Marseille: France play Germany in the Euro 2016 semi-final on Thursday looking for their first win over their neighbours at a major tournament since 1958. Here are some other classic France v Germany matches:
France 0 Germany 1
World Cup quarter-final, July 4, 2014
Over 74,000 fans packed the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro to see France and Germany meet for the fourth time at a World Cup and the Germans walked away victorious.
After just 13 minutes, centre-back Mats Hummels got ahead of his marker Raphael Varane to meet Toni Kroos’s free-kick and head past France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.
France striker Karim Benzema spurned a late chance to level and take the match into extra-time when he shot straight at Germany ‘keeper Manuel Neuer.
France’s third consecutive World Cup defeat to Germany left many of their debutant players, including Antoine Griezmann, in tears.
Germany’s win laid the foundations for a triumphant campaign that saw Joachim Loew’s men hammer Brazil 7-1 in the semis before beating Argentina 1-0 in extra time in the final.
France 0 West Germany 2
World Cup semi-final, June 25, 1986
Four years after the infamous Schumacher-Battiston incident, relations between two European giants had barely thawed.
Any pre-match nerves were kicked into touch after just nine minutes when Andreas Brehme gave the Germans an early lead in Guadalajara.
The combined talents of Michel Platini, Jean Tigana, Luiz Fernandez and Alain Giresse failed to conjure a leveller and West Germany, with Harald Schumacher still in goal, were left rejoicing when Rudi Voeller hit their second in the final minute of regulation time.
Germany’s celebrations did not last as Argentina won the Mexico City final 3-2.
France 6 West Germany 3
World Cup 3rd place match, June 28, 1958
A comprehensive 6-3 win over West Germany to claim a consolation third-place finish in the 1958 World Cup in Sweden remains France’s only competitive victory over the Germans.
With four goals in the nine-goal thriller, Just Fontaine emerged as a hero for Les Bleus after a performance that also saw Raymond Kopa hit a penalty and Yvon Douis hit the net in the 50th minute.
Fontaine’s 13 goals at the 1958 finals remains a record for a single World Cup tournament.
