Group B: opening win against Denmark – DFB women convince

Key game won, next stop Spain: The German soccer team started the European Championship on Friday with a 4-0 win against Denmark. The successful revenge for the quarter-finals in 2017 is worth its weight in gold, because Spain is waiting on Tuesday.

The co-favourites had previously beaten Finland 4-1 and thus placed themselves behind Germany in the strong Group B for the time being. After the highly concentrated and playfully remarkable performance against the 2017 European Championship runners-up, the team of national coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg need not be afraid of the highly regarded Iberians.

The DFB team set a big exclamation point at the Brentford Community Stadium in London with a solid performance in which hardly a player was dropped. And the national coach was enthusiastic: “Somebody has to beat us first if we play like we did today,” she shouted to her players after the final whistle. After the adrenaline level dropped, Voss-Tecklenburg reacted a little more chilled: “We can classify it and know what’s in store for us in Spain,” she said.

Smoke meets aluminum twice

In the 500th international match in their history, the German women didn’t linger long on the prelude and put the Danes under pressure from the start with attack pressing. In the tenth minute there was already thunder in the Danish goal when Felicitas Rauch slammed the ball into the crossbar from 18 meters. Three minutes later, the left-back from VfL Wolfsburg tested the aluminum again when she fired from 22 meters. Lea Schüller’s diving header also landed on the post (13′), but the Bayern striker was caught offside.

Magull capitalizes on mistakes in Denmark’s defence

Next to Rauch, the most conspicuous player in the early stages was Svenja Huth. The captain worked tirelessly on the right flank and hit dangerous crosses in front of the Danish goal. Lina Magull should have used one of these assists, but when she fell she didn’t hit the ball optimally and Lene Christensen deflected the ball around the post in the Danish goal (18′). Three minutes later, Magull vented her anger at the missed opportunity – and how! After a mistake by Stine Pedersen in front of her own penalty area, she chased after the ball and nailed it into the net from ten meters to make it 1-0. The leadership was more than deserved.

Harder signed off

Merle Frohms had to wait almost half an hour before she was put to the test as number one in her first major tournament. Signe Bruun, who strikes for Manchester United, shot in the center of the penalty area from the turn, Frohms destroyed the first good chance for the Danes (29th).

It was amazing that Denmark’s captain Pernille Harder didn’t get a chance at all. The star striker from FC Chelsea was not given any special guards, the German players handed over the permanently scuttling Dane in a very disciplined manner. In general, the defense, which was not always solid in the run-up to the tournament, made a strong impression, especially since Rauch and Giulia Gwinn also intervened offensively.

Schüller destroys Denmark’s hopes

After the restart, the German soccer players continued where they left off before the break. Denmark’s coach Lars Søndergaard was just about to flip the lever with a triple change when the DFB team pricked the needle twice. Corner Magull, header Schüller – the wrongly positioned keeper Christensen helped a lot with the 26th goal in the top scorer’s 40th international match.

Popp crowns EM debut with goal to 4:0

Now was the time for not entirely unimportant duties in the Voss-Tecklenburg team. After a good hour, the national coach Alexandra Popp came on and not only gave the Wolfsburg player her 115th international appearance, but also her European Championship debut – at the age of 31.

“Poppi” was even granted a goal that evening, but first another joker scored. Lena Lattwein put the lid on it with a powerful shot into the near post to make it 3-0 (78′). Then Popp flew exemplary into a cross from substitute Sydney Lohmann, sank to his knees and was buried under his teammates (86th). “I’m glad we got such a win at the start,” said Popp on ZDF. “It gives you a very, very good feeling.” Denmark, however, already has to worry about progressing.