Germany’s footballers will meet Scotland on Friday in the Nations League in Dundee. It is the fourth last game in front of the European Championship in summer. On the one hand, national coach Christian Wück hopes for improvements in defensive behavior – and on the other hand, important findings for the squadramination at his first tournament with the DFB women.
The Scottish coast has been cut in St. Andrews for more than 600 years, the small town is considered a world -famous home of golf. The team hotel of the DFB soccer players is located directly on the legendary “Old Course”, this would make golf fans awesome, but the footballers were drawn to the sea right after they arrived-only the golf course is between this and their hotel.
“We went down to the beach directly and then got a little trouble because we walked over the golf course. We thought that was the direct way,” says midfielder Linda Dallmann in the Sportschau interview.
Wück demands more stability
National coach Wück also has little interest in the green, which is so renowned, but in St. Andrews he likes it: “We brought nice weather with us, so the conditions are optimal. We are all really looking forward to the game, we want to take the next step.”
In the previous two Nations League games, Germany had shown both 2-2 in the Netherlands and 4: 1 against Austria, but also revealed blatant weaknesses on the defensive.
“Stable – that is the magic word that we last missing,” says Wück. “We have to manage to deliver a stable game and still be dominant. So far, the girls have not yet had this mixture as I had actually imagined.”
Doorsoun fails
In defense, he often had to change due to injury. In particular, the central defense, in which Sara Doorsoun is now failing due to muscular problems, does not seem to be optimally set up for the European Championship.
Wück, however, sees the whole team challenged: “We have the individual quality in many positions. But when we play courageously, we have to act so compactly at the same time that these long balls that have caused problems for our central defenders do not come about.”
“The achievements in the two games against Scotland are essential.”
– national coach Christian Wück
Scotland with star player Caroline Weir
Scotland has lost in the Nations League against the Netherlands and against Austria. The best known player is Caroline Weir from Real Madrid, who recently contributed significantly to the surprise victory of her team in Classico, Spanish against FC Barcelona. Wück also sees other players at a top level: “The strengths of the Scots are in midfield. This is their highlight, we have to be careful. They are very ball-safe, can switch quickly, we prepare our team on this.”
Dallmann expects the Scottish play robust and defend compactly. “We must not lose patience, we have to try tirelessly to combine. At some point the knot bursts.”
Fight for the EM squad places
In the Tennadice Park of Dundee, 20 kilometers from St. Andrews, the fight for the squad places is headed three months before the beginning of the European Championship on Friday evening (8:35 p.m.).
“I told the team that every player who is here also has the opportunity to be at the tournament,” said the national coach. “So they should also approach the matter, they should try to take advantage of their chances. The achievements in the two games against Scotland are essential.” Just four days later, the team in Wolfsburg meets Scotland again.
When asked where he would sort his team on the way to the optimal European Championship form on a scale from one to ten, Wück replied on Thursday: “If you want to talk about a scale, I would show a 6.5 to 7.” So there is still a lot of increase in increasing, and football is still required in the home of golf. But please do not enter the green!
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Sport Current | 04.04.2025 | 8:35 p.m.
