France secured third place in the 2024-25 UEFA Nations League with a commanding 2-0 victory over Germany in Stuttgart on Sunday, thanks to goals from Kylian Mbappé and Michael Olise.
The win capped a strong performance from Les Bleus, who bounced back from a thrilling 5-4 semi-final loss to Spain to outclass the hosts and leave Germany, previously defeated by Portugal, in fourth place.
The match began with Germany applying early pressure, as Mike Maignan was tested by Niklas Füllkrug and Karim Adeyemi.
The latter earned a penalty, only for it to be overturned after a VAR review revealed Adeyemi had dived over Maignan, resulting in a yellow card for the German forward.
France weathered the storm, and Mbappé nearly opened the scoring but slipped during a golden opportunity. However, the Real Madrid star made no mistake just before halftime.
Latching onto a precise long pass from Aurélien Tchouaméni, Mbappé took a sublime first touch, cut inside Joshua Kimmich, and curled a brilliant shot past Marc-André ter Stegen into the top-right corner, marking his 50th goal for France.
The second half saw France maintain their dominance. Mbappé struck the side-netting early after the restart, while Germany thought they had equalized through Deniz Undav, only for the goal to be disallowed after referee Ivan Kruzliak ruled that Füllkrug had fouled Adrien Rabiot in the build-up.
France continued to press, with Marcus Thuram hitting the post and being denied by a strong save from Ter Stegen. The German goalkeeper also thwarted Mbappé twice, first stopping an acrobatic strike from the edge of the box and then saving a one-on-one effort.
However, Ter Stegen was powerless to stop France’s second goal in the 84th minute. Mbappé led an electrifying counterattack and delivered a pinpoint pass to substitute Michael Olise, who tapped in to secure the victory.
Mbappé was the standout performer, registering a game-high six shots, three on target and four from inside the box.
His goal and assist underscored his pivotal role in France’s success. Olise’s strike from the bench highlighted France’s depth, with the team scoring five goals from substitutes in the tournament, more than any other side.
Despite Germany’s spirited effort, which saw them generate 10 shots on France’s goal in the first half—a feat last achieved against France in the Euro 2016 semi-finals—Les Bleus remained composed and clinical.
The victory provided a fitting end to France’s Nations League campaign, showcasing their resilience and attacking prowess against a determined German side.
