It was billed as a clash of the titans. Goliath versus Goliath. Gallic invention up against German efficiency.
It could not have been more finely poised. Tuesday night was the sixth meeting between France and Germany at a major tournament, but their first in the group stages. Coming into the blockbuster clash, their head-to-head record was perfectly balanced with two wins each and a draw.
With Karim Benzema back from international exile in his central striking role, flanked by the most prodigious of talents in world football in Kylian Mbappe, and Les Bleus’ talisman Antoine Griezmann on the other, all eyes were on this new-look, with an all-too-familiar façade, strike-force.
Joachim Low channelled his inner Pep Guardiola and went with a false nine – Serge Gnabry the furthest man forward – while reverting to a back three, a system that had served the outgoing coach well over the years.
All the variables were in place for a rip-roaring clash in what promises to be this most watchable of groups with Portugal still to come, but as is often the case in tournament openers, and even the most mouth-watering battles between the elite of the elite, the spectacle flattered to deceive. There was plenty of intrigue, but more questions posed than answers.
With that superstar-laden frontline, with orchestrator-in-residence Paul Pogba pulling the strings from midfield, it was France who did all the early running, and justified why so many have tipped Didier Deschamps’ men to go all the way.
Pogba looped a header over from a good position early on as the French machine started to purr, before Mbappe forced a smart stop out of Manuel Neuer.
The German fans scattered across the Allianz Arena in Munich were silenced one by one as France continued to press, with the pressure telling as Pogba’s delicious pass picked out Lucas Hernandez, who squared for Benzema in the middle, but Mats Hummels got their first, only to inadvertently lash the ball into his own net, earning himself the unwanted accolade of being the first German to score an own goal in a European Championship.
There were no signs of this “micro-episode”, as Mbappe called it this week, over this disagreement with Olivier Giroud around how the striker dreamboat goes about airing his grievances – a falling out that does not come close to Benzema’s misdemeanours with team-mates.
But for all their cohesive play, the finishing touch, despite their wealth of goalscoring prowess had deserted Deschamps’ men.
Adrien Rabiot found the outside of the post early in the second half, while Mbappe scored a goal that would have warranted realms of description in its own right, had he not been flagged for offside, but otherwise Germany gradually got a foothold in the match, without creating any real clear cut chances.
Champions League winner Timo Werner came on to give Germany a focal point in attack, with Leroy Sane also stepping off the bench to try and change things, but France, for all the talk around how imperious their strikeforce looked, barely put a foot wrong at the back, protected with the energy of an entire legion in the form of N’Golo Kante.
And that was that. Just as they did in their tournament opener in the 2018 World Cup against Australia, France laboured across the line. And we all know how that tournament finished. The opposition was more imposing this time around, but the manner of the display was equally as unflattering.
Benzema had a late goal disallowed for offside after a VAR review, but ended up finishing his big return to competitive international football having made little impact, without having had a shot on or off target, while Mbappe teased but ultimately did not deliver and Griezmann was more Barcelona Griezmann than the one who normal dons the blue of France.
There is more to come from all three, for sure, in this tournament. What is less certain is what else Germany can offer. With only two strikers in Low’s squad, the Die Nationalmannschaft have limited options in attack, so the jilted Low is going to have to be creative.
They have the home advantage, and unrivalled tournament knowhow, but given no player in Germany’s Euro 2020 squad has scored a single goal at a European Championship Finals, the concerns over their hopes of even a respectable performance this summer are very real indeed.
More from i on Euro 2020
- Eriksen’s collapse has thrown a spotlight on football and its relentless thirst for more
- ‘Yorkshire Pirlo’ showing he has perfect blend of silk and steel to be a star
- Where Schick’s strike against Scotland ranks among greatest Euros goals
- Daniel Storey’s guide to all 24 teams – from hot favourites to no hopers
- How to watch every Euro 2020 match on TV and online in the UK
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3xCXTXl
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