Chapter 802 Heavyweights Collide
Chapter 802: Chapter 802 Heavyweights Collide
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[15-06-2021 | BBC Studio, dock10 MediaCityUK, Salford | 18:30 BST]
"I spoke with someone in the DFB setup earlier this week, and the word is that Löw has been running double sessions specifically focused on making use of his abundant wing talent." Klinsmann picked up, leaning forward slightly. "But realistically, the question isn’t whether the three youngsters are good enough to be there but on how quickly they can jell with the established names."
"That’s exactly the issue, isn’t it?" Shearer picked up, drumming his fingers on the desk. "You can have all the talent in the world, but tournament football is all bout finding a way to shine with a group of guys you either play against or never see in the season."
"And there is no greater example of that than France in 2018," Ferdinand nodded, picking up the thread. "Deschamps didn’t pick the most famous eleven on paper, but he picked a unit that knew their roles inside out. That’s what wins tournaments. Talent gets you to the quarter-finals; cohesion gets you the trophy."
"Which brings us nicely to tonight’s opponents," Lineker said, gesturing to the graphic that had appeared on the studio’s wraparound screens. The French squad photo dominated the display, with key player profiles spinning into focus around it. "France, the world champions, arrive in Munich as favourites not just for this group but for the tournament itself. Alex, what do you make of this French side?"
Alex Scott exhaled, eyebrows raised. "Honestly, Gary, it might be the most complete squad I’ve ever seen assembled for a major tournament. You look at their bench, and players are starting for top-six clubs who can’t make the matchday eighteen. Lloris in goal, a back line of Pavard, Varane, Kimpembe, and Lucas Hernández—all proven elite. Then you’ve got Pogba and Kanté, the gold standard midfield duo. And up front, Mbappé, Griezmann, and the returning Benzema. It’s a fantasy football team."
"Benzema returning after five and a half years is the storyline of the tournament for me," Ferdinand added, leaning back with a slight shake of his head. "Six years he’s been frozen out, and Deschamps caves the moment he needs another world-class option. And you can’t blame him. The man scored thirty for Madrid this season. He walks straight into that front three, and suddenly France has a striker who can drop deep, link play, and finish anything."
"It pushes Mbappé wider, doesn’t it?" Shearer noted. "Which, against most teams, is a nightmare. You’re asking a fullback to deal with him one-on-one in space. Good luck with that."
"Griezmann’s the one I’d watch tonight, though," Klinsmann offered from his virtual feed. "He’ll be the connector between Benzema and the midfield. If Germany lets him operate in those pockets between the lines, France will carve them open. Löw’s plan has to involve someone, probably Kimmich dropping deep, to deny him that space."
~~~
[15-06-2021 |Allianz Arena, Germany| 19:40 CET]
---
France: 4-3-3
GK: Lloris
DEF: Hernández (LB), CB: Kimpembe, Varane, Pavard (RB)
MID: Rabiot, Kanté, Pogba
ATT: Mbappé, Benzema, Griezmann
Manager: Didier Deschamps
SUB: Digne, Koundé, Lemar, Giroud, Lenglet, Coman, Mandanda, Zouma, Yedder, Maignan, Tolisso, Dembélé.
V
Germany: 3-4-2-1
GK: Neuer
DEF: Rüdiger, Hummels, Ginter
MID: Gosens (LM), Kross, Gündogan, Kimmich
AMID: Müller, Havertz
ATT: Gnabry
Manager: Joachim Löw
SUB: Leno, Klostermann, Rex, Neuhaus, Koch, Süle, Günter, Trapp, Sané, Werner, Volland, Can.
---
The cameras pulled back from the studio to the wide shot of the Allianz Arena, the membrane glowing a brilliant gold in the Munich dusk. Smoke from pre-match flares drifted across the lower tiers, and the reduced but vocal crowd of 14,500 had whipped itself into something resembling a full-house atmosphere. Two banks of stewards lined the tunnel entrance, and the broadcast camera zoomed in as the first studs began to clatter against the concrete ramp.
"And here they come, walking out of the tunnel in Munich," Guy Mowbray’s voice took over the broadcast, settling into his familiar match-night rhythm. "The defending world champions of France, and a German side desperate to make a statement on home soil. Twenty-four years since these two met at a major tournament, when Croatia knocked Germany out at Euro 96 in... well, you remember the rest."
"A fixture with serious history, Guy," Jermaine Jenas added beside him. "And what a way to open Group F."
Hugo Lloris led France out, captain’s armband strapped around his bicep, expression betraying nothing. Behind him, the world champions filed out in their familiar dark blue kits, exuding confidence. Beside them, Manuel Neuer led Germany out in their all-white, black-striped home kit, appearing as if they stepped out of history.
"Manuel Neuer, captaining his country once again," Mowbray noted as the German number one paused briefly to adjust his gloves. "Hundred and three caps, the experience and presence Germany will need behind a back three that’s been the subject of some debate this past week."
"Hummels back in the fold is the headline," Jenas commented. "Frozen out for two years after that public spat with Löw, recalled in March, and now starting one of the biggest matches of his career. Football has a funny way of bringing people back together."
The players assembled on the touchline for the anthems. La Marseillaise played first, the French players linking arms, some closing their eyes as they mouthed every word. The reduced French contingent in the stadium did their best to fill the cavernous bowl with sound.
Then came Das Deutschlandlied. The German players stood shoulder to shoulder, belting out the lyrics with conviction. The crowd swelled behind them, and even on the television, the home fans felt a mixture of emotions. All the media debates were forgotten, and only the belief that their team could conquer the world again remained.
"Das Deutschlandlied, sung with feeling tonight," Mowbray said quietly as the camera lingered on a clearly emotional Hummels. "You can see what this means to these players. Five years since Germany last reached a major final. It’s been three years since that World Cup disaster in Russia. There’s a sense that this group, this tournament, is about redemption for them."
The anthems concluded, and the players broke apart to take their team photos before the captains met for the coin toss. Carlos del Cerro, the experienced Spanish referee, brought the two goalkeepers together and exchanged a few words before flipping the coin.
"France will kick off," Mowbray confirmed as Lloris pointed to the half, Germany would attack first. "And we are moments away now from the start of what should be an absolute heavyweight contest."
The teams jogged to their starting positions, and last-minute instructions barked from both technical areas. Deschamps stood with his arms folded as his assistant gave instructions to Pogba and Pavard. Löw, in contrast, sat in his dugout, hand to his chin, eyes flicking between his shape and the French setup across from him.
Moments later, Benzema, the returning prodigal son, stood over the ball waiting for the go signal. "Group F: France vs Germany Euro 2020 in Munich," Mowbray declared. "Here we go."
(FWEEET!)
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TO BE CONTINUED...