France coach Deschamps and Germany manager Nagelsmann rue wasted scoring chances despite big 3-0 and 4-0 wins over Azerbaijan and Luxembourg respectively
Jubilant France players after scoring against Azerbaijan on Friday
Four-time World Cup-winners Germany crushed 10-man Luxembourg 4-0, while Kylian Mbappe helped two-time champions France beat Azerbaijan 3-0 in World Cup qualifying on Friday. Germany showed the poise and swagger that had abandoned them so far in their World Cup qualifying campaign, losing away in Slovakia (0-2) for the first time and edging past Northern Ireland (3-1) at home.
Germany players celebrate a goal vs Luxembourg on Friday. Pics/AFP
Skipper Kimmich rose to the occasion, scoring a brace. He converted a first-half penalty (21st minute) after Dirk Carlson’s hand-ball offence — for which he was sent off — and tapped in from close range just after the break (50th min). David Raum’s first-half free kick (12th min) and a Serge Gnabry goal early in the 48th minute rounded off an important victory. Reflecting on the performance, Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann praised his team’s ‘aggression and greed.’
“We could have scored one or two more, but it was a deserved win, one we absolutely wanted and needed,” he said. The win took Germany to the top of Group A on goal difference. Their next test is against Northern Ireland in Belfast on Monday. Meanwhile, Mbappe’s fine form continued when the France captain struck on the stroke of half-time for his 10th goal in successive games for Real Madrid and his country.
Didier Deschamps and Julian Nagelsmann
However, Mbappe’s joy was short-lived as he was replaced late in the game after taking two knocks to his already sore right ankle. He was subsequently ruled out of Les Bleus’s trip to Iceland on Monday. Adrien Rabiot (69th min) and Thauvin (84th min) were also on the scoresheet as Didier Deschamps’s men eased past Azerbaijan to remain atop Group D. Despite making it three wins from three games, Deschamps was unimpressed by his charges. “I’m not going to jump for joy, we scored three, but we could have got more. It’s three points more, but perhaps not in the way we wanted to,” said Deschamps.
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