Author: Vishwajit Sawant
Germany – France – 2:1
In a lively international friendly, Germany secured a 2-1 win against France, marking a crucial turning point for the team, which was looking to regain confidence after a turbulent period. The achievement came after the sudden departure of coach Hansi Flick, who was sacked a few days before the match.
Thomas Müller wasted no time in scoring after just four minutes, following a brilliant sequence of 13 passes. The German team, led by sporting director Rüdi Voller for this match, put in a much better performance compared to the
previous disappointing 4-1 defeat to Japan
.
Although France didn’t field their strongest team, with Kylian Mbappe on the bench, they gradually gained momentum, with Randal Kolo Muani and Aurelien Tchouameni creating pressure on the German defense. Tchouameni’s powerful shot in the 57th minute forced an extraordinary save from Marc Andre ter Stegen.
Germany’s Leroy Sane sealed the win in the 87th minute with a quick counter-attack. However, he also conceded a late penalty, which Antoine Griezmann converted, giving France a consolation goal.
Sports director Rüdi Voller expressed his relief, saying: “It’s important for the players and the federation to play like that, especially in the first half, it was a top performance. It was a relief for all of us, especially after the recent defeats.”
Scotland v England – 1:3
An atmosphere of anticipation filled the air as England and Scotland faced each other in a friendly to mark the 150th anniversary of their first meeting. However, Scotland’s performance fell short of their recent impressive run as England took control of the match. England, however, opened the scoring after half an hour, with Phil Foden apparently converting a cross from Kyle Walker.
Just four minutes later, the Three Lions extended their lead to 2-0 thanks to a mistake by Scotland’s Andy Robertson, which Jude Bellingham capitalized on. At half-time, England had a comfortable 2-0 lead, prompting Gareth Southgate to replace Marc Guehi with Harry Maguire.
In an unfortunate twist, Maguire found the back of his own net in the 67th minute, deflecting a Robertson cross past Aaron Ramsdale. Although Eberechi Eze missed the chance to restore England’s two-goal lead soon after, the Three Lions sealed the game with a goal in the 83rd minute, when Jude Bellingham played a precise pass to Harry Kane.