After failing to secure a place in the final of the UEFA Nations League, Germany are all set to host France in the third-place play-off.

Hosts Germany lost to 2019 Nations League winners Portugal, while France were at the receiving end in a nine-goal thriller against defending champions Spain. Now both teams will square up in this third-place play-off for consolation.

Germany certainly had the upper hand over Portugal heading into the semi-final, having lost just one of their last eleven home games. More importantly, they were on a five-match winning streak against Cristiano Ronaldo’s side.

While Die Mannschaft looked stronger on paper, they simply weren’t good enough on the pitch. They created goal-scoring opportunities and even took the lead, but couldn’t hold onto it due to a shambolic defensive display. They will certainly have to do much better against France to stand a chance in the upcoming fixture.

Les Bleus battled hard against Croatia in the quarter-finals to set up the semi-final clash against Spain. The games against the Euro 2024 champions didn’t really go according to plan as they were 4-0 down early in the second half.

But Didier Deschamps’ men didn’t give up, they went all out attack and did try to pull off an incredible comeback. Unfortunately, time ran out and they could only make it 5-4 in the end. While they didn’t start the game in the best fashion, they were on fire in the second half and will be looking to put up a similar performance against Germany. The Hard Tackle takes a close look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.

Team News & Tactics

Germany

Julian Nagelsmann will certainly make a lot of changes to the XI that started in their last outing as Deniz Undav, Pascal Gross, Robin Gosens and Serge Gnabry are all expected to get a chance to impress him in this fixture.

The hosts will line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, where Marc-Andre ter Stegen should continue in goal. Jonathan Tah, Robin Koch and Waldemar Anton should be from the back three.

Joshua Kimmich is all set to feature as the right wing-back, while Robin Gosens will take charge on the opposite flank. In the centre of the park, Pascal Gross will partner with Leon Goretzka. The duo will look to ensure they have the majority of the ball.

Serge Gnabry and Florian Wirtz will feature as the two attacking midfielders behind Deniz Undav, who should be leading the line.

Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): ter Stegen; Tah, Koch, Anton; Kimmich, Gross, Goretzka, Gosens; Gnabry, Wirtz; Undav

France

Didier Deschamps is without quite a few of his first-team defenders which could be one of the reasons for their poor defensive display against Spain. With the partnership of Clement Lenglet and Ibrahima Konate conceding five against Spain, there will certainly be a change at the back.

Deschamps will also make significant changes to the XI that started in the last outing as he looks to try out other options that are available to him.

France will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Mike Maignan will continue in goal. Benjamin Pavard and Lucas Digne will feature as the full-backs, while Ibrahima Konate could partner with the uncapped Loic Bade in central defence.

Aurélien Tchouaméni and Manu Koné will form the double pivot in midfield. They will look to shield the backline and ensure they control the tempo of the game. Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola will be the two wingers, while Rayan Cherki should take up the number ten role.

Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappe will be the one leading the line for them.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Pavard, Konate, Bade, Digne; Tchouameni, Kone; Dembele, Cherki, Barcola; Mbappe

Key Stats

• The two teams have met each other on 34 occasions. France have the upper hand with 15 wins, while Germany have won 11 of those fixtures.
• Germany are heading into this fixture having lost two out of their last 12 home games.
• Les Bleus won the last competitive meeting between the two teams at Euro 2020.
• The five goals France conceded against Spain marked the first time they had shipped five in a single match since their 5-0 defeat to England in 1969.
• Didier Deschamps’ team have lost two out of their last three fixtures and will be looking to steady the ship against Spain.

Player to Watch

Kylian Mbappe

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The French skipper will be looking for his 50th international goal when he takes the field against Germany on Sunday. While his efforts against Spain went into vain, the Real Madrid star will be eager to help his team finish the Nations League campaign on a high.

Given the kind of form he has been in throughout the last 12 months, Mbappe will certainly be the biggest threat to Die Mannschaft who will be looking to bounce back following their defeat to Portugal in the semi-final. Mbappe contributed towards 48 goals in his debut campaign at Madrid and it won’t be much of a surprise if he continues in a similar fashion.

Prediction

Germany 1-3 France

While there isn’t much to play for in Sunday’s third-place playoff, it still promises to be a high-octane affair, with both teams eager to end their Nations League campaign on a positive note.

Germany, playing on home soil, will look to bounce back after a disappointing collapse against Portugal. Julian Nagelsmann’s side are expected to freshen up the XI, injecting some energy and flair with players like Serge Gnabry and Deniz Undav. Die Mannschaft will fancy their chances of exploiting a fragile French backline.

France, meanwhile, will be desperate to restore some pride after conceding five against Spain. Deschamps will likely rotate heavily but will still field a side brimming with quality and pace. The presence of Kylian Mbappe, chasing his 50th international goal, adds a layer of threat that could prove decisive.

While Germany might enjoy spells of dominance, France’s firepower in transition and the individual brilliance of their attackers might just tilt the balance in their favour by the final whistle. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for Deschamps and his charges.