After a humbling loss at the Allianz Arena that saw the German national team out of the Nations League, they faced the French National Team for the Third Place. In what was slated to be a difficult game, Germany still dominated in ways, but found themselves on the losing end in Stuttgart. Here are the match awards from the game,
Jersey Swap: The referee Ryan Cherki
While Michael Olise is a strong contender for the Jersey Swap, we should pay attention to Cherki’s phenomenal performance. The French #25 was a solid threat and constantly found ways to bypass the German midfield and feed his teammates Kylian Mbappe and Marcus Thuram.
Der Kaiser: Robin Koch
In what was a disappointing evening, Koch put up a decent game. It might not have been enough and he was often overrun but playing against a mostly in-form France
Der Fußballgott: Joshua Kimmich
Kimmich was perhaps the only remotely competent player in the defensive side. While Germany was arguably the better team in terms of chances, they were clearly overrun by France on multiple occasions. He continues to prove his merit for the team and clearly deserves the captaincy too but perhaps, all that would hold some value in a better team.
Der Bomber: Deniz Undav
Florian Wirtz had a much better game than the mid-week fixture but Deniz Undav steals the spotlight. The youngster from the moment of his substitution was constantly looking for chances and continues at a high level. Adding to his already established skills as seen last year, Undav’s future with the national team is assured and he will certainly start over Nick Woltemade whose woes continue.
Meister of the Match: Karim Adeyemi
While the end-product was taken away from him, Adeyemi had the best attacking chances and was the most threatening player in the attack. Wirtz came a close second but tonight it is the Dortmund star who takes the MOTM. The poor refereeing aside, he could have truly been something if it weren’t for the complete and utter lack of clinicality this German side has shown so far.