France secured third place in the UEFA Nations League with a clinical 2-0 win over Germany, thanks to a superb display from Kylian Mbappe, who scored one and assisted the other in Stuttgart.
The match opened with high intensity, as Germany looked the sharper side in the early stages. Mike Maignan was forced into action within two minutes, denying Nick Woltemade from close range. The French goalkeeper continued to be the hero in the first half, pulling off excellent stops to keep out Karim Adeyemi and Woltemade again. Germany came even closer when Florian Wirtz struck the post and were briefly awarded a penalty, but VAR intervened, ruling Adeyemi had dived and booking the forward for simulation.
Despite being under sustained pressure, France found the breakthrough just before halftime. Aurélien Tchouameni picked out Mbappe with a lofted pass, and the Real Madrid star did the rest cutting inside from the left and drilling a low shot past Marc-Andre ter Stegen to make it 1-0.
France gained composure after the break and began to create more clear-cut chances. Marcus Thuram came closest, striking the post and then testing Ter Stegen with a curling effort that required a strong one-handed save. Mbappé nearly scored a second with a spectacular acrobatic volley, but the Barcelona keeper once again made a brilliant stop.
Germany thought they had drawn level midway through the second half when Deniz Undav found the net. However, VAR ruled out the goal due to a foul by Niclas Füllkrug on Adrien Rabiot in the build-up—another tough call for the frustrated home fans.
The match was sealed in the 84th minute. Mbappe burst clear on the counter and unselfishly squared the ball for substitute Michael Olise, who slotted into an empty net to cap off France’s win.
Germany failed to convert their chances, while France were ruthless when it mattered. Both sides now turn their attention to World Cup qualifying, which begins in September.
