International Friendly: Florian Wirtz Nets Opener Inside Seven Seconds As Germany Beat France

LYON, FRANCE - MARCH 23: Florian Wirtz of Germany celebrates after scoring his team's first goal during the international friendly match between France and Germany at Groupama Stadium on March 23, 2024 in Lyon, France. (Photo by Boris Streubel/Getty Images)
Adoga Stephen
By Adoga Stephen - Editor-In-Chief
2 Min Read

Florian Wirtz scored an amazing goal in just eight seconds, helping Germany defeat France 2-0 in Lyon.

Julian Nagelsmann’s team had not won in three games before this friendly match at the Groupama Stadium.

However, any early nerves were quickly dispelled when Wirtz scored a powerful goal with his right foot before France even had a chance to touch the ball.

Kai Havertz then doubled Germany’s lead four minutes into the second half, scoring after a great play between Wirtz and Jamal Musiala. Musiala’s skillful control and pass set up Havertz perfectly to score into an empty net.

Didier Deschamps’ team was not at their best, especially with Kylian Mbappe playing below his usual level.

However, they started to improve towards the end of the first half, with Mbappe missing a couple of chances and Jules Kounde testing the German goalkeeper.

Ousmane Dembele was the standout player for France, coming close to scoring in the 57th minute. Max Mittelstadt, a debutant left-back, was also denied a goal by a great save from the German goalkeeper towards the end of the match.

Brice Samba, the former Nottingham Forest goalkeeper, made some crucial saves to keep France in the game, stopping shots from Thomas Muller and Deniz Undav.

Despite struggling to find a way back into the game, this result will be a significant victory for Julian Nagelsmann and Germany, regardless of it being a friendly match.

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Stephen studied Mass Communication at the Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu (now Lagos State University of Science and Technology), where he acquired requisite training for the practice of journalism. He loves the media, and his interest mostly lies in print medium, where his creative writing skill makes him a perfect fit.