Waiting for the Euro... in 2021

On the occasion of the Didier Deschamps-Joachim Löw interview, and before the Euro match in one year's time in Munich, a look back at the last seven matches of the French team against Germany.

Three victories, two draws, two defeats (9 goals scored, 6 conceded), that is result of Les Bleus against their German neighbours since the arrival of Didier Deschamps as national coach in July 2012. The two teams have met once in the World Cup (2014) and the European Championship (2016), twice in the UEFA Nations League (2018) and three times in friendly matches (2013, 2015, 2017). Waiting to meet again at the next Euro, in Munich, in June 2021...

February 6, 2013 (friendly, Saint-Denis) - France Germany 1-2

All good things must come to an end. Twenty-six years (August 12, 1987) since Germany beat France... After five defeats (including three at home) and a draw, the Mannschaft finally won against Les Bleus at the Stade de France. The Tricolores took the lead through Mathieu Valbuena before the break (1-0, 44th) but Thomas Müller (1-1, 51st, photo below) and Sami Khedira (1-2, 73rd) enabled the French national team to win in this match which marks the fiftieth anniversary of the Franco-German Friendship Treaty at the Élysée Palace. The first confrontation between Didier Deschamps and Joachim Löw thus turned in favour of the German coach. (Photo Patrick Kovarick/AFP)

4 July 2014 (World Cup, quarter-final, Rio) - France-Germany 0-1

For the fourth time in their history, the French and Germans meet in the World Cup finals. Les Bleus won in 1958 (match for third place) but failed to reach the semi-finals in 1982 and 1986. And they failed once again in the quarter-final of the World Cup in Brazil, played in the mythical Maracana in Rio, where Matts Hummels scored a header in the 13th minute (0-1, photo below). Despite their efforts, the Tricolores never managed to deceive the vigilance of the German defence led by an exceptional Manuel Neuer. They do not know yet that they have just been eliminated by the future World Champions... (Photo Christophe Simon/AFP)

November 13, 2015 (friendly, Saint-Denis) - France-Germany 2-0

This victory of Les Bleus, realised by two goals from Olivier Giroud (45th + 2, photo below) and André-Pierre Gignac (86th), will remain forever be engraved in the memories of those who lived it. While the two teams expressed themselves on the field, in the presence of President François Hollande, barbaric terrorism has indeed seized the surroundings of the Stade de France and even more so the centre of Paris, sowing chaos, death and pain. Without knowing anything about these tragic events, the players played to the end of a match which, like its result, has become necessarily derisive... (Photo Antonio Mesa/FFF)

July 7 , 2016 (Euro, semi-final, Marseille) - Germany-France 0-2

Two years after the World Cup in Brazil, this UEFA Euro 2016 semi-final in France inevitably smells of "revenge". The memory of the semi-finals in Seville (1982) and Guadalajara (1986) had not faded, as if Didier Deschamps' players, pushed by the 64,000 spectators at Marseille's Velodrome stadium, needed extra motivation before this clash against the World Champions. The turmoil is overwhelming in the city of Marseille and Antoine Griezmann raises the temperature again in France by scoring a double (45th on penalty, 72nd, photo below) which sends Les Bleus to the final. (Pascal Guyot/AFP)

November 14, 2017 (friendly, Cologne) - Germany-France 2-2

Les Bleus close out 2017 with a trip across the Rhine, with their sights already set on the next World Cup in Russia, for which they have just qualified. In the absence of injured Olivier Giroud, Alexandre Lacazette (pictured below) is on the attack, scoring a double (34th, 72nd) to put France ahead twice (1-0 and 2-1). But the Mannschaft, in front of their home crowd, managed to snatch a draw in the last seconds. The Tricolores nonetheless went on to make their fourth unbeaten run in Germany since 1996 (3 wins, 1 draw). (Photo Patrik Stollarz/AFP)

September 6, 2018 (UEFA Nations League, Munich) - Germany-France 0-0

A few weeks after its July 15 crown in Moscow, the French team will be making its 2018 World Title debut in Munich on the first day of the new UEFA Nations League. The two former World Champions (2014, 2018) are to face off at the Allianz Arena. In a scoreless match, in which Les Bleus suffered, Alphonse Areola (photo below) single-handedly held the German attack at bay by making six decisive saves, thus celebrating in his own way his first international game, in the absence of the injured Hugo Lloris. (Photo Odd Andersen/AFP)

October 16, 2018 (UEFA Nations League, Saint-Denis) - France-Germany 2-1

The return match (the thirty-first and last to date between the two teams) is played six weeks later at the Stade de France. Germany, ranking low, gave their opponents a hard time and led at half-time (0-1). But as in Marseille in 2016, Antoine Griezmann is the man of destiny on the tricolour side. His double (62nd, 79th from the penalty spot, photo below) reversed the course of the match and gave Les Bleus victory. The Mannschaft was eliminated but France was finally beaten in the standings by the Netherlands. (Photo Simon Morcel/FFF)