On a night when football was of little importance after the French capital came under a number of shocking attacks, Germany lost two nil to France in an international friendly.
France 2-0 Germany
(Giroud 45+2′, Gignac 87′)
Germany’s friendly against France was overshadowed by a series of shocking attacks across the city of Paris, which left the sporting aspect of the evening, rightfully, of little importance. Two explosions were heard during the first half, but it wasn’t until later on in the evening the severity of the situation became clear.
Germany lost the game by two goals, both well-finished counterattacks from a French side that was indeed, as Joachim Löw said the day before the game, much improved from the one that lost to Germany in the World Cup quarterfinal in 2014. Shortly before the break, Anthony Martial beat Matthias Ginter and then Antonio Rüdiger on the left wing to set up Olivier Giroud in the box. Andre-Pierre Gignac added a powerful header late on from an accurate cross that left Mats Hummels nowhere.
Mario Gomez failed in his attempt to convince he still merits a place in the squad, squandering two good chances in the first half. Thomas Müller also missed a good chance to score, before hitting the post late on. Both Bayern Munich’s Kingsley Coman and Schalke’s Leroy Sane came on to make their respective international debuts, but the game itself paled into insignificance as the horror of the evening’s events became more apparent.
The latest reports suggest that France’s friendly against England in London on Tuesday will be cancelled. There is no confirmation yet as to whether or not Germany’s friendly against the Netherlands will take place.
