Squad value: €423.5 million

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Ranked 5th in the FIFA world rankings

9 Netherlands | Squad value: €614.5 million

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Ranked 7th in the FIFA world rankings

8 Germany | Squad value: €706.5 million

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Ranked 15th in the FIFA world rankings

7 Italy | Squad value: €774 million

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Ranked 8th in the FIFA world rankings

5 Spain | Squad value: €777 million

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Ranked 10th in the FIFA world rankings

5 Argentina | Squad value: €836.2 million

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Ranked 1st in the FIFA world rankings

4 Brazil | Squad value: €943 million

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Ranked 3rd in the FIFA world rankings

3 Portugal | Squad value: €979 million

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Ranked 9th in the FIFA world rankings

2 France | Squad value: €1.17 billion

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Ranked 2nd in the FIFA world rankings

1 England | Squad value: €1.24 billion

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Ranked 4th in the FIFA world rankings

This was preceded by captain Ilkay Gündogan following up after he lost the ball – and that’s exactly what Völler had asked for: “The most important thing is defensive behavior.” That’s why he also called up Tah, who was in good form at Bayer Leverkusen, as a right-back and Leipzig’s Henrichs at the back on the left. Both played their speed on the outside, won many of their duels and initially gave the team security. But there was also intensive work against the ball in the midfield and attack, and the teamwork was significantly improved compared to the disappointing last appearances.

The fact that France coach Didier Deschamps did not call on World Cup top scorer Mbappé suited the Germans. Mbappé’s representative, ex-Frankfurt Randal Kolo Muani, initially had the German defensive players under control. After half an hour, the fans honored their team’s performance, which was not flawless but at least passionate, with shouts of La Ola and “Germany”.

Völler suffered his first setback in the 25th minute when he was forced to replace his captain Gündogan. Pascal Groß came to his second international match for the FC Barcelona professional, who landed unhappily on his backside after an aerial duel with Adrien Rabiot. The England legionnaire didn’t always look good against the French, who became more dominant as the game went on, and even before the half-time whistle he received a yellow card after a tactical foul.

In the 39th minute, Aurélien Tchouaméni tested Marc-André ter Stegen twice with his head, but the goalkeeper was in the post both times. At halftime, the DFB selection, which had been booed against Japan, was greeted with applause.

After the break, it was Tchouaméni again who forced Ter Stegen into a save with a long-range shot (57′). The guests, who started the European Championship qualification with an impeccable record of five wins and 11:0 goals, still did not find their usual wit. The Germans didn’t just limit themselves to defense, but like Florian Wirtz (67th), they also had good chances. Ter Stegen once again held strong against Griezmann in the final phase (82′). However, he was powerless against the penalty.

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