5️⃣ good reasons why Germany will win the Euros
1. The belief in the title
"We believe in the title," said Laura Freigang at the start of the preparation in Herzogenaurach in mid-June. "We know that we can do it. That's the incentive." While national coach Christian Wück is still holding back with such concrete statements, Freigang is not the only one to clearly express these words. Sports director Nia Künzer, whose contract was extended shortly before the European Championship, is also optimistic about the tournament in Switzerland: "I'm starting the tournament with the goal of winning the title."
📸 GEORG HOCHMUTH
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The reason for this self-confidence is also the recent successes in the Nations League, with a 4-0 win against the Netherlands and a 6-0 win against Austria. Christian Wück also considers it important that his players really believe in winning the title. In an interview with the Sportschau, he said: "For me, it's important: are we just talking about it or are we convinced of it? We've been working on that for a long time, so that we don't just want to talk about it, but really plant this conviction in us, let this dream grow in us, that we can really hold this trophy up in the air at the end."
2. The mix in the squad
Eleven vice-European champions and seven tournament newcomers are in Christian Wück's squad. Experience meets curiosity, calmness meets enthusiasm, carelessness meets stability. A good mix that has already led to success in the past. Captain Giulia Gwinn and co-captain Janina Minge lead this mixed team, which has now found itself after initial difficulties under Wück.
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Due to the many changes in the test matches, there was initially unrest in the team, but in the recent Nations League matches, the team has been very harmonious. Young players like Cora Zicai bring not only a good dose of motivation but are also already at a good level in terms of their playing skills.
3. Many fans thanks to the proximity to Germany
Many Germans are eager to watch a European Championship match of the DFB women's team live - according to the results of a survey by booking.com. However, the high prices in Switzerland are still deterring some. Nevertheless, it is expected that several fans from Germany will travel to the matches of the national team. After all, it's not far to St. Gallen, Basel, or Zurich - depending on where you live in Germany - and can also be arranged without an overnight stay.
📸 FOCKE STRANGMANN - AFP or licensors
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The many home fans should give the German team an additional boost. Christian Wück says: "We need this support from the fans. We want to get the people behind us and further increase the importance of women's football. We're looking forward to as much support as possible in Switzerland." And this support will be great. Five days before the start of the tournament, FIFA announced that more than 600,000 tickets had already been sold, with 61,000 tickets going to German fans so far.
4. Wide awake from the start
In the 4-0 win against the Netherlands in the Nations League, Christian Wück's DFB team dominated from the start. As early as nine minutes in, Linda Dallmann was able to set the first exclamation mark with the opening goal. In the game against Austria, it went even faster. Sydney Lohmann scored after just 14 seconds. The national team had never taken the lead so quickly before.
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The recent matches show that the players are wide awake on the pitch from the start and are no longer easily caught off guard. At the beginning of Christian Wück's tenure, it was different, for example, when they faced Italy at the end of the year. After just eleven minutes, they conceded a goal, which was self-inflicted due to a defensive error. However, consistency has since set in, and the team knows its roles and tasks exactly. A sleepy start against high-profile opponents like Poland's Ewa Pajor in the European Championship opener would be fatal.
5. Strong Bayern faction
With a total of seven players, double winners FC Bayern Munich provide the largest faction in the DFB women's squad. Above all, captain Giulia Gwinn has found her role perfectly, even if she acts differently and less loudly than her predecessor Alexandra Popp. Already in the recent Nations League matches against Norway and Austria, the range of Bayern players was a reason for the success. Linda Dallmann (one goal), Lea Schüller (three goals), Sydney Lohmann (two goals), Klara Bühl (one goal, three assists), and Giulia Gwinn (one assist) were significantly involved in the total of ten goals.
The Bayern block could also be an important key to the title at the European Championship. In addition to Gwinn, Lea Schüller and Klara Bühl will also take on a lot of responsibility. Schüller has not always been consistently accurate in scoring goals in recent years, but has recently presented herself in top form both in the club and in the national team. Like Bühl, she is likely to have a regular place in the starting lineup.
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Bühl is expected to give stability to the offense and guide and direct other players like Jule Brand. Recently, she has handled this task well and has shown herself to be sovereign in the national team. The fact that so many important players in the DFB selection also play together in the club and know each other inside out could pay off.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.
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