Get ready for Sunday’s UEFA Nations League third place play-off between Germany and France with our full match preview, including predicted lineups, team news, kickoff time, and what to expect from this heavyweight clash.
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 vs. France: Predicted Lineups
UEFA Nations League Third-Place Playoff – June 8, 2025
Germany predicted lineup:
Marc-André ter Stegen – Robin Koch, Jonathan Tah, Waldemar Anton – Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka, Aleksandar Pavlović, Maximilian Mittelstädt – Leroy Sané, Florian Wirtz – Niclas Füllkrug.
France predicted lineup:
Mike Maignan – Malo Gusto, Ibrahima Konaté, Lucas Hernandez, Theo Hernandez – Mateo Guendouzi, Adrien Rabiot – Ousmane Dembele, Rayan Cherki, Bradley Barcola – Kylian Mbappé.
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