Five things we learnt from Spain's late win over Germany

Yahoo

24-07-2025

A nail-biting UEFA Women's Euro 2025 semi-final saw Aitana Bonmatí score a late stunner in extra time, sending la Roja into their first-ever European final and bringing Germany's tournament to an end.
Going into the game, Spain were considered to be the favourites and the pressure was on for the defending world champions, who were yet lost a game this tournament. That pressure shone through in their nervous performance — Spain lacked composure in front of goal.
Neither side managed to score within regulation time and while it seemed that the momentum favoured Germany, that alone wasn't enough to send them through to the final. A defensive slip-up in the 113th minute facilitated Aitana Bonmatí's winning goal, setting up a repeat of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup final against England.
A world-class goal from a world-class player
Two-time Ballon d'Or winner, Aitana Bonmatí showed up exactly when it mattered. The game looked as though it was set for penalties, with neither side having managed to find the back of the net after 110 minutes of play. However, with excellent timing and execution, Athenea del Castillo found Bonmatí in space in a dangerous area, setting up her chance to strike off the right foot and narrowly slip her strike past Ann-Katrin Berger to score the winning goal. It was the kind of play we have come to expect of Spain this tournament, and late is better than never.
Spain looked uncomfortable and lacked composure most of the game
La Roja had been going from strength to strength throughout this tournament, scoring more goals than any other team and dominating play through possession. Their on-ball strategy had seen them through the tournament so far, but in Germany they found a challenger. Despite dictating the tempo, Spain struggled to break past the German defensive line. As the game progressed, Tomé's side looked agitated compared to the more disciplined and controlled Frauenteam. As the game approached extra time, it was anyone's guess who would go through to the final. Although Spain ultimately prevailed, the cracks in the wall were showing. It sets up an interesting match for the the Lionesses' on Sunday.
Heroics between the sticks
As the clock ran down to the end of regulation time, it was a tournament first — a goalless game after 90 minutes. Although there was much to be said for missed opportunities at both ends, credit goes to the goalkeepers for holding the line. Ann-Katrin Berger made 8 critical saves over the course of the game including a double at the 45th minute that left a smile on her face. Though rarely called into action over the course of the tournament so far, Cata Coll showed her class in the final moments of regulation time. A double save against Klara Bühl and Carlotta Wamser in the last ten seconds of stoppage time saved Spain from devastation. Both Berger and Coll were critical until the final whistle, and whilst it was Spain who advanced, both players delivered performances worthy of the highest stage.
Germany will threaten again at future tournaments
Christian Wück's side have been tested more than most this tournament. Reshuffles and injuries have forced the team to constantly adapt to new positions. Losing captain Giulia Gwinn to a knee injury in the first game of the group stage – and then facing suspensions and other injuries – stretched the team. Nonetheless, their resilience under these circumstances gave them a fiery resolve that made them a challenging opponent in the knock-out stages. Almost their entire final group stage fixture and quarter-final match were played with ten women — tough preparation for their match against the highly-skilled Spanish team. Germany's future is bright, with the best of many of their young players yet to reach their peaks.
Spain's performance will leave England hopeful
With all eyes on Basel, England will meet Spain at St Jakob-Park this Sunday [17:00 BST, 18:00 CEST] in a rematch of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup final. The Lionesses clawed their way into the final with a late penalty from Chloe Kelly scored in the final two minutes of extra time. They will have watched every second of Wednesday's game and seen exactly what we have — Spain are not unbeatable. If Sarina Wiegman's side can exploit Spain's weaknesses and unnerve them as Germany did, they have a strong chance of successfully defending their Euros title on Sunday.