France secured third place in the Nations League with a 2-0 victory over Germany in Stuttgart, thanks to a first-half strike from Kylian Mbappe and a late goal from Michael Olise.
Despite a promising start from the hosts, France’s quality in front of goal proved to be the difference between the two sides.
The opening stages belonged to Germany, who carved out a golden opportunity just two minutes in. Niclas Fullkrug got hold of the ball to play in Nick Woltemade, but his low effort was saved well by Mike Maignan.
It was an early warning for France, and Maignan would soon be called into action again, denying both Karim Adeyemi and Pascal Gros as the hosts dominated early possession.
Controversy struck just after the half-hour mark when Germany were initially awarded a penalty for a foul on Adeyemi. However, following a lengthy VAR review, the decision was overturned and Adeyemi was booked for simulation, much to the fury of the home crowd.
That sense of injustice was only compounded minutes later when Florian Wirtz struck the post from close range.
C’est terminé à Stuttgart 🔚
Nos Bleus s’imposent 2-0 et accrochent la troisième place de Ligue des Nations 🔥🇩🇪0-2🇫🇷 l #ALLFRA l #FiersdetreBleus pic.twitter.com/VSbAjBJzuO
— Equipe de France ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) June 8, 2025
France, who had offered little in attack for much of the half, struck a devastating blow just before the break. Aurelien Tchouameni floated a pinpoint pass over the top for Mbappe, who controlled expertly on the left before cutting inside and drilling a shot past Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
The Barcelona goalkeeper got a hand to it but couldn’t prevent the ball from nestling in the far corner.
In the second half, Julian Nagelsmann’s side huffed and puffed but struggled to replicate their first-half performance.
A moment of drama unfolded on 54 minutes when Denis Undav found the net after dispossessing Adrien Rabiot, but VAR again intervened to rule out the equaliser, this time for a foul by Fullkrug in the build-up.
France grew stronger as the match wore on, increasingly threatening on the counter. Mbappe remained a constant menace and came close to doubling his tally with a stunning volley and another breakaway chance, both thwarted by Ter Stegen.
Eventually, France’s pressure told. In the 84th minute, Mbappe once again raced clear on the counter and this time unselfishly squared for substitute Olise, who tapped home into an empty net to seal the win.
