Mbappe Shines as France Clinch Third Place Against Germany
What a match it was in Stuttgart! The UEFA Nations League third-place play-off between Germany and France was packed with drama, pace, and moments of brilliance—especially from one man: Kylian Mbappe. France came out on top with a 2-0 victory, and it was Mbappe who stole the spotlight once again.
From the start, Germany actually looked the more aggressive side. Within the opening minutes, they were threatening France’s defense, with Florian Wirtz rattling the post and Karim Adeyemi buzzing around the final third. At one point, it even seemed like Germany had won a penalty when Adeyemi went down in the box—but VAR had other plans, overturning the decision and booking him for diving. Ouch.
Despite all of Germany’s early energy, it was France who struck first—right on the stroke of halftime. Aurelien Tchouaméni picked out Mbappe with a slick through ball, and the French captain made no mistake, finishing coolly to put his side 1-0 up. That goal wasn’t just any goal—it marked Mbappe’s 50th for the national team, placing him among the greats like Thierry Henry and Olivier Giroud. And he's only just entering his prime!
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The second half saw Germany continuing to push, but frustration crept in. Mistakes piled up, and structure began to vanish from their game. Julian Nagelsmann’s men had chances, no doubt—Deniz Undav even had a goal ruled out for a foul in the buildup—but they just couldn’t find the back of the net. Meanwhile, France remained lethal on the counter.
Then came the killer blow. In the 84th minute, Mbappe capitalized on a defensive blunder by Robin Koch, sprinted into the open space, and with Ter Stegen bearing down on him, he made the unselfish choice—squaring the ball to Michael Olise, who tapped it in for the second. Game over.
France’s depth was on full display, bringing on talents like Olise and Desire Doué late in the game. It just goes to show how stacked Didier Deschamps' squad really is. And let’s not overlook the brilliance of Mike Maignan in goal—he made several crucial saves, especially from Adeyemi and Wirtz, to keep France in control.
Germany, on the other hand, will have to reflect deeply. They’ve now gone three games without a win and were knocked out in the semi-finals by Portugal. Captain Joshua Kimmich summed it up well: “We lost patience too early and lost our structure.” Hard to argue with that.
In the end, it was France who walked away with third place. They were clinical, composed, and had that spark of genius when it mattered most. And with Mbappe leading the charge, it feels like there’s plenty more silverware on the horizon for Les Bleus.
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