Germany may be without a manager, but they were able to produce a 2-1 victory over the World Cup finalists in an international friendly on Tuesday night in Dortmund. Thomas Muller started as their leading striker and his goal in the fourth minute, alongside a Leroy Sane strike in the 87th, proved the difference. Kylian Mbappe did not start the game and was an unused substitute.
Germany put their woes of the last few days behind them to stun France 2-1 at Signal Iduna Park.
In a hotly-contested, high-octane friendly affair, the hosts flew out of the blocks, showcasing their fighting spirit with intense pressing, a high defensive line, and a willingness to get it wide to their dangerous wingers.
Rudi Voller, in interim charge of die Mannschaft, watched on as his side drew first blood inside four minutes; their attacking intent ekeing them ahead early with both Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry, the flying Bayern Munich wide men, involved. Sane nonchenantly flicked the ball into the supporting Florian Wirtz, who had dropped into the right half-space to link play.
The move was transferred quickly to the left side, where the marauding Benjamin Henrichs, playing left-back today, burst forward on the underlap. He played a neat give-and-go with Gnabry, making it to the byline before cutting it back for the evergreen striker Thomas Muller to do what he does so well, and lash the home side into the driving seat.
The French were stunned by such a fast start from their supposedly beleaguered hosts, who attempted to crank up the temperature on last winter’s World Cup finalists. Gnabry was at the centre of all things good once more on ten minutes, teasing his former Bayern Munich team-mate Benjamin Pavard on the corner of the French box, before curling a right-footed effort narrowly wide of the far post.
Muller came close to his second six minutes later, as he tried a deft flick at the near post from a Wirtz cross, after the number 10 had escaped attentions and ran the left channel well. The Bayern veteran was foiled under close attentions from William Saliba, but the Germans were getting closer, and they looked a completely changed side from the team that was battered 4-1 by Japan merely three days ago in Wolfsburg.
The hosts lost their metronomic playmaker Ilkay Gundogan on 25 minutes, with the Barcelona midfielder colliding with Adrien Rabiot in the air, and the extent to his damage is yet to be confirmed.
His departure rocked Germany slightly, as the 2018 world champions began to grow into the game. Antoine Griezmann roamed freer, Coman drifted infield more to offer the threat inside and out, and Edouardo Camavinga showed some excellent vision with some laser-like passes through the thirds.
But they just couldn’t find the finishing touch, and it was Aurelien Tchouameni – three times – that could have drawn them level with headed efforts.
The first span wide of the far post from a corner, but the second, stemming from a free kick wide-right after Antonio Rudiger flew into Kingsley Coman, whistled just over Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s crossbar. The third came from the cross straight after the second, but the Real Madrid’s attempt was caught easily by the German goalkeeper.
The visitors came out in the second half rejuvenated, with Tchouameni at the forefront of all things good for them once more.
It was his surge through midfield that forced ter Stegen into his first proper save down to his right just before the hour, but Muani slipped at the crucial moment, fluffing his lines on the rebound.
A minute later, a Tchouameni trivela cross was diverted just wide of the target by the head of Antoine Griezmann.
Cue furrowed brows and cautious conversations between Voller, Sandro Wagner and Hannes Wolf in the German dugout, and swift changes were to be made. Julian Brandt replaced Serge Gnabry to add greater creativity to the attacking midfield trident, and Kai Havertz came on for Muller up top as more of a physical presence.
In the opposite technical area, Ousmane Dembele was on to add another dimension off the right, with Jules Kounde a more adventurous full-back behind him on the overlap.
