German lack of options exposed in Euro 2016 defeat to France (The Associated Press)

Germany's failure to beat France in the semifinal of the European Championship exposes its lack of strength in depth with young players failing to bridge a generation gap after its World Cup win. Left back Philipp Lahm, central defender Per Mertesacker and record goal-scorer Miroslav Klose all retired after Germany's 2014 World Cup win in Brazil, leading to a noticeable drop in the side's quality, evident from the very first qualifying games for Euro 2016. A hard-fought win over Scotland was followed by defeat to Poland and then a draw at home with Ireland, which also managed to beat Joachim Loew's side in Dublin a year later.