Kylian Mbappe delivered a goal and an assist to lead France past Germany with a 2-0 victory in the UEFA Nations League bronze-medal match held in Stuttgart on Sunday.
Despite a largely rotated French lineup, Mbappe stood out once again with a match-winning performance.
Germany had the upper hand in the early stages, creating a host of opportunities. Karim Adeyemi thought he’d won a penalty, but VAR overturned the decision for simulation. Florian Wirtz also came close, striking the post.
However, it was France who took the lead just before the break. Mbappe marked his 50th international goal with a sharp finish, expertly controlling a high pass that sailed over Joshua Kimmich’s 1.77-metre frame and rifling it into the net with his dominant right foot.
France manager Didier Deschamps, who had made eight changes following the semi-final loss to Spain, admitted beforehand that the clash with long-time rivals Germany “isn’t the most important game for us,” as he kept his sights set firmly on next year’s World Cup.
Only captain Mbappe, goalkeeper Mike Maignan, and experienced midfielder Adrien Rabiot retained their places.
Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann also shuffled his pack, bringing striker Niclas Fuellkrug back into the fold among four changes.
At halftime, he swapped out rookie forward Nick Woltemade for Deniz Undav. The latter found the net shortly after coming on, only for the goal to be disallowed due to a foul by Fuellkrug in the build-up.
While Germany dominated ball possession and territory, they left themselves exposed to France’s blistering counterattacks, with Mbappe orchestrating the danger.
Marcus Thuram struck the post in the 58th minute, and the French kept probing. Their pressure paid off late in the second half when Mbappe capitalized on a poor pass from Robin Koch around the halfway line.
Charging forward, he unselfishly squared the ball to Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise, who slotted home France’s second with just six minutes left.
The result extended Germany’s losing streak to two games, the first time that’s happened since 2023, raising concerns about their true progress under Nagelsmann.
Meanwhile, the depth of France’s squad shone through once more, with Mbappe’s brilliance again proving decisive.
Later in the evening, reigning Nations League and European champions Spain were set to face Portugal in Munich for the tournament’s top prize.
