Goals from captain Kylian Mbappé and Michael Olise handed France a 2–0 victory over Germany in Stuttgart on Sunday, securing third place in this season’s UEFA Nations League.
Germany, hosts of the Nations League finals, were hoping to bounce back from their semi-final defeat to Portugal but found themselves behind just before the break. Mbappé, latching onto a long pass from Aurélien Tchouaméni, controlled expertly before finishing clinically to net his 50th international goal.
The home side thought they had equalised early in the second half through VfB Stuttgart forward Deniz Undav. However, the goal was disallowed following a VAR review that found a foul by Niclas Füllkrug in the build-up.
Despite some early promise, Germany were largely second-best as France took control of proceedings. The French side created several chances to extend their lead but were repeatedly denied by goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and the woodwork.
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The result was finally sealed late in the game when Mbappé squared the ball for Olise, who calmly tapped home to confirm the win and end France’s Nations League campaign on a high.
The victory marks a positive conclusion to France’s tournament after their dramatic semi-final loss to Spain, who were set to face Portugal in the final later on Sunday.
Mbappé’s goal places him just one behind Thierry Henry in France’s all-time goalscoring charts, further underlining the 26-year-old’s remarkable international career.
