Germany started furiously in the last group game at Women’s European Championship, but then everything went wrong for the DFB team. The group victory is gone – and Carlotta Wamser is also missing in the quarter -finals.
Germany missed the group victory in the preliminary round of the EM 2025. Against Sweden, the DFB team lost 1: 4 (1: 3) on Saturday evening. Jule Brand put the DFB women in the lead early (7th minute). Stina Blackstenius (12th), Smilla Holmberg (25th), Fridolina Rolfö per penalty (34th) and Lina Hurtig (80th) turned the game in favor of the Scandinavians. Carlotta Wamser also saw the red card after 31 minutes.
“We started in super and implemented exactly what we have planned”said Janina Minge in the Sportschau interview. “The red card was a bit of a killer. We still did it very well with ten men, especially in the second half.” Broadcaster Christian Wück saw it similarly: “We missed the second goal. After the red card, the game was decided”according to his analysis. “You saw what quality the Swedes have.”
Laura Freelgang for the first time in the starting eleven
Wück converted his starting eleven in a position: Laura Freikang was allowed to run for the first time at this European Championship – she displaced Linda Dallmann onto the bench. Captain Giulia Gwinn also took a seat with her crutches. The captain, injured on the inner ligament, had traveled back to Switzerland to the moral support of her team after treatment in Munich. Carlotta Wamser again took over her part on the right in the chain of four.
The DFB team swears against Sweden before the game.
On the other hand, Peter Gerhardsson made five changes, three of them in the defense chain alone. So Magdalena Eriksson from Bayern Munich came to her first European Championship mission after she was still struck at the start of the tournament.
The German team was visibly motivated right from the start to fight for the group victory. After just a few seconds, Klara Bühl prevailed on the left. Her cross came to fire on detours, but the completion of which was not precisely enough from a promising position.
Jule Brand with the first goal for Sweden
A minute later, Lea Schüller took the ball worth seeing about 18 meters in front of the goal and pulled off – the ball barely rushed past the goal. But the Swedes were not asked for long and released Kosovare Asllani in the penalty area, which, however, moved (3rd minute).
In the 7th minute, the Germans crowned their strong initial phase. Schüller dropped into the midfield and fit on Wamser, who sent fire on the trip. This stayed cool in front of the goal and pushed in to 1-0. For Sweden it was the first goal of the European Championship 2025.
Germany can be countered and is unlucky
The outstanding initial phase then made the DFB women a little too cocky. When one of the almost euphoric attacks was intercepted, the Swedes switched quickly. Blackstenius ran towards Ann-Katrin Berger alone and scored 1-1 (12th).
Sweden’s Stina Blackstenius celebrates the equalizer against Germany.
Afterwards the game calmed down a bit, but the game shares remained: Germany acted powerfully and with a lot of possession of the ball, the Swedes lurked on mistakes. Except for a remarkable individual campaign by Bühl (18th), the conclusion of which was too harmless, the DFB team initially no longer gained a chance.
And instead made the next mistake: Elisa Sense let the ball steal. Holmberg, new in the Swedish starting eleven, entered the penalty area with the play equipment. Sarai Linder wanted to clarify and instead shot Holmberg, from which the ball jumped into the goal (25th). The goal for the Wück team was at most unhappy.
Red for Carlotta Wamser
But it should get worse: in the 31st minute Wamser, a shot from Blackstenius clarified on the empty gate in front of the line – but with hands. The result: red for the Neu-Leverkusener and penalty for Sweden. Rolfö converted safely (34th). 1: 3, one woman less – the group victory for Germany moved far away before half -time. From now on, the Swedes determined the pace and pushed for another goal, but the Wück team, which seemed shocked, saved himself during the half-time break.
Referee Silvia Gasperotti shows Germany’s Carlotta Wamser the red card.
For the second half, Kathrin Hendrich and Sydney Lohmann came into the game, Rebecca Knaak and Laura Freiang stayed in the cabin. Wück switched on the defensive on the three or five chain.
Game flattened in the second half
The Germans were still busy digesting the shock of the first 45 minutes. The Swedes now had the significantly higher possession of the ball, but they did not really become really mandatory. If the DFB team was on the ball, the players knew little about it.
And so the game got more and more the character of a better training game. The Germans could no longer, the Swedes no longer had to – accordingly the large chances remained empty in the second round. Wück took the opportunity to replace Schüller after an hour and treat her to a break. But Giovanna Hoffmann, who acted in her place in her place, did not come into dangerous positions as expected.
When everything looked that the two teams had agreed on the result, the Swedes combined again. Hurtig pressed the ball over the line without which 1: 4 (80th) also became clear. Selina Cerci had the best German opportunity for the second section in the 85th minute, but her lifter narrowly missed the goal. Germany received its highest bankruptcy at an EM.
Germany threatens quarter -finals against France
Due to the defeat, Germany in Group C only remains second. This will meet the winner of Group D – France, England or the Netherlands next Saturday (July 19, 2025, 9 p.m.). Wamser will definitely be missing. Sweden has to deal with the group runners -up two days earlier.
In the parallel game in the German group on Saturday evening, Poland won 3-2 against Denmark. Both teams had no chance before the kick -off.