The Polish national women’s team wrote history in Switzerland at the end of the European Championship in Switzerland. For Denmark, the tournament ends with another disappointment. The two superstars Harder and Pajor experienced two completely opposite evenings.
Poland won 3-2 (1-0) in front of 14,213 spectators in Lucerne on Saturday evening. In the third game, the Eastern Europeans not only scored their first three goals at their European Championship premiere, but also celebrated their first victory. The woman for the historic first European championship goal was Natalia Padilla-Bidas (13th). After her, Ewa Pajor (20th) and Martyna Wiankowska (76.) met. For Denmark, Janni Thomsen (59.) and Signe Bruun (83.) scored the goals.
Fans celebrate together before the game
So while the Polish women were happy about a historical evening, the European Championship for Denmark ended with the next disappointment. If the Scandinavians were still against the Netherlands in the final of the 2017 European Championship eight years ago, this time they left pointlessly as a group last. It was the second time in a row that it ended in the preliminary round.
Although none of the teams had an chance of progress, the fans showed the fans that the game was by no means meaningless. With numerous Danish-dynamite-Flying flags met numerous supporters of the Scandinavians for the fan festival in the center of Lucerne and ran closely with supporters of the Polish team to the stadium.
Denmark fans in downtown Lucerne before the game.
Last game for Denmark coach Jeglertz
Once there, they saw that three changes in the starting line -up were made in both teams. The Polish head coach Nina Patalon trusted this time Wiktoria Zieniewicz, Ewelina Kamczyk and Natalia Padilla-Bidas compared to the 0: 3 defeat against Sweden.
Her counterpart, Denmark Swedish coach Andrée Jeglertz, also exchanged three positions. Kathrine Kühl, Josefine Hasbo and Signe Bruun were allowed to play from the start. For the 53-year-old, it was the last game as head coach of the Danish women, who is switching to Manchester City, the new team of Germany’s international Sydney Lohmann.
Harder and Pajor in focus
Poland against Denmark is also the duel of the superstars Ewa Pajor from FC Barcelona and Pernille Harder von Bayern Munich – although both could not have really distinguished themselves in the course of the tournament.
But the Bavaria attacker Harder was involved in the first dangerous attack of the game, sat down well on the right and flanked to the five-meter space, where Janni Thomsen shot the ball over the goal.
Padilla-Bidas writes history
After 13 minutes it became historical: Padilla-Bidas, new addition of Bayern Munich, the first Polish goal in the European Championship history itself initiated the right side itself, Kamczyk brought the ball sharply to the short post. There, a Danish defender clarified him in front of the feet of Padilla-Bidas, who pulled and hit from six meters.
Poland’s Natalia Padilla-Bidas (left) and her teammates cheer a goal.
And as it is so often in life: Once the spell has broken, it runs. And so a little later, Pajor was allowed to cheer. After winning her own ball, she sent Padilla-Bidas to the right side with a pass. From there she conjured up a butter-soft flank exactly on the head of the completely free-standing Barca attacker, who headed from six meters.
And Denmark had to accept the next neck blow. Captain Harder injured herself on the left thigh in a really harmless duel and could not go on. After the bitter injury to Giulia Gwinn, it is the second bad news at this tournament for your regular association Bayern Munich.
Latte saves first for Denmark and then for Poland
Poland stayed on the pusher and almost scored 3-0 because Denmark’s keeper Maja Bay Östergaard slides a shot from Kamczyk through his hands, but went on the crossbar.
Shortly before the break, finally an offensive sign of life from Denmark. Bruun came to two good header chances within two minutes. At first she only hit the crossbar, shortly afterwards she failed due to the strongly reacting Kinga Szemik. So we went 0: 2 into the cabins from the point of view of Denmark.
Denmark comes again
After the change of sides, the game was now a little more open. Both teams had a good chance, Sofie Bredgaard only missed a few meters (48th) and later from the distance (52nd), in between it missed Padilla-Bidas from six meters to push the ball into the goal.
Shortly afterwards, Denmark was allowed to cheer – but with stronger with the help of the Pole. At first Emilia Szymczak allowed herself a catastrophic false pass in the game structure, before Poland’s final woman Szemik was the following and actually too central long -distance shot of Thomsen through his hands and went into goal (59).
Denmark Janni Thomsen (left) meets Poland’s goalkeeper Kinga Szemik.
Poland with the correct answer
And the Danish team cheered again after 70 minutes – but only for a few moments. Nadia Nadim had the ball in the goal, but came out of the side when it was created. Instead, there was a jubilee of the Polish team for the third time. The Cologne full -back Wiankowska hammered the ball without humor from 14 meters to the lower edge of the latte, from where he went into the goal (76.).
But Denmark did not give up and actually came back to the connection. Bruun prevailed against two opponents after a flank from the left and headed from six meters (83.). But it was not enough and the Polishers celebrated their first European Championship victory.