Match Preview: International Friendly, France vs Germany
Stadium: Stade de France, Paris, France
Kick off: Wednesday, 20:00 GMT, 21:00 CET, Thursday 01:30 IST (will not be telecast on Indian television)
Of all the international matches taking place this weekend, there are few more mouth-watering than France taking on Germany in Paris tonight. Given their status as two of Europe’s footballing leviathans, both teams can use the game as a good test to assess where they stand when it comes to preparing for their rather obvious objectives of automatic qualification for the World Cup in 2014.
A rivalry that is more neighbourly than nasty, more friendly than fiery, the reason for the same being the common footballing rivalry they share with the English, the game may not see sparks fly, but will surely be a treat for fans of the beautiful game all across the globe.
France: DWWLDW
15/08/2012 – International Friendly (H), France 0-0 Uruguay
07/09/2012 – FIFA World Cup Qualifying Group I (A), Finland 0-1 France
11/09/2012 – FIFA World Cup Qualifying Group I (H), France 3-1 Belarus
12/10/2012 – International Friendly (H), France 0-1 Japan
16/10/2012 – FIFA World Cup Qualifying Group I (A), Spain 1-1 France
14/11/2012 – International Friendly (A), Italy 1-2 France
The French are just beginning to win over their fans after their awful showings at the 2008 European Championships and their insurrection in South Africa in 2010.
Under the helm of Laurent Blanc, France managed automatic qualification to Poland-Ukraine 2012, where they exited the tournament in the knockout stages after losing 2-0 to eventual winners Spain.
Blanc’s successor and fellow World Cup winner Didier Deschamps has continued the good work in improving the espirit du corps in the France camp. He began his career with a goalless draw against Uruguay before picking up his first wins as France boss when Les Bleus beat Finland 1-0 away and Belarus 3-1 at home in their opening Group I World Cup Qualifiers.
Despite being stunned 0-1 at home at the hands of the Japanese, the French earned a point against Spain in Madrid when Olivier Giroud struck late to give Deschamps’ men a share of the spoils. The French continued their good form by coming from behind to beat Italy 2-1 in Parma.
The French will be looking to build on their recent results and will be hoping to beat the Germans for the second time in less than a year. Olivier Giroud and Florent Malouda gave their country a 2-0 lead in Bremen before Cacau pulled one back for the hosts.
Germany: LWWWDD
15/08/ 2012 – International Friendly (H), Germany 1-3 Argentina
07/09/2012 – FIFA World Cup Qualifying Group C (H), Germany 3-0 Faroe Islands
11/09/2012 – FIFA World Cup Qualifying Group C (A), Austria 1-2 Germany
12/10/2012 – FIFA World Cup Qualifying Group C (A), Republic of Ireland 1-6 Germany
16/10/2012 – FIFA World Cup Qualifying Group C (H), Germany 4-4 Sweden
14/11/2012 – International Friendly (A), Netherlands 0-0 Germany
Joachim Loew’s spell as German coach may not have yielded silverware, but they have fared extremely well at international tournaments before stumbling in the later stages.
July 2013 will complete his seventh year in charge of the Nationalmannschaft where he will hope to see his proteges scale the heady heights of the German teams of the past. Despite losing their first game after the Euros to Argentina, the Germans won their next three games, strolling past the Faroe Islands with a 3-0 win before overcoming a stubborn Austria 2-1 and walloping the Republic of Ireland 6-1 in Dublin.
But they have failed to win their last two games. A crazy 4-4 draw against Sweden in a World Cup qualifier last October punished the German rearguard for being too casual after a Miroslav Klose brace and goals from Per Mertesacker and Mesut Ozil gave the home side a commanding 4-0 lead before the hour was complete.
Two minutes past the sixty-minute mark, Zlatan Ibrahimovic pulled one back before goals from Mikael Lustig, Johan Elmander and Rasmus Elm’s stoppage time equaliser gave the Scandinavians a point in Berlin. Their most recent game against the Netherlands was a drab goalless draw, a stark comparison to the clashes between the two teams in the past.
