MARSEILLE, France -- Three thoughts from the Stade Velodrome, where France topped Germany 2-0 to earn a spot in the Euro 2016 final:
1. France make most of German lapses
France will celebrate long into the Marseille night; Germany will wonder exactly how they let it come to this. Antoine Griezmann sent the French into the final with his fifth and sixth goals of Euro 2016, cementing his status as the tournament's star. His goals sent a throbbing Stade Velodrome into raptures, but the way in which he was gifted both scores will linger in their opponents' minds for a long time. Not that France will care, but the Germans had been well on top before Griezmann's penalty conversion on the stroke of half-time, and the errors that handed the French the victory were uncharacteristic.
The first, and costliest, will remain long in Bastian Schweinsteiger's mind. Germany's captain, starting a match for the first time this summer due to Sami Khedira's injury, had been superb in the first half, but his rush of blood lost them a match they looked well placed to win. It was initially difficult to see what referee Nicola Rizzoli had whistled when, in virtually the final action of the first half, Schweinsteiger and Patrice Evra contested a rare France corner.
Schweinsteiger tumbled over in pain, but the truth dawned shortly afterward. He had gone into the challenge with his right arm outstretched, using it to block Evra's header. The offence was probably not intentional, but a leap like that asks for trouble. It was strikingly similar to Jerome Boateng's offence in the quarter-final against Italy and the immediate consequences were identical: Up stepped Griezmann, a man who never looked as if he would miss, to beat Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer with ease.
Griezmann's second, 18 minutes from time, arose from more German sloppiness. This time an attempt to play from the back was aborted by Paul Pogba, who robbed Joshua Kimmich inside the Germany area before jinking to the byline. His chipped cross lured Neuer out of goal, but the goalkeeper could only fingertip the ball into Griezmann's path. The striker dabbed out a toe, the ball rolled into the unguarded goal, and the game was won.
2. Deschamps gets away with midfield selection
Picking an unchanged team might not always be construed as a gamble, but France head coach Didier Deschamps' decision to stick with the players who demolished Iceland was brave. Germany represented a different level of opponent, far more accomplished on the ball and often devastating when given space to exploit. Leaving out N'Golo Kante was a big call, then, meaning Blaise Matuidi and Pogba were tasked with keeping order in midfield as Griezmann marauded ahead of them.
Before Griezmann's out-of-the-blue penalty, it seemed unlikely that France would get away with it. The striker was prevented from scoring what would have been one of the best goals of the tournament by Neuer early on, but Germany took a firm hold on proceedings after the first 10 minutes.
At times it was a masterclass in astute midfield play from Schweinsteiger, who looked sharp and mobile in his role behind Toni Kroos and Emre Can. He gave full-backs Jonas Hector and Kimmich the confidence to play virtually as winger, but it was Can, playing for the first time in the tournament, who pushed up the furthest -- operating almost as a striker up against France defender Samuel Umtiti when Germany had possession. France were outnumbered and struggled to cope; there was no steadying influence in front of the defence and, while the scores were level, Kante's introduction at the break seemed inevitable.
But Deschamps persisted, perhaps encouraged by the thought that Germany could be picked off as they pushed for an equaliser. The pattern of the game persisted on the whole, albeit with Germany held slightly further at arm's length. It was not until the minute before Griezmann's second goal that Kante, replacing the relatively quiet Dimitri Payet, was summoned. There was defensive work to do as Germany poured forward in droves during the last 20 minutes, but France saw the game out. They were worthy of their victory, but there was still the sense that Deschamps had gotten away with it.
3. Muller and Germany lack cutting edge
For all their control, all their clever angles and all their willingness to commit men forward, Germany missed one thing: It is arguable that Mario Gomez's injury-induced absence afforded them a little extra fluency; what it cost them, though, was a genuine attacking spearhead, and as they continuously passed around the French, it became clear that they simply did not have the cutting edge to punish them.
Clear opportunities were few despite their territorial advantage. First-half shots from Can and Schweinsteiger extended France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, and Germany were close to taking the lead when Umtiti made a superb tackle on Thomas Muller in front of goal shortly after the half-hour. But Muller, leading the line here, never really looked sharp, and one moment summed up his night: Six minutes before half-time, Matuidi gave the ball away and the Bayern Munich player, running down the inside-right, had a chance to drive toward goal. But he never looked convincing and, with options to his left, he eventually dragged a tame low shot at Lloris, who saved with comfort.
It characterised a curious tournament for Muller, who did not score in these finals and rarely came close. He was a peripheral figure and while Germany created a host of chances after going 2-0 down, most of them fell elsewhere. When Muller did get on the end of a late cross, he and Kimmich both attacked the ball at once -- the result being an odd joint header that Lloris saved wonderfully.
Kimmich already had struck the post shortly after the second goal, while substitute Shkodran Mustafi skewed a volley wastefully off target. Another replacement, Mario Gotze, headed across goal. Nothing went right for Germany at either end, and they were left to rue the absence of the clinical finishing that has been a hallmark for so long.