France secured a 2-0 victory over Germany in Stuttgart, capitalizing on key moments despite intense pressure from the hosts. The opening goal came just before halftime, with the French captain finishing a move set up by Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni. Kylian Mbappé then assisted the second late in the game, intercepting a mistake by Robin Koch and unselfishly squaring the ball for Michael Olise to tap into an open net.
Germany, however, had several opportunities to change the outcome. A penalty initially awarded to Karim Adeyemi was overturned by VAR, which instead booked him for diving. Another German goal, scored by Deniz Undav, was also ruled out due to a foul in the build-up by Niclas Fullkrug. Adeyemi had three shots saved by France keeper Mike Maignan, who was in exceptional form, while Florian Wirtz hit the post.
France, too, missed chances to extend their lead, with Marcus Thuram also striking the post and Mbappé forcing a fine save from Marc-André ter Stegen.
German captain Joshua Kimmich expressed frustration post-match, stating his side lost control and made costly errors after a dominant opening. Meanwhile, France coach Didier Deschamps credited Maignan for keeping them in the game early and admitted that their halftime lead may not have been fully deserved.
The defeat marks Germany’s third consecutive winless match, following their semi-final loss to Portugal. Spain and Portugal are set to face off in the tournament final later on Sunday in Munich.