The Germans will look to turn the tables right in a reciprocal game which saw France win 2-1 in Bremen last year.
France
Didier Deschamps has been able to call up a full complement of players to his side. Possible recruits who could make their début in Bleu are Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane and first-time call up Romain Alessandrini from Stade Rennais.
Of the 23 men picked by the French boss, ten come from Ligue 1 while a further nine play in England.
Squad (from): Mickael Landreau (Lille), Hugo Lloris (Tottenham), Steve Mandanda (Marseille); Gael Clichy (Manchester City), Patrice Evra (Manchester United), Mathieu Debuchy (Newcastle), Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal), Adil Rami (Valencia), Mamadou Sakho (Paris St Germain), Bacary Sagna (Arsenal), Raphael Varane (Real Madrid); Yohan Cabaye (Newcastle), Etienne Capoue (Toulouse), Maxime Gonalons (Lyon), Blaise Matuidi (Paris St Germain), Moussa Sissoko (Newcastle), Mathieu Valbuena (Marseille); Romain Alessandrini (Rennes), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Olivier Giroud (Arsenal), Bafetimbi Gomis (Lyon), Jeremy Menez (Paris St Germain), Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich)
Predicted Starting XI (4-2-3-1): Lloris; Debuchy, Rami, Sakho, Clichy; Gonalons, Capoue, Cabaye, Ribery, Menez; Benzema
Germany
Low has more selection dilemmas than his French counterpart, but the German squad contains enough quality to still pull off a win in Paris.
Bastian Schweinsteiger, Marcel Schmelzer (both ankle), Mario Gotze (illness) and Marco Reus (groin) are all sidelined for the game. Veteran striker Miroslav Klose is also a doubt. Bender brothers Sven (Borussia Dortmund) and Lars (Bayer Leverkusen) will travel instead, as will Ilkay Gundogan.
Making his return to the fold after a long absence is Bayern front man Mario Gomez. Low has also promised Rene Adler a starting berth in goal, giving the Hamburg shot stopper a chance to prove his worth after nearly two years without donning his country’s colours.
Squad (from): Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Rene Adler (Hamburg); Philip Lahm (Bayern Munich) Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich), Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund), Benedikt Howedes (Schalke), Per Mertesacker (Arsenal), Heiko Westermann (Hamburg); Lars Bender (Bayer Leverkusen), Sven Bender (Borussia Dortmund), Andre Schurrle (Bayer Leverkusen), Ilkay Gundogan (Borussia Dortmund), Julian Draxler (Schalke), Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich), Toni Kroos (Bayern Munich), Sami Khedira (Real Madrid), Mesut Ozil (Real Madrid); Mario Gomez (Bayern Munich), Miroslav Klose (Lazio), Lukas Podolski (Arsenal).
Predicted Starting XI (4-2-3-1): Adler; Boateng, Howedes, Hummels, Lahm; Khedira, Kroos, Ozil, Podolski, Schurrle; Gomez
France: Franck Ribery
Now one of the senior-most players in the France squad, few French footballers know as much about the current German side as Ribery does. Having made the wings his own in Munich, France will be looking to him to provide the creativity and craft on the flanks for them.
He was imperious on the right against Spain and Italy, and will set up a tantalising clash with club-mate Philip Lahm out wide.
Germany: Mario Gomez
Announcing his return from injury, blunderbuss forward Gomez will be expected to lead the line against the French. Capable of functioning as both a target man and a centre forward, Gomez will be the fulcrum of play up front for the Germans.
With excellent positioning skills and an eagle eye for goal, the Bayern Munich man will be hoping to continue his electric scoring form for club and country.
The Germans go into this game with several key players missing, while the French are playing at home with a full squad of players. They will, therefore be the likelier side to win. This being football, however, anything can happen.
Final Scoreline: France 1-0 Germany