International Friendlies
France
Nov 13, 2015 8.00pm
2
0
HT : 1 0
FT
Germany
  • Olivier Giroud 45' goal
  • Patrice Evra 71' yellowcard
  • Andre-Pierre Gignac 86' goal
  • yellowcard Kevin Volland 85'

Live Commentary: France 2-0 Germany - as it happened

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France 2-0 Germany - as it happened
© Getty Images

France have continued their preparations for Euro 2016 by claiming a 2-0 victory over Germany at the Stade de France.

Neither team were able to control the match for long spells, but it was the hosts who took a lead into the break when Olivier Giroud fired home in first-half stoppage time.

Germany created the better chances in the second half as they searched for an equaliser, before France wrapped up the win when Andre-Pierre Gignac headed in from Blaise Matuidi's cross on a night when the match was overshadowed by the attacks which took place across Paris.

Read below to find out how the acton unfolded.

9.55pmThat's all from our live text coverage. Thanks for joining me for the game. Goodnight.

9.54pmIt's all over at the Stade de France. Goals from Giroud and Gignac secure the win for France, but the match will be overshadowed by the events in Paris tonight, with several people being killed in at least four separate attacks.

9.53pmFULL TIME: FRANCE 2-0 GERMANY

90+1 minThree minutes added on by the referee.

90 minGignac does well to hold up the ball before turning into space, but his effort is not powerful enough to seriously trouble Neuer.

89 minWith all of the news coming from Paris, it really is incredible that this game is continuing. At least 11 dead across multiple incidents in the city and the news is that no one will be allowed to leave the Stade de France at full time.

87 minGame over. Matuidi is given the space to deliver a cross which Gignac meets with a powerful header to give Neuer no chance. Fine header from the striker as France double their lead.

86 minGOAL! FRANCE 2-0 GERMANY (GIGNAC)

85 minYELLOW CARD! Volland picks up a booking for stopping a France break on the wing.

83 minFrance survive another long spell of pressure from the visitors as Koscielny eventually heads clear from a corner. The hosts are being forced to drop much deeper now.

80 minSUBS! The changes keep on coming. Morgan Schneiderlin and Hatem Ben Arfa replace Griezmann and Diarra.

79 minSUB! Low makes another change as they go in search of an equaliser. Kevin Volland replaces Ginter.

78 minOFF THE POST! Lloris is beaten when Muller unleashes a powerful 25-yard strike which comes back off the post.

76 minVarane has been absolutely fantastic this evening. Muller drops into a deeper position and looks to release Sane with a chipped pass, but Varane diverts the ball away from the teenager on the stretch.

74 minRuddier falls awkwardly and it looks painful for the defender, but he is soon back on his feet after a brief break in play.

72 minGreat chance for France as Coman attempts to make an immediate impact on his debut by beating two defenders before finding Pogba, whose poor touch in the box prevents him from unleashing an effort. Evra had earlier picked up a booking.

69 minSUBS! Couple of substitutions quickly during a quiet spell. Andre-Pierre Gignac replaces Giroud, before Kingsley Coman comes on for Martial.

66 minSane almost starts his international error by gifting a goal to France when a misplaced pass finds Matuidi, who charges forward before unleashing a strike which clips off Giroud and drifts wide.

64 min

62 minSUBS! Ilkay Gundogan and Leroy Sane are off the bench to replace Draxler and Khedira.

61 minWorrying news from the Stade de France, with president Francois Hollande being evacuated from the ground after two separate incidents in Paris. The game continues, but there is a helicopter flying close to the stadium.

59 minCHANCE! Superb work from Griezmann as he twists and turns into space before delivering a cross which Giroud sends wide with a diving header.

57 minKoscielny stands his ground to collide with Gomez and send the forward to the ground in the box. Gomez and Muller both appeal for a penalty, but the referee is not interested.

54 minFrance supporters think it's 2-0 when Giroud tees up Griezmann, who finishes emphatically. However, the Arsenal had drifted into an offside position late on in a very good move.

52 minMartial keeps finding space between German defenders, and his run off the ball invites the pass from Matuidi but Rudiger steps in with a crucial interception.

