France and Germany lock horns at the Groupama Stadium on Saturday, with both teams looking to build momentum ahead of UEFA Euro 2024.
The last time France and Germany met was seven months ago. Die Mannschaft picked up a 2-1 win over Les Bleus, and the home team will look to make amends here and avenge that defeat.
France were outstanding in the UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifiers, and they did well to reach the World Cup final prior to that. Didier Deschamps’s men will be reasonably confident heading into this game, and they will look to build some momentum ahead of the European Championships in the summer.
Meanwhile, Germany have not been at their best for a while now, and they have picked up just six wins from their last 22 fixtures. Julian Nagelsmann will look to get them back on track before the European Championships, and a victory over France could give them a huge morale boost.
Team News & Tactics
France
Antoine Griezmann misses out with an ankle injury, while Kingsley Coman is sidelined with a knee problem. Other than that, France have a fully-fit squad to choose from.
Mike Maignan will start in goal for the home team. They are likely to shape up in a 4-3-3 formation, with Jonathan Clauss and Theo Hernandez being the full-backs. The two players will look to protect the central defenders and help out in the attack. At the heart of the defence, Benjamin Pavard should start alongside Dayot Upamecano.
In the midfield, Aurelien Tchouameni will start as the defensive midfielder, and he will look to break up the opposition attacks. Adrien Rabiot and Eduardo Camavinga will add physicality, defensive cover and composure to the side. Marcus Thuram will lead the line for France against Germany, with Ousmane Dembele and Kylian Mbappe on either side of him.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Maignan; Clauss, Pavard, Upamecano, Theo Hernandez; Rabiot, Tchouameni, Camavinga; Dembele, Thuram, Mbappe
Germany
Manuel Neuer misses out with an adductor injury, while Leon Goretzka, Serge Gnabry, Leroy Sane, Mats Hummels, Niklas Sule, Kevin Trapp, and Timo Werner have been left out of the squad for the latest international break.
Mark-Andre ter Stegen will start in goal for Germany, who are likely to shape up in a 4-2-2-2 formation against France. Joshua Kimmich and David Raum will start as the full-backs, and the two players will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Jonathan Tah will start at the heart of the defence alongside Antonio Rudiger.
As for the midfield unit, Toni Kroos has returned to the international fold once again, and he will look to add creativity and control in the double pivot alongside Ilkay Gundogan. The Barcelona midfielder will look to add defensive cover and control to the side.
Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz will start as the attacking midfielders here, and they will look to drift out in the wide areas from time to time. The duo will look to add creativity and width to the side. Finally, Niklas Fullkrug will lead the line for Germany alongside Kai Havertz.
Probable Lineup (4-2-2-2): ter Stegen; Kimmich, Tah, Rudiger, Raum; Kroos, Gundogan; Musiala, Wirtz; Havertz, Fullkrug
Key Stats
- France are unbeaten in five of the last six matches against Germany.
- 13 goals have been scored in the last six meetings between these two teams.
- Germany have picked up just two wins from the last six matches.
- Germany have conceded 13 goals in the last six matches.
- France have scored 25 goals in the last six matches.
Player to Watch
Kylian Mbappe
The 25-year-old is in spectacular form this season, amassing 38 goals and five assists across all competitions at club level. He will look to continue his impressive run of form and get on the scoresheet here as well.
Germany can be quite vulnerable defensively, and Mbappe will look to punish them. The French international is coming into this game on the back of a hat-trick against Montpellier just a few days ago and so, he is our key player to watch out for.
Prediction
France 2-1 Germany
Both teams will be desperate for a win here. But the home team will be the favourites heading into this game. France have the better set of players, and they have been in far better form than Germany.
Les Bleus will be full of confidence here, and they will be determined to grind out a win after losing against Germany a few months ago. The visitors will look to make life difficult for the 2022 World Cup runners-up, but they are likely to fall short in the end. A narrow win for the home team is on the cards.
