analysis
The DFB women conceded the highest defeat of their EM history on Saturday evening in Zurich against Sweden with the 1: 4 (1: 3). The way also hurt. National coach Christian Wück only reacted when it was too late. A reaction is required in the quarter -finals.
It has not been handed down whether the stadium line simply stubbornly followed a schedule or has a sense of humor. But when the German players, who were literally shown by Sweden in the first half, trotted into the cabin after the break whistle, Gloria Gayner’s Evergreen boomed “I will survive” From the boxes. True to the motto: it is not that bad.
The Wück team was 1: 3 behind and was also outnumbered after a red card for Carlotta Wamser. In terms of football, it was actually all about “surviving”. In the end it was 1: 4 – the DFB women were at least not shot down by the Swedes in halftime. But it was also the highest EM defeat in its history.
It was no coincidence that, after the final whistle, national coach Wück said when asked what this defeat would mean for the chances of the targeted title: “We are a bit on the ground. Of course you have to look at the game; you have to pull out the positive, but you also have to clarify and analyze the negative with the players.” The game was presented very differently.
Eriksson: “conquer balls and punish Germany behind”
It looked very different with the Swedes, who move into the quarter -finals with three wins and a lot of self -confidence. “We knew that Germany would attack with many players. So we hoped that we could conquer the balls in the middle of the field and punish them at the back”said defense chief Magdalena Eriksson, who praised Germany for the strong initial phase.
But then the plan worked all the more. It was also planned that the game was mainly about right -wing Johanna Rytting Kaneryd as Eriksson reported: “We wanted to give her the ball as often as possible and send her in one-on-one situations. We expected gaps there and used it.”
Sweden’s match plan is exactly
After the strong initial phase of the DFB women, to whom “only” the 1-0 of Jule Brand had succeeded, the mischief took its course when captain Janina Ming, of all things, unhappily banged a ball to Kosovare Asllani. Stina Blackstenius set off in the back of Rebecca Knaak. The left -back no longer came behind – and there was nothing to be seen from the widely advanced left -back Sarai Linder. The 1: 1 originally originated from the match plan of Sweden’s coach Peter Gerhardsson.
Germany’s left defense far too slow
As a result, Rytting Kaneryd and Smilla Holmberg always got the German defense swimming again and again. At first it looked as if Wück wanted to react quickly to the German Tempo deficit: Early he sent Franziska Kett (left-back) and Sophia Kleinhern (central defender) to warm up. But it was nothing more than the normal warm -up procedure for the substitutes. A changeover could have prevented what followed.
Sweden overloaded our left side. We have to stand more compact and have a clearer allocation. It is extremely quick on the level.
At first Holmberg hurried again. When she wanted to save – supported by left wing Klara Bühl – she shot Holmberg and from the foot of the Swedish right -back, the ball rushed into the mesh 2-1 for the Scandinavians.
Shortly thereafter, Rytting Kaneryd broke through again, let Knaak go into the void and put in front of the goal. Fridolina Rolfös shot parried Carlotta Wamser almost reflexively on the goal line. Pens, 3: 1 for Sweden, deep beat for Germany.
Bühl found the clearest words afterwards. The leaders criticized too little communication and insufficient coordination. The team have “The game gave up within 15 minutes”,, “Feels the same goal three times” Collect and be “A bit collapsed”.
Pushing everything on the red card is too short thought
Wück described the red card as “decisive”. But even without Wamser’s hand rescue operation, it would have been 3-1 for Sweden. And Jule Brand, the only German scorer, emphasized: “She can’t help it. In the end she was the victim.”
Everything had gone far too quickly for Germany – especially on the left. Just like the team, the national coach also missed the emerging disaster early on with a change or change. The pace deficit was not overlooked.
Only when it was too late did Wück react – forced: he would have during the break “Had a little more imagination with the system change” Maybe to come back to a defensive triple chain. But the Swedes were too concentrated in the second half. At the fourth goal, the German defense was too fast again: Lina Hurtig only had to hold his foot at the end of a combination worth seeing.
Can Germany get up again?
Germany will only play its quarter -finals next Saturday (July 19, 2025, 9 p.m.) – against the first of Group D; Currently that would be France. And anyone who has seen how the fast French offensive around Delphine Cascarino – especially in the 2-1 against England – has been whirling up to date, can only be afraid and worried about the DFB women after the Sweden game.
Maybe it was a shackler. Perhaps it was good that it happened in the game that we woke up that something like that shouldn’t happen to us.
Wück explained slightly irritated that the triple chain of course also in the quarter -finals “An option” be, otherwise he would not have prescribed her to his team against Sweden in the second half. But the central midfield also has to be tested, Elisa Sense and Sjoeke Nüsken had no access to the target.
And it needs more goal risk against top opponents from the offensive midfield if Bühl and Brand – like against Sweden – can quickly spark them. Laura Freiegel, who was allowed to run on the ten for the first time in the tournament from the start, could not be recommended in the bitter game and had to go down at the break.
“I will survive” as a guide for the quarter -finals?
It applies now “To shake yourself”said Wück, and again in the quarter -finals “To bring our strengths to the square”. You will prepare carefully and adjust to the upcoming opponent. On the “Response, destroy and put in the back to keep the zero”however, cannot be limited to his team. For that he would have “The wrong players”.
In the song “I will survive” Incidentally, it is not just about survival, but about overcoming resistance and strengthening it. The song should encourage people to give them confidence again. And with that, the Zurich Letzigrund stadium line could have already shown the DFB women the right path.