France vs Germany: 5 key battles to watch out for | UEFA Euro 2020
The UEFA Euro 2020 is back in action as the previous two World Cup winners go head-to-head in the last game of round one. Both of these teams belong in the colloquial 'Group of Death', alongside reigning champions Portugal and Hungary.
As a result, both teams will be looking for those crucial three points in this first game. France enter the tournament as clear favorites, while Germany are looking for one last hurrah under long-term boss Joachim Löw.
Both Karim Benzema and Antoine Griezmann shook off minor injuries and are available for selection, meaning Didier Deschamps has all his attacking options to choose from. Nothing definitive can be said about the German team but reports suggest that Kai Havertz will start alongside Gnabry and Muller. One potential boost for Germany is Leon Goretzka's availability, who was expected to miss out on the opening fixture.
A lot is riding on this game as it will set the tone for this really exciting group. France and Germany are two heavyweights of European football and it surely promises to be an epic encounter. Keeping all that in mind, let us take a look at the five key battles from this game.
#5 Raphael Varane (France) vs Thomas Müller (Germany)
It was really surprising to see Joachim Löw drop Thomas Müller from the Germany squad a few years ago. But the German has had an unreal turn-around at Bayern Munich over the last couple of years. The 31-year old has been directly involved in 58 goals in the last two Bundesliga seasons and was instrumental in Bayern Munich's 2019-20 treble. Muller will be hoping to replicate his club form for his country starting with the match against France.
Standing in front of him though will be Real Madrid's Raphael Varane, who has earned the tag of a serial winner. The France centre-back has won almost everything that is there to win, but he is yet to get his hands on the European Championship. Varane is up for any challenge thrown at him and his brilliance against Müller's intelligence will be a key battle that could decide the outcome of this game.
#4 Lucas Hernandez (France) vs Kai Havertz (Germany)
This France side are known for their attacking prowess but their solid backline has its own superstars, one of them being Lucas Hernandez. The left-back is unbelievably fast and protects the last line of the defense extremely well. The 25-year old is a very aggressive and fierce player who will never back out of a challenge. His no-nonsense defending will be a good match-up against a certain player who is flying high at the moment.
A season full of criticism ended with a Champions League final winner for Germany's Kai Havertz. According to reports, Joachim Low has made the decision to start Havertz instead of Leroy Sane against France. There is a good chance that Havertz will start on the right-wing, which will bring him face-to-face against Hernandez. It will be an exciting battle between two young European stars.