2024-03-24 20:45:26
The German national team is thrilling spectators three months before the start of the European Championships. In France it is fueling euphoria. Some people start daydreaming.
By Benjamin Zurmühl, Lyon
The German national team’s game against France can be easily recounted with the atmosphere in the stands.
Before the game: The 60,000 fans in Lyon’s Groupama stadium loudly sing along to the “Marseillaise”, the national anthem of France. Even a small breakdown doesn’t faze them. In addition to the anthem, the beat of another song can briefly be heard over the stadium loudspeakers. The fans are excited, excited for the prestigious duel against Germany. The referee blows his whistle.
The first half: Florian Wirtz hits the goal after just eight seconds after a pass from Toni Kroos. Goalkeeper Samba can’t stop his shot. The stadium falls silent. It takes a few moments to digest the early shock. The mood is slowly coming back. The fan block behind the French goal encourages the rest of the stadium to jump. After the first actions of the “Equipe Tricolore” it gets louder again. The fans sing the national anthem twice more. Half time, quiet whistles.
The second half: The stadium management including the announcer did everything they could during the half-time break to motivate the supporters in blue. The result was 101 decibels. However, the energy is hardly transferred to the French team. Germany dominates the game, letting the ball and opponents run. Kai Havertz increased the score to 2-0 four minutes after the break. The mood changes. In the 57th minute, the German defenders can pass the ball to each other with peace of mind. Some French fans whistle at their passive players. That doesn’t have a big effect. Here and there the stadium gets a little louder when Kylian Mbappé has the ball, but that’s it. Germany takes the lead confidently over time. But there is a special moment shortly before the final whistle. National coach Julian Nagelsmann replaces Toni Kroos after a strong performance. It’s not just the German guest block that claps, many of the French fans also acknowledge the German returnee’s performance with applause. Shortly afterwards it’s over. Again whistles, cheers in the guest block.
Video | “Could have been even better”
“That was nice to see”
Julian Nagelsmann also shared the joy of the German fans who traveled with them. “Compliments to the team, that was nice to see,” the national coach praised his players.
That was actually it. The German team played the best international game in recent memory. Especially when it came to playing against the ball, the DFB team showed a completely different face than it did in the fall. When the ball was lost, a well-structured counter-pressing took effect, except for the last 20 minutes of the first half. When opponents attacked, chances only came from the outside, the defensive center was tight. The speed deficits against Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé and Co. were compensated for by clever positional play.
Each player held his position. Joshua Kimmich, for example, who played in defense again, stayed on his right side and didn’t constantly wander into the center, where he actually feels more comfortable. And Antonio Rüdiger, who stood out under Nagelsmann’s predecessor Hansi Flick for his wild excursions, stood where he had to stand.