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PARIS. — Lars Stindl scored a last-gasp equaliser as world soccer champions Germany played out an entertaining 2-2 draw with France in Cologne on Tuesday night, while Spain were held by Russia in a 3-3 friendly thriller. France and Germany are among the favourites for next year’s World Cup in Russia, and Stindl’s injury-time effort extended Joachim Loew’s side’s unbeaten run to 21 matches.

“We conceded the goal from nothing to make it 2-1, but we also showed the morale to come back from behind,” said stand-in Germany captain Sami Khedira. In the two teams’ first clash since the French won 2-0 in the Euro 2016 semifinals, Didier Deschamps’s men scored a brilliantly-worked opening goal in the 33rd minute, as Anthony Martial danced between two defenders and squared for Alexandre Lacazette to tap into an empty net. Loew’s hosts equalised before the hour mark, though, as Mesut Ozil led a rapid counter-attack and played in RB Leipzig forward Timo Werner to slide a finish through the legs of the onrushing Steve Mandanda. — AFP