France vs Germany is one of the most anticipated matchups of the Euro 2020 group stage, and could be one of the games of the tournament. So much hinges on their Group F clash that Portugal is also in their group, with a loss in Tuesday's game - live streamed , at 3 p.m. -- Potential spell disaster for the loser's chances of reaching the knockout rounds and getting a favorable draw.
Julian Lawrence: Ahh German, our fierce rivals!
The history of modern French football is full of chapters involving Germany, from their meeting at the 1982 World Cup, of course - just watch this video - to Euro 2016, when France won their semi-final 2-0. . The same is true at the club level, from the 1976 European Cup final at Hampden Park, and from the infamous square post, to the 2020 Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich behind closed doors in Lisbon.
On Tuesday we will start a new page. However, this time there's a big difference: The French are the favourites. Not only favorites, in fact; We are big favorites, big favorites. We are proud! Usually, this is Germany; They are known for their ruthlessness, efficiency and their ability to always find a way to win when it is important. Not at this time.
This time France has the strength that they showed in the 2018 World Cup in Russia. France has the best team, the best starting XI, the best head coach, the pace, the confidence, the swag.
What do Germany have in return besides a manager with the best holding midfielder in the world (Joshua Kimmich), who plays at right-back, and has a dodgy defense?
Gabe Marcotti: Well... so first of all, don't flatter yourself. Germany is everyone's biggest rival: the Dutch, the Italians, the British... it's inevitable. Germany set the standard in Europe, and in particular the Euro. This is why Germany has won it more times than anyone. There is a reason why Germany has also reached the semi-finals in each of the last three Euros.
So, frankly, the fact that France is the favorite doesn't really amaze me. They were also favorites against Portugal in 2016 at the Stade de France, right? How did it work? In fact, weren't Les Blaes the favorites when France met Germany in the quarter-finals in Rio in 2014, almost knocking Germany out of Algeria? We know how it happened. And yes, Mats Hummels, the goalscorer on the day, is back. you are fortunate.
I'm not going to deny that France has a better team and a better XI, but it is a team sport. You want to go through this? Lets do it.
Let's start with the manager. I won't deny that Jogi Lo has had a tough time as manager of late, and that's a bit of an acquired taste. I'm sure France's Didier Deschamps has more fun at Night Out, but Lou has won before and he knows this is his last storm. It's a way of clarifying, simplifying; He doesn't need to make Germany's future here, he just needs to perform in seven matches.
He'll keep it simple. He would follow the script that German teams have used to succeed at the club level: attack and press. The players understand the situation and will do the rest.
What would Deschamps do? Reward your favorites with places in the lineup, play four central defenders at the back and have Paul Pogba hold it long enough to chase down Kylian Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann and Karim Benzema? Real sophisticated, that. real modern. You may have confidence and swagger, but you have a fundamentally conservative and defensive coach.
It worked out in 2018 because Jorge Sampaoli's Argentina was on a self-destruct mission and because Belgium's finishing was close. Don't be too arrogant...
Lawrence: I think you might have seen another sport's World Cup in 2018! France destroyed Argentina not because of Sampaoli, but mostly because Mbappe was not playable that day. Which finishing was "off" for Belgium in the semi-finals? He had a lot of ball and he couldn't do anything with it. They are still so upset about it that it still makes me laugh!
If anything, France has become "old school" under Deschamps. You win because you are practical, and Deschamps is essentially a winner. Quarterfinals in 2014, Finals in 2016, Winners in 2018: no one has done better and is certainly not the "Jogi Bear" who has clearly lost his touch and can't wait for his retirement.
There has been more life than a cat in less over the years. How did he survive the 2018 fiasco? How did he overcome it after an embarrassing 6-0 loss against Spain, or a humiliating defeat against North Macedonia? So, sorry, but we're not afraid of him, and we're not afraid of Hummels, who was one of the best center-backs in the world in 2014 but is no longer the best in Borussia Dortmund either!
Germany can attack and suppress as much as it wants. With a return to the front of Benzema, after five and a half years away from Les Bleus, this is a very strong team. They are playing differently with more ball and more flair than they were in 2018. The front three of Benzema, Mbappe and Griezmann are certainly the best front three in this competition. Mbappe himself is a different and more mature player than he was three years ago.
N'Golo Kante is the best midfielder in the world right now and can dominate any team and any sport on his own. When he plays with Pogba, he has yet to lose a game (21 wins and six draws in 27 caps). France has everything, including that ego you are referring to. but who cares?
And by the way, Germany won the World Cup in 2014 with three centre-backs in their last four (Boateng, Hummels, Howeds), so we just got one better in 2018. And France never did anything long, so they won. Starting Tuesday...
Marcotti: Joggy Bear? Classy Jules. Bet he's never heard of that before.
Look, I'm not going to argue that Germany has the better players or that France isn't the favourite, but you might want to lower your ego a little.
Germany have a better keeper (Manuel Neuer over Hugo Lloris). They have a more talented midfield - yes, I love Kante too, but when it comes to stuff a midfielder should do, I'll take Ilkay Gundogan or Toni Kroos...the passing matters.
I know you're very excited for Benzema to return, but Germany also has a comeback guy, Thomas Müller, and he's achieved a thing or two too. And Germany has people in width and face-to-face under the wings like Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry, which, frankly, France does not have.
I'll admit, I don't know which version of Lou we'll see and whether he'll make things better or worse, but I do know that Deschamps won't make France more than the sum of their parts. That's why I'm happy to bow down to Germany.
LAURENCE: And I'm certainly happy to bow down to France. It will be a great football game, with two teams filled with world class players. Les bles are probably the favourites, but we know that doesn't always mean you'll win the game.
The history of football as in previous years is ready for another epic chapter between France and Germany. It's Deschamps vs Lou, Raphael Varane vs Hummels, Benzema vs Muller, Mbappe vs Kai Havertz, Kante vs Kroos; The list of individual battles is huge. However, the winners will be those who are collectively the strongest. And I still think it will be France.