48 minEvra has been bright on the left this evening, but he goes too early to collect a return pass from Martial and is caught in an offside position. France looking comfortable early in the second half.

46 minRESTART! Shkodran Mustafi is off the bench to replace Boateng at the break. No other changes.

9.03pmThe players are on their way out for the second half.

8.59pmFrance may lead at the moment, but the changes that are certain to arrive can change this game. The rhythm of matches is often affected, so it will be interesting to see how the two sides to cope.

8.54pm

8.52pmIt wasn't a great game until that frantic spell to finish the first half. Gomez probably should have put Germany ahead with that great chance, and France capitalised to take the lead through Giroud, who had done little else before beating Neuer.

8.50pmHALF TIME: FRANCE 1-0 GERMANY

45+2 minFrance take the lead just before the break! Giroud breaks the deadlock in Paris as he fires in from close range after Martial had breezed past a couple of defenders on a fantastic run out wide.

45+1 minGOAL! FRANCE 1-0 GERMANY (GIROUD)

44 minCHANCE! Germany should be in front. It's a lovely move from the visitors as they step up the tempo before Muller releases Gomez, who is unable to cap his return with a goal as a powerful strike from inside the box is kept out by Lloris.

42 minCHANCE! Great work from both Pogba and Giroud as they combine to set up Griezmann, whose powerful low strike is well held low down by Neuer.

39 minGood play from Draxler as he forces his way past Boateng before pulling the ball back to Gomez, who miscues an effort into the side-netting.

36 minBoateng has been in fine form this evening. Martial has often looked the most dangerous player for France. It's been a good battle.
© Getty Images

34 minSUB! Germany are forced into their first change of the night as Hector limps off to be replaced by Emre Can. Muller then gets a good chance in the box as a cross reaches him in the box, but he slips and sends a half-volley over the crossbar.

30 minBrief break in play when the corner flag is broken. Nope, I've never seen that one either.

28 minSchweinsteiger might not have the legs anymore as Matuidi tracks back well to prevent the veteran from breaking free on the counter attack. Very little to pick between the two sides at the moment.

26 minYou all know this already, but Varane is a little bit special. Schweinsteiger's through ball to Gomez is perfect and a shot on goal looks inevitable until the Real Madrid defence makes the tackle which sends the ball through to Lloris.

23 minConfident goalkeeping from Lloris as he comes off his line to collect a corner, before France then get on the front foot once again.

21 minGood positioning on show from Varane as he blocks Hector's cross after Hummels had picked out the full-back with a lovely through ball.

20 minNeither side are taking the risks required in the final third. It must be said that France look comfortable. Pogba is seeing plenty of the ball, but the hosts need him to get involved further up the pitch. A long spell of France possession ends with a cross drifting out of play.

18 minGomez doesn't often get behind the defence but his clever run invites the pass from Khedira, who strikes the ball too firmly for the striker.

16 minGermany are just beginning to see more of the ball, but France are holding their defensive shape well to limit the options on offer to Hummels and Boateng, who are being allowed time in possession at the back.

13 minHalf chance for the hosts as Martial does brilliantly to create space before sending a low cross to Giroud, whose poor touch allows Khedira to clear the ball away for a corner. Missed opportunity for the Arsenal forward.

11 minPogba is given enough time to spot a run by Martial, but his long ball is cut out by Boateng, who calmly heads back to the waiting Neuer.

10 minExcellent defending from Evra to clear the danger under pressure from both Khedira and Ginter. When this 5-3-2 formation works for Germany, it allows them to commit plenty of men forward on the break. Matuidi and Diarra may often be forced out wide.

7 minBetter from Germany as Gomez holds the ball up and wins a free kick to allow the visitors to get further up the pitch.

5 minIt is actually Schweinsteiger playing slightly deeper than Khedira in the early stages of the game. France are seeing more of the ball, with the hosts looking for help from both full-backs in a bright start.

3 minNot much to report early on. Neither side keeping the ball very well yet as the battle begins in the centre of midfield.

1 minKICKOFF! Germany get the game underway at the Stade de France!

7.59pmHere we go then. The players are out on the pitch in Paris. We're almost there now!

