Germany 2-1 France: Thomas Muller and Leroy Sane strike as managerless Germany beat France in Dortmund

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.

As the visitors threw caution to the wind in the dying embers of the encounter, Germany hit them with a last-minute suckerpunch.

A stray ball into the middle of midfield was seized upon by the ever-hungry, and relentless German press. Kai Havertz, the substitute, picked it up, and slid Leroy Sane away, and the Bayern winger rolled into the far corner to double the hosts’ advantage.

That was quickly dashed as Griezmann, the German-born Frenchman, rolled in a penalty merely two minutes later, as Sane turned villain, hauling down the onrushing Camavinga in the area as the Real Madrid midfielder cut in on his right foot.

Kylian Mbappe, the talismanic left winger, sat on the bench watching on as his side desperately chased the elusive equaliser, and the Germans held on for a morale-boosting victory that starts their post-Flick era in the perfect possible way.

In Gnabry, Sane, Muller and Wirtz, Germany have a plethora of talented attacking options that they can unleash.

The cohesion, the desire to play the risky pass, and the willingness to fizz the one-two or beat a man is evident.

They just lack that clinical goalscorer. Rudi Voller, uncharacteristically suited up in the technical area this evening, in his prime would be a nice option to have.

In Sane and Gnabry, the two Bayern inside forwards, they have proven killers on either flank that will score goals, but the begging question is who can be the focal point up top to ease them of their goalscoring burden?

Electric, and back to his blistering best, albeit on enemy territory in Dortmund.

Back on the right flank, able to dart inside onto his stronger left or out onto his swinger for the cross, the former Manchester City wide man fully exploited the space left in behind by the marauding French left-back Theo Hernandez, and the hosts’ second, and ultimately winning goal, was the epitome of that: Hernandez caught upfield, Sane in behind, and showing his clincal nature to slot calmly beyond the onrushing Maignan.

Germany: Ter Stegen 6, Sule 6, Tah 6, Rudiger 7, Henrichs 7, Can 6, Gundogan 6, Wirtz 6, Sane 8, Gnabry 7, Muller 6. Subs: Gross 6, Brandt 6, Havertz 6, Gosens 6, Hofmann 6.

France: Maignan 6, Pavard 6, Saliba 6, Todibo 6, Hernandez 6, Tchouameni 7, Camavinga 6, Rabiot 6, Griezmann 6, Muani 5, Coman 6. Subs: Thuram 6, Dembele 6, Kounde 6, Fofana 6.

4′: GOAL! Germany are ahead, inside four minutes, and it’s Thomas Muller! The game has started at a frantic tempo, and the hosts have sought to get it wide to Gnabry and Sane as quickly as they can. Both are involved here with Sane starting the move with a nice backheeled link-up with Wirtz down the right. It’s shifted leftwards, out to Gnabry, who finds the underlapping Henrichs who crosses, and it falls for Muller in the middle of the box to lash home!

39′: JUST OVER! Tchouameni meets the set piece first again, and he just flicks Griezmann’s inswinger over the top! He rises highest again from the following ball in, but his header this time is caught by ter Stegen.

58′: BIG SLIP! Tchouameni drives forward and shrugs off the challenge of Can, forcing a good save from ter Stegen down to his right with a powerful drive. Muani follows it up on the rebound, but slips at the crucial moment!

87′: GOAL! That’s that, and it’s Leroy Sane! France are caught with too many numbers forward, and the hosts’ pace on the break makes them pay! A loose pass into midfield is seized upon by Havertz, who slides Sane in down the right channel. He has the composure to take a touch, pick his spot, and roll it into the far corner.

89′: PENALTY! Les Bleus have a penalty, and it’s Sane who turns villain, bringing down Camavinga, who looks to chop inside onto his right. Stonewaller. // GOAL! Griezmann makes no mistake from 12 yards!