Preview for Germany v France
Didier Deschamps has no intention of diverting away from selecting four attacking players when France take on Germany in the battle for third place in the Nations League tomorrow afternoon.
Having been questioned over recent months for a lack of invention going forward, Deschamps fielded a quartet of attacking talent against Spain on Thursday night with Desire Doue, Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembele playing behind Kylian Mbappe.
In truth it didn’t really work as Spain cruised to a 4-0 lead before Les Bleus staged a rally that saw them lose 5-4.
Mbappe did score from the penalty spot but was otherwise quiet while Doue and Dembele failed to reproduce their brilliant form for Paris Saint-Germain.
And while Deschamps said he will make changes against Germany, the formation will remain.
He said: “If we have the ball, there’s no problem. When you don’t have it, it’s about being strong enough defensively. The more you have it, the more the opponent is in a relatively low position.
“After that, I don’t have a week to do what I would like to do. The best example is PSG. In the autumn, not many of you [the media] thought they would be European champions. And then, with time…
“It is repetition that will allow you to get what you want.”
Up next: France 🔜
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— German Football (@DFB_Team_EN) June 6, 2025
France take on a Germany side that lost 2-1 to Portugal on Wednesday night.
Julian Nagelsmann’s men were leading 1-0 before a triple substitution handed the initiative to Portugal, who secured the win thanks to goals from Francisco Conceicao and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Nagelsmann has come in for criticism but today received the backing of the team’s sporting director Rudi Voller.
Voller said: “When you win, everything is always wonderful and everyone pats you on the back. If you lose, especially when expectations are very high, especially at a home tournament, then of course a lot of things are questioned and criticised. That’s part of the job.
“These are things that happen. You must not forget the opponents we played against. The top four teams in Europe are at this tournament. We all knew that it would be difficult.
“Of course we would have liked to have done a bit better, and of course Julian Nagelsmann as well, but it is not a dent at all.”
Team News for Germany v France
France will be without Paris Saint-Germain duo Dembele and Bradley Barcola.
Dembele sustained an injury late on against Spain while Barcola is carrying a knee problem and won’t be risked ahead of the European champions’ participation in the Club World Cup.
Defender Clement Lenglet has also been ruled out due to a hip problem.
Nagelsmann is likely to make changes with David Raum set to come in at left-back, Pascal Gross stepping into midfield and Niclas Fullkrug and Karim Adeyemi aiming to boost their attack.
Germany: Ter Stegen; Kimmich, Koch, Tah, Raum; Gross, Goretzka, Sane, Wirtz, Adeyemi; Fullkrug
France: Maignan; Kalulu, Konate, Bade, T Hernandez; Kone, Rabiot, Cherki, Olise, Doue; Mbappe
How to watch Germany v France: TV and Online stream
Germany versus France kicks off at 2pm UK time tomorrow afternoon. it can be watched on Amazon Prime, but only on their PPV service at £2.49. It can also be streamed, at the same price, on the PrimeVideo app.
