Agency :
Title favourites France launched their Euro 2020 Group F campaign with a 1-0 victory over Germany on Tuesday, courtesy of an own goal by Mats Hummels, as the sluggish-looking hosts lost their opening fixture at the European Championship for the first time.
The world champions went ahead in the 20th minute when midfielder Paul Pogba’s raking pass was fired back across the goal by Lucas Hernandez and defender Hummels shanked the ball into his own net as he tried to clear it.
It was a deserved win for France, who also hit the crossbar while the Germans now have to up their game against holders Portugal on Saturday, while France play Hungary.
“It was our first match and it was a huge game,” said France coach Didier Deschamps. “It could have been a semi-final or a final. But we have the three points that will be very important. “They are tough to play against but we were there, on the spot. This win does a lot of good.”
Germany’s record 50th Euro match got off to a tentative start before a couple of French chances fell to Pogba and Kylian Mbappe.
The visitors’ gradual pressure paid off when Pogba launched an outstanding cross-field pass to Hernandez, who cut the ball back only for Hummels, who had been dropped more than two years ago and was recalled for the tournament, to clip it into the roof of the net past his own goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.
