Stuttgart, June 8 (IANS) Kylian Mbappe’s landmark 50th international goal propelled France to a 2-0 victory over hosts Germany at the MHP Arena, securing third place in the UEFA Nations League and rounding off their campaign on a high.
The match began in lively fashion, with Germany dominating early exchanges. Mike Maignan had to react sharply in just the second minute to deny Nick Woltemade, and moments later, Lucas Digne cleared a Niclas Füllkrug effort off the line. Florian Wirtz came closest to breaking the deadlock, striking the post with a clever effort in the 37th minute.
Despite Germany’s early pressure, it was France who drew first blood just before half-time. Mbappé picked up the ball on the left, cut inside, and curled a stunning shot past Marc-André ter Stegen to reach his 50th goal for Les Bleus. The strike places him one behind Thierry Henry in the country’s all-time scoring charts and seven behind Olivier Giroud who leads the tally.
The second half remained finely poised. Marcus Thuram nearly extended the lead with a curling effort that struck the woodwork on 59 minutes, while Germany struggled to replicate their first-half rhythm. Mbappé continued to torment the German backline and was denied a second by a magnificent Ter Stegen save from a volley in the 79th minute.
France’s second came in the 84th minute, courtesy of substitute Michael Olise. Capitalising on a defensive lapse, Mbappé surged clear and generously squared the ball for Olise to tap into an empty net, sealing the result.
Les Bleus leave with the bronze medal, while Germany will reflect on missed chances. Portugal and Spain will be taking on each other in Munich later on in the day (Monday, 12: 30 AM IST)
–IANS
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