Goals: Germany—Hummels 13’
Recap: A mildly entertaining affair saw Germany defeat France 1-0 on Friday.
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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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