7.54pmPREDICTION: Kickoff is just a few minutes away now, so it's time to have a guess at what the outcome will be in the French capital. It should be a tight match, and frequent changes later in the game often make a difference in friendlies. I'm going to sit on the fence. 2-2.

7.49pmPreparing for Euro 2016? Well, Muller isn't thinking about his next trip to France.
© Getty Images
"[Playing at the Stade de France] doesn't have any effect, but it is nice to play a big team in a big stadium," the Bayern forward told reporters. "We want to have fun and soak up the atmosphere, but we are not thinking about Euro 2016 yet."

7.47pmKEY BATTLE: Sami Khedira knows Paul Pogba very well from Juventus, and he'll be expected to stop the Frenchman's runs from deep positions this evening. Pogba will always be the key man for France. If he is given the space to dominate and support forwards, Germany will pay the price.

7.43pm

7.38pmOne to watch tonight is certainly Hatem Ben Arfa, who is on the bench less than a year after being deemed surplus to requirements by Newcastle United and Hull City. It has been an incredible turnaround from the attacking midfielder since his move to Nice. He is playing the best football of his career and is back in the squad after a three-year absence.
© Getty Images

7.34pmLow labelled France one of the favourites for Euro 2016 in his pre-match press conference and he was quick to make it clear how impressed he had been with the side. "They're a very strong team that want to gauge themselves, to see where they're at during these big tests after not having played in the qualifiers," he told reporters. "By all accounts, they have impressed me a lot."

7.32pm

7.30pmIf you missed the news earlier today, Low and his players were forced to evacuate the hotel after an anonymous bomb threat was made, before being let back in during the afternoon. It certainly isn't the ideal preparation.

7.27pmLAST MEETING: These two sides last met in the World Cup quarter-final on July 4 of last year. Mats Hummels proved to be the hero on that night as his early header clinched a 1-0 victory for Germany, who went on to lift the trophy in Rio.

7.23pmThe players are now out on the pitch warming up.

7.21pmFor Didier Deschamps and his players, this game comes as a good distraction after the Benzema/Valbuena scandal in recent weeks. It promises to deliver a few more stories and possibly a severe punishment for the Real Madrid striker. Have you ever heard a football story so bizarre? Strange few weeks for Les Bleus.

7.19pmThe Stade de France is a great venue for any sport!

7.15pmThe big news for Germany is that Mario Gomez is back in the side for the first time since September 2014. He has 25 goals in 60 international appearances and leads the line with support from Julian Draxler and Thomas Muller. Emre Can, Lukas Podolski and Andre Schurrle are among the substitutes.

7.12pmKarim Benzema, as I'm sure you already know, is absent from the squad as he faces charges of blackmailing teammate Mathieu Valbuena, but there is certainly a lot of options in this France squad. Anthony Martial and Antoine Griezmann start either side of Olivier Giroud in attack, while Paul Pogba will be expected to dominate the midfield for the hosts.

7.09pmFRANCE: Lloris; Sagna, Varane, Koscielny, Evra; Diarra, Pogba, Matuidi; Griezmann, Giroud, Martial GERMANY: Neuer; Hector, Hummels, Boateng, Rudiger, Ginter, Khedira, Schweinsteiger, Draxler, Muller, Gomez

7.06pmIt is always difficult to judge the hosts ahead of a tournament. France have not been forced to go through qualifying, and their results have been mixed during that period. Defeats to Belgium and Albania are certainly cause for concern, but a win over Portugal and five victories in eight games suggests that they are not far away from top form. A win tonight would bring a huge confidence boost.

7.03pmGermany have certainly not been at their best since winning the World Cup in Brazil, but they were strong enough to safely qualify for next summer's tournament and their strength in depth continues to demand respect. This is a big test for Joachim Low's side, who struggled against the likes of Scotland and Republic of Ireland in qualifying.

7.00pmGood evening everyone! A packed few days of international football kicks off this evening, and I'll be taking you through the game between France and World Cup winner Germany in Paris. It is the type of game which will always catch the eye and we should be given some clues as to where the two teams are ahead of Euro 2016.
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