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Goal scorer for the early 1-0: Florian Wirtz

Photo: Markus Ulmer / Ulmer / Team photo / IMAGO

The German men's national soccer team started the home European Championship year with a victory. The DFB team won the test match in Lyon 2-0 (1-0) against France. Florian Wirtz scored the fastest international goal in DFB history (1st minute), Kai Havertz scored the final score shortly after the break (49th).

For Julian Nagelsmann it was the second win in his fifth game as national coach. 2023 ended with two defeats. Next Tuesday (8:45 p.m.; TV: RTL; live ticker SPIEGEL.de) Germany will play against the Netherlands in Frankfurt am Main. The German team opens the European Championship on June 14th against Scotland.

Compared to the 2-0 defeat in Austria last November, Nagelsmann changed his starting eleven to seven positions. Debutant Maximilian Mittelstädt defended at the back left, Robert Andrich played in midfield alongside returning player Toni Kroos. Havertz was the sole striker, in front of an attacking midfield made up of Wirtz, Jamal Musiala and captain İlkay Gündoğan.

Immediately after kick-off, Kroos played a diagonal pass to Wirtz. He controlled the ball perfectly and then shot just as textbook-like. His shot from 18 meters hit the left corner - eight seconds had been played.

France initially found it difficult to find an answer to the deficit. The German team, on the other hand, was strong in duels and showed a joy in attacking play that has been missing recently. It wasn't until the 22nd minute that the hosts came dangerously close to the German goal and Kylian Mbappé shot just wide.

Ter Stegen saves against Mbappé

A little later, Marc-André ter Stegen, who was playing for the injured goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, had to defuse Mbappé's lob (25'). Germany survived the pressure phase of the French, who repeatedly undermined the opponent's defense on the wings, unscathed. We went into the break with a lead.

After the break, the DFB team got off to a perfect start again: Wirtz sent Musiala into the penalty area, who danced towards the goal line and then passed into the back area, where Havertz only had to push in (49th).

Germany remained vulnerable on the wings, Ousmane Dembélé curled the ball past the far post from the edge of the penalty area (55th). Overall, the Nagelsmann team allowed fewer chances than in the first half. Thanks to substitutes Deniz Undav and Niclas Füllkrug, Germany even came closer to making it 3-0 than the French were to the next goal (81st, 82nd). Shortly before the end, Antonio Rüdiger steered the ball onto the crossbar after an unfortunate move by Mittelstädt, but Mbappé had previously been offside anyway (88th).

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