Women’s Nations League
After the false start: DFB women turn game against Austria
Updated on February 25, 2025 – 8:22 pmReading time: 3 min.
After the draw against the Netherlands, the DFB women also started shaky against Austria. Nevertheless, in the end it was enough to make a clear victory.
The German women’s national team avoided another setback under the new coach Christian Wück and celebrated a 4: 1 (1: 1) victory against Austria in the Nations League. After a somewhat disappointing 2-2 draw against the Netherlands on Friday, the DFB women initially struggled against Austria. Already in the 3rd minute, Annabel Schasching brought the guests from the Alpine Republic into the lead after a counterattack and let the audience fall silent at the Max Morlock Stadium of Nuremberg.
Above all, the Wück-Elf presented itself little saddle festival and also found hardly any solutions. A standard was needed to achieve the equalization before the break: in the 39th minute, Laura pushed out for 1-1 after a free kick from Klara Bühl.
At half-time two, the DFB team increased significantly and from then on was the clearly better team. Goals by Linda Dallmann (55th minute), Giovanna Hoffmann (70th) and Vivien Endemann (82nd) made the result clear in the end.
In the goal, Stina Johannes von Eintracht Frankfurt was allowed to advertise an EM squad, Olympic heroine Ann-Katrin Berger was not in the squad because of a flu infection. Wück relied on another change compared to the Netherlands game: Felicitas Rauch was allowed to run instead of Sarai Linder.
The “teaching moments” of Wück complained to the National League start in the Netherlands in the 2-2 start of 2: 2, when the German defensive had been mottled twice, also gave Team Austria-and after just over two minutes. After a quick and precise counterattack, Schasching scored 1-0 for the guests. Germany’s defensive looked bad.
In addition to ex-Freiburg coach Christian Streich, Wück’s predecessor Horst Hrubesch subsequently saw an initial appearance of his old team. Johannes even prevented a higher deficit when she parried Hoffenheim’s Julia Hickelsberger by foot defense.
The DFB goalkeeper was also not free of mistakes. On a flank, she grabbed it once. And after a bumpy back pass from Vicecapist Janina Minge, Johannes’ failed ball acceptance almost became the perfect template for Lilli Purtscheller from SGS Essen.
“We have an exact route. And we also have enough qualities, especially on the offensive to be able to decide such games,” said Wück shortly before kick -off on ZDF. But his players, who first ran in the new red away jersey for the first time, sprayed little fire in the not even half-filled Max Morlock Stadium for a long time. There were a few half chances – and otherwise a lot of pieces.
Before the break, a standard situation made a collective jubilee scream in the stadium: Bühl’s wide free kick flank found central defender Rebecca Knaak, who forwarded the ball directly to the freedom. The rest: a matter of form for the best Bundesliga goalkeeper with twelve goals.
Wück reacted to the weak appearance with three changes to the break, among other things, Dallmann came for free passing, which promptly had fruits: the ball came to fire via Knaak and Gwinn, which Dallmann served perfectly. The game -friendly goal scorer then hung up herself, Hoffmann made an effort.
Again and again driven by Dallmann and Bühl, the ball now ran through the German rows as the Wück would have liked to be in the game earlier. Austria no longer came behind in phases. Endemann, who had been substituted for fire shortly before, ensured the final score with a low shot. And for Laola in the stadium.