‘Lousy' Germany must be roused or France will end their Euros dream

The Guardian

3 days ago

'A historically lousy Germany' – Welt. 'DFB Women Light Years away from the World Top' – Bild. 'One big defeat and many small ones' – Der Spiegel. These were just some of the headlines that emerged in the aftermath of Germany's bruising 4-1 defeat at the hands of Sweden in their final Group C match.
In just a matter of days, the optimism surrounding Germany's chances has seemingly dissipated. Despite qualifying for the quarter-finals with a game to spare, Christian Wück's side have looked far from cohesive and defensively frail. They were also exposed by a Sweden attack that understood how to exploit their weaknesses. Carlotta Wamser's red card was certainly a factor but there are long-standing structural issues that should be a cause for concern with an in-form France to come on Saturday in Basel.
The loss to Sweden was the heaviest defeat Germany have suffered at a European Championship. As a result, the manager has found himself on the end of mounting criticism back home. Sportschau.de highlighted Wück's failure to react to 'the emerging disaster' while Bild pointed to the lack of world-class options in the squad. 'The bitter truth is: we have postponed development and need to act urgently!' Robert Schreier wrote.
Germany 2-1 France, 27 July 2022, Milton Keynes'I can't put it into words … we threw everything in,' said the Germany captain, Alexandra Popp, after powering her side into the Euro 2022 final. Her double in Milton Keynes ended France's run and continued her streak of scoring in every game she played in the tournament. Kadidiatou Diani led France's response, her shot rebounding off the post and in off the goalkeeper Merle Frohms. A stunning save from Pauline Peyraud-Magnin kept France in it, and the defending was admirable, but Popp's unstoppable header proved the difference.Germany 2-1 France, 7 October 2022, DresdenGermany kicked off their World Cup preparations with a show of strength in Dresden. Before kick-off, players huddled around Giulia Gwinn's shirt - a nod to their injured teammate – and channelled that spirit into a dominant display. Popp rose for her 60th international goal, then slid in a second. France pulled one back from the spot, but Germany's defence held firm. Surrounded by flags and home support, they looked sharp, united and ready.France 2-1 Germany, 23 February 2024, Lyon France ended a five-year drought against Germany in front of a record 30,000 crowd in Lyon, edging a fierce Nations League semi-final. Diani opened with a thunderous strike from the edge of the box, before Sakina Karchaoui added a second from the spot. Germany pulled one back through Gwinn's penalty, with Popp driving them forward, but France held on for a long-overdue win.
Since he took over the reins after their bronze medal-winning run at Paris 2024, Wück has instilled a strong offensive style of play compared to his predecessor Horst Hrubesch. It has produced notable wins – the 4-3 victory over England at Wembley is just one example – while the 26 goals scored in their Nations League campaign caught the eye.
So far this tournament, however, the German attack is yet to reach its devastating best even though Wück has a wealth of creative players to call on. There have been glimpses of their brilliance. Jule Brand's opener against Sweden was an illustration of the pace and directness this side is built on, with her and Klara Bühl's ability to stretch defences on show. Along with the instinctive goalscoring of Lea Schüller, they will be eyeing up the relatively young French central defensive partnership, particularly if Griedge Mbock remains absent.
The biggest concern for Germany before the meeting with their old rivals will be how easily they can be broken down while there are also concerns around the form of the goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger. Poland gave them a scare in the opener but lacked end product.
It was a different story against Sweden. Even before the sending-off, their problems were exposed for the world to see, particularly for Stina Blackstenius's equaliser. With the left-back Sarai Linder caught high and the rest of the defensive unit following the ball in the initial phase, the striker had acres of grass to break into before punishing them with the finish.
France's ability in wide areas is one of their most potent weapons. With two goals and two assists, Delphine Cascarino has been a standout success and many will remember what she did to England's left side in the opener. Down the other wing, Sandy Baltimore will pounce on any weakness.
Germany's problems in these areas are compounded by the loss of their right-back and captain, Giulia Gwinn, to a knee injury and now the suspension of her back-up Wamser. It leaves Wück forced to move the pieces on the chessboard, shifting Linder out to the right with Franziska Kett the most likely option to come in on the other side. If so, it will be a huge ask of a 20-year-old who made just seven appearances in the Bundesliga for Bayern Munich last season.
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While Wück can rue his bad luck for Gwinn's injury, Germany's lack of defensive depth is largely of his own making. The high-profile dropping of the experienced left-back Felicitas Rauch – which she only discovered on social media – was a sign that all might not be completely well in the camp. The 33-year-old defender Sara Doorsun was told she would only be on the waiting list for the tournament and promptly retired.
His apparent refusal to address the issues has added to the increased concern. While he shifted to three at the back in the second half against Sweden, that seemed more down to circumstances forcing his hand. 'It would be wrong if we would say we only want to react and destroy,' he said afterwards. 'I have the wrong players [for that]. It isn't in the nature of the team to stand in the back [park the bus] and try to keep a clean sheet or a draw and not try anything up front'.
Nevertheless, given his short time in the job, there is a feeling that he will survive whatever happens. The former goalkeeper and current ARD pundit Almuth Schult said: 'I don't think it's going to be close for him yet', in terms of his job being on the line. There is no doubt, however, that should they lose, the pressure will continue to escalate given the high expectations of a nation that has won this competition eight times.