Germany vs. France – UEFA Nations League third place preview: Team news, lineups & kickoff time
After suffering a disappointing 1-2 defeat to Portugal in the UEFA Nations League semifinal in Munich, Germany will look to bounce back against France in the third-place playoff on Sunday at 15:00 CET at the MHPArena in Stuttgart.
Things started well for Germany, with Florian Wirtz opening the scoring in the beginning of the second half. However, goals from Francisco Conceição and Cristiano Ronaldo turned the game around for Portugal, who booked their place in the final.
Germany captain Joshua Kimmich didn’t mince words after the match, stressing the need for significant improvement.
“That was one of our worst games. It was absolutely a deserved defeat. We weren't good enough with or without the ball. After going 1-0 up, we showed nothing at all. We have to learn from that. If we don't bring energy, we can't compete against top European teams,” he said.
France, meanwhile, were on the wrong end of a dramatic semifinal against Spain, trailing 4-0 and later 5-1. Despite a spirited late comeback, they ultimately fell 5-4 and missed out on the final.
On what he expects from the game against Germany, Les Bleus boss Didier Deschamps said:
“It’s going to be a different game. We have less time to recover. There will be changes for Germany and in our side. We will try to recover and win," said Deschamps.
Germany remain without a number of key players, including Antonio Rüdiger, Jamal Musiala and Kai Havertz, but have no new injury worries ahead of the game.
Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola have been ruled out for France, with Clement Lenglet also set to miss the game for Deschamps' side, according to RMC Sport.
Germany vs. France: Predicted Lineups
UEFA Nations League Third-Place Playoff – June 8, 2025
Germany predicted lineup:
Ter Stegen - Kimmich, Koch, Tah, Raum - Goretzka, Gross - Adeyemi, Wirtz - Woltemade, Füllkrug.
France predicted lineup:
Maignan - Gusto, Badé, Lucas Hernández, Digne - Tchouaméni, Rabiot - Kolo Muani, Cherki, Thuram - Mbappé.
