Addressing: After the bankruptcy against Portugal, Germany also lost the game for 3rd place in the Nations League. At 0: 2 (0: 1) against France, the weakness in the end was decisive. Kylian Mbappé scored the only goal of the game in the 45th minute, shortly before the end he also prepared the goal of Michael Olise (84.).
The DFB team ends the final four of the competition in their own country after a strong group phase. In the preliminary round, Germany had celebrated five wins (a draw) in six games against Hungary, the Netherlands and Bosnia-Herzegovina, but the success experiences in Munich and Stuttgart failed to fail against the European sizes. At the beginning of September, the national team continues in the World Cup qualification.
Nagelsmann is positive despite the defeat
“We saw a completely different team than on Wednesday (against Portugal, i.e. Red.). Especially in the first half, we had a lot more risk, courage and ball winnings. If you play out four hundred percent, it is good until then, the exploitation of opportunities is part of football. We were clearly the better team until shortly before the finish line“, said national coach Julian Nagelsmann in the Sportschau interview. “When we play in qualification, we will compete at the World Cup – and then we would like to win the tournament. I feel something special in this group.”
Captain Joshua Kimmich also struggled with the exploitation of opportunities. “We have to lead 3-0 in the first half after six minutes, then we are unhappily going 0-1 into the break and lose patience and structure in the second half. We made too many mistakes in possession of the ball and went into one counter after the next – that was the perfect game for the French”said Kimmich at “RTL”. “In the first half, France had no need to win and yet they win.”
Deschamps exchanges almost everyone – Maignan remains fortunately
Nagelsmann changed a total of five times compared to the defeat against Portugal (1: 2), and his opposite Didier Deschamps made the rotary machine run even more rigorous. With Adrien Rabiot and Mbappé, only two field players were left out of the starting eleven against Spain (4: 5), and Mike Maignan also guarded the goal again – and this personnel saved France.
Because the DFB team underlined the plan to do reparation from the first minute. After 77 seconds, Nick Woltemade was already free in front of Maignan, but failed. A little later, Lucas saved Digne after a shot by Niclas Füllkrug (5th), then Maignan took over again after a strong solo by Karim Adeyemi (6th). The BVB wing had another great opportunity, but he could not control a strong pass from Jonathan Tah freely in front of the opposing box (19th).
Adeyemi takes off – and gives its critics food
ADEYEMI was the starting eleven newcomer in the first half hour, which was most positive – but then he noticed negatively. After a pass from Pascal Groß, the 23-year-old started again, put the ball past Maignan and fell, referee Ivan Kruzliak decided on a penalty (31st).
But after almost five minutes, the referee revised the decision. On the video images it was clear that Adeyemi was withdrawn and made to Maignan to make a contact – Schwalbe, free kick France and yellow for the German striker.
Germany’s Karim Adeyemi (right) falls to the ground in the fight for the ball with France Lucas Hernandez and France’s goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
He had complained about a year ago that he had a difficult stand with the referees in Germany. “I don’t want to say anything about the referees now, but in a drawer I’m definitely in there. I think it can’t go on like this”said Adeyemi back then. If he really has the call of the Schwalbenkönig, he actually didn’t fuel it for the first time against France.
DFB team awards the chances that France uses the first
In this case it was deserved that the German team was denied happiness, but then it was very bad luck. Again, the French defensive looked overwhelmed, but the flat conclusion of Florian Wirtz only clapped to the post (37th). After that, Maignan showed his class again when he prevented the first goal in the A national team from a short distance (43.).
The Nagelsmann team did not reward themselves for a strong appearance – and then it became even bitter. Kimmich misjudged after a cross, Mbappé came to the ball, briefly dribbled and shot ice cold into the far corner – the 1-0 for France (45th). Unserved, but almost it would have become even clearer because Marcus Thuram missed another great opportunity from ten meters (45.+3).
Undav meets – but referee Kruzliak corrects himself again
The vice world champion fully countered and was rewarded for it. This tactic was almost successful shortly after the break. Mbappé ran towards Robin Koch alone, lay the ball on his right foot and shot him through the legs of the Frankfurter into the short corner, but also just over (47th) – Germany for the second time in luck.
But then the DFB team had the bad luck again that there has been a video evidence for several years. After a supposed rabiot error, Deniz Undav transformed the 1-1 (54th), but in the pictures Kruzliak recognized that he had overlooked a foul by Füllkrug on the French. The referee again corrected his decision to the dismay of the Germans – however, it was also correct in both cases.
France misses the second goal several times
Then France countered again, but again the guests awarded the great chance of 2-0. Rayan Cherki only overlooked his colleagues and then shot past the short post (58th). Shortly afterwards the German defensive was too open and Thuram fled the ball to the aluminum (59.). Overall, France acted far too sloppy on the many occasions, several overpayment situations ended with inadequacies.
Germany also succeeded very little in this phase, then Füllkrug had an opportunity again. After a corner he set a header too high from a short distance, the next good chance of the Germans was unsuccessful (64.). On the other hand, Thuram also awarded his third top-class carpenter, after a counterattack this time Marc-André Ter Stegen (70th).
Ter Stegen towered over, but in the end it is powerless
Despite the filling jug chance, Germany no longer managed to get into the game better and so the opponent increasingly earned the lead. After Maignan was overcome in the first half, the best player in the DFB team was by far the best player in the second round. In the 79th minute, after a volley of Mbappé, he showed that after his long -term injury he was back on the way back to the top form. Three minutes later, Ter Stegen again won the private duel against the French captain (82nd).
Shortly afterwards the decision was made. In the 84th minute, Mbappé ran back on the focal again after an error by Koch and Tah and had seen Olise running early. A cross pass shortly in front of the steps, the gate was empty and the second DFB defeat sealed within four days. After a strong first 45 minutes, the Nagelsmann team disappointed in the second, so the Final Four in the Nations League turned out to be a great disappointment – not only because of the results.