France Triumphs over Germany 2-0 as Mbappé, Olise Secure Nations League Third Place
France claimed third place in the Nations League with a 2-0 victory over Germany, courtesy of goals from Kylian Mbappé and Michael Olise.
The game that was played In Stuttgart, Mbappé and Olise found the net to ensure France’s triumph over Germany in the 2024-25 Nations League on Sunday.
Following a thrilling 5-4 loss to Spain in the semi-finals, Les Bleus clinically dispatched the hosts, relegating Julian Nagelsmann’s side—who were defeated by Portugal on Wednesday—to fourth place.
Mike Maignan thwarted efforts from Niklas Füllkrug and Karim Adeyemi as Germany started with vigor. Adeyemi was awarded a penalty, only for the decision to be overturned, resulting in a booking for simulation against the French goalkeeper.
Mbappé initially squandered a golden opportunity before breaking the deadlock just before half-time. He skillfully controlled Aurelien Tchouameni’s long pass, deftly maneuvered past Joshua Kimmich, and curled the ball beyond Marc-André ter Stegen into the top-right corner.
Shortly after the restart, the Real Madrid star struck the side-netting, while Deniz Undav’s low drive was disallowed when referee Ivan Kružliak determined Füllkrug had fouled Adrien Rabiot after consulting the pitch-side monitor.
Marcus Thuram’s effort struck the right-hand post, and he was denied again by Ter Stegen, who also brilliantly thwarted Mbappé’s acrobatic strike from the edge of the box, as well as a one-on-one attempt.
However, Ter Stegen was powerless to stop Mbappé’s assist, which allowed Olise to tap in the second goal with six minutes remaining after a scintillating counterattack.
Mbappé delivered a typically vibrant performance, registering a game-high six shots—three on target and four inside the box. Olise’s goal, coming off the bench, contributed to France’s tally of five goals from substitutes during the 2024-25 Nations League, a feat unmatched by any other team.
Germany valiantly contested the match, with France conceding 10 shots in the first half, a repeat of their performance against the same opponents in the Euro 2016 semi-finals.
