Goals: Germany—Hummels 13’
Recap: A mildly entertaining affair saw Germany defeat France 1-0 on Friday.
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A set-piece header from Mats Hummels opened the affair in the 13th minute, forcing France out of its defensive shell. A potent German counter-attack saw a majority of the chances in the second half, but sharpness lagged in the final third. Les Blues were unable to convert chances of their own. With the victory, Germany advances to their fourth consecutive semifinal, becoming the first national team to ever do so.
Key Moment: France had one final opportunity to equalize in the dying seconds of the match. A left-footed strike from Karim Benzema, however, would be denied by Manuel Neuer. Standing tall with ice flowing in his veins, the 28-year-old parried Germany safely to the next round.
Man of the Match: In addition to his match-winner, Hummels finished the match with seven effective clearances and three shots blocked.
Lesson Learned: The absence of Franck Ribery was finally felt by France. The team lacked a creative spark for a majority of the match, listlessly penetrating the final third of the pitch. All credit is due to a tactical masterclass from the Germans, but with no transcendent talent on the wing, France had little to offer.
Up Next: Germany travels to Belo Horizonte to participate in the semifinals on July 8, while France returns home to prepare for the 2016 European cup.
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (via WhoScored).
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