France 2-1 Germany: Hits and Flops, UEFA Nations League 2018/19
Germany's hopes of making it to the knockouts rounds of Nations League effectively ended after an Antoine Griezmann-inspired France fought back to win 2-1 at Saint-Denis. The Atletico Madrid starlet struck twice after the break to wipe out Toni Kroos' penalty that had the visitors ahead in the first half.
A much-improved show during that spell suggested Die Mannschaft are finally finding their rhythm again, only for Les Blues to throw a spanner with a solid display in the second half and turn the tie around.
The defeat leaves Joachim Loew's side on the peril of an embarrassing relegation to League B, and also without a competitive win for four successive games now.
Let's discuss the hits and flops from the match:
Flop: Germany
The 2014 World Cup winners are such a mangled mess right now that it's hard to pick out one or two players who're under-performing. This whole team has been utterly dysfunctional, and of course, massively disappointing in what has been an annus horribilis. And it has produced another result to forget.
Germany were actually showing signs of life with a gritty performance in the opening half, cutting the French side open with fast tempo and counter-attacks. Kroos even gave them an unlikely lead from the spot, though it wasn't a convincing effort in all honesty. However, once the hosts shifted gears, they had no answer. It was the same Germany that we're seeing for almost a year now: clueless, listless and absolutely spineless in the face of adversity.
France cut a swathe through with brisk passes and regaining dominion in the centre. It became evident that it's only a matter of time before they score, and the moment came to pass just after the hour mark. Germany were left ashen-faced, but they too knew this was coming.