In Christian Wück’s post match press conference after his side’s humiliating 4-1 defeat to Sweden, he likened his Germany side to a boxer toppled to the canvas, down but not out.
If Germany are the stuttering heavyweight with legs wobbling, France appear to be the young upstart raring to take advantage. And, perhaps naively trading toe to toe from the centre of the ring. As any boxing fan will tell you, when it comes to a heavyweight bout, it only takes one punch to land the knockout blow.
Here at The Halfway Line we break down this most exciting of knockout ties, before the two meet at St. Jakob-Park in Basel on Saturday night.
Deutschland’s defensive dilemmas
UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 has not been a tournament where defending has taken centre stage. Germany, normally a bastion of defensive capability conceded five goals in the group stages alone. That is four more than Germany had ever conceded in a European Championships group stage before this year.
Neither defence is likely to be at full tilt, Germany remain without captain Giulia Gwinn and her replacement Carlotta Wamser will also be missing. The Bayer Leverkusen full back, who had impressed this tournament with two assists was sent off against Sweden.
After being reduced to ten players Germany moved to a three at the back in the second half. That meant that Jule Brand and Klara Bühl tucked in on either side of the defence in wing back roles. Kathrin Hendrich, introduced for Rebecca Knaak at half time played on the right side of the back three with Janina Minge and Sarai Linder rounding out the defence. When asked whether it was an option to play a back three again in the quarter finals, Wück bristled, “well it is an option, otherwise we would not have played it in the second half.”
Germany have not utilised a back three much at all under Wück and it feels unlikely they would start now. So how does he make the back four work? An option to fill in at full back could be Hendrich, who has played right back before. There is also Franziska Kett, who, despite her limited experience might offer a similar dimension to that which Carlotta Wamser was able to. Kett has an attacking mindset and has played more often in her young career in advanced areas than defensive ones. However Kett has recently played at left back not right back. Which raises the question as to whether Linder could be moved to the right side to facilitate Kett’s involvement.
Maintaining a back four would allow Germany to continue with their best assets as high up the pitch as possible in their wingers Klara Bühl and Jule Brand. However it would leave them susceptible to leaving space in behind and on the wings.
The players shielding the defence will therefore also be important, especially should Germany opt for a back four. Sydney Lohmann was introduced from the bench on Saturday night to protect the back five and could be in line to start against Les Bleues. She would be a potential midfielder partner for Elisa Senß, a wily midfielder, who has committed a tournament leading eight fouls but is yet to be booked.
Stick or twist at the back for Les Bleues
Germany are not alone in shipping goals at the back this summer. Despite France scoring 11 goals [the most they ever have in the group stage of a European Championship] they have also conceded four. That is the most they have conceded in a EUROs group stage since 2009.
Obviously a key mitigating factor is that France found themselves in one of the toughest groups of all time at EURO 2025. Bonadei declared after victory over the Dutch that he would prefer to win 5-2 than 1-0, even if it must be noted that he did so with a certain glint in his eye.
France’s fate in this competition will inevitably be intertwined with the decision to leave long term captain Wendie Renard at home. The centre back was a shock exclusion from the French squad with Bonadei justifying the decision by quoting Albert Einstein, “insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.” If France are beaten by Germany the decision will look a foolish choice, if they win, it will appear a masterstroke.
New captain Griedge Mbock is yet to feature at the tournament due to a muscle injury. Bonadei confirmed that she is in contention for a starting spot on Saturday but will he risk bringing her back at such a crucial juncture? In her place for France’s opener against England was her former OL Lyonnes team mate Alice Sombath. Sombath, still only 21 she is the first player of Thai heritage to represent Les Bleues.
But against both Wales and the Dutch, first choice centre back Maëlle Lakrar was rested and Thiniba Samoura came into the starting side. That made for an extremely young centre back duo with Samoura also 21. To give some context, when Renard made her debut for France, Samoura and Sombath were both 7 years old.
Sombath and Samoura were criticised in the French press for their performance against Netherlands despite France’s 5-2 victory. In Le Dauphine Libere they were both rated 4/10 and were noted to be at fault for both goals. Regardless as to whether they deserved those ratings, the match will have been good experience of tournament football for them. The question now is how much more they might be given come Saturday.
Bonadei confirmed after the Netherlands match “[for both] Greidge (Mbock) and Maëlle (Lakrar) this game would be a bit tricky for them, we wanted to save them again.” France’s centre back question still needs an answer, it may get a decisive one on Saturday night, for better or worse.
Two irresistible attacks
Germany’s wingers have been their shining light in Switzerland so far, with Klara Bühl and Jule Brand being two of the best players of the tournament. Equally for France, their wingers Delphine Cascarino and Sandy Baltimore have been unplayable at times. With the former picking up two player of the match awards.
Bühl has made an astonishing 38 crosses across the tournament so far, more than double the amount of the player with the second most, France’s Selma Bacha. Bühl also has the most successful dribbles with 17, seven more than the next highest in the competition. The Bayern Munich forward also has the most progressive carries of any player in the tournament, again by more than double anyone else.
Bühl had a league leading total of 20 goal involvements in the Frauen Bundesliga last season along with the most assists. The holder of that distinction in the French Première Ligue dons French colours, Clara Matéo. Matéo is fighting for a spot in the starting eleven and has over four goal creating actions per ninety minutes, more than any other player at the tournament so far. With Sandy Baltimore having difficulty with her Achilles and Kadidatou Diani also nursing a knock, that could mean a second start of the tournament for Matéo.
Delphine Cascarino who has torn the past two European Championship winners to shreds on the wings this tournament, and she will be licking her lips at the prospect of making it the last three. Bonadei noted that he was pleased that Cascarino was mid-season in the NWSL and that has benefitted her. He allowed her to come to the pre-tournament camp late, giving her maximum time at her club side for maximum competitive sharpness. It has shown, Cascarino leads the competition in goals and assists per ninety, with almost three per 90 minutes.
For 15 minutes on Saturday night Germany played as well as they have the entire tournament. They flew out of the blocks, with Jule Brand unplayable. If they can get Brand on the same electric form and make it last longer than the opening minutes they stand a chance. But perhaps France, with their first choice full backs available may relish the challenge more than their counterparts. Selma Bacha and Élise De Almeida have put in showstopping performances this Summer. De Almeida is yet to be dribbled past this tournament despite the immense talent she has faced.
The move to bring in Laurent Bonadei seems now less a continuation of the Herve Renard years and more and more a revolution of a very French distinction. Germany may need to lean on inspiration from match ups gone by to inspire victory on Saturday.
The weight of history
History is a cautionary tale for the French in this fixture. The last time France beat England in the opening match of a major tournament was at the FIFA World Cup 2015 in Canada. They went onto exit the competition in the Quarter finals to, you guessed it, Germany. And to that end, France have never beaten Germany at a major tournament, with an aggregate score across their matches of 11-3 in the Germans favour.
In EURO 2022 France made it further than they ever had before. But at the semi final stage they met a familiar foe. A Germany side inspired by France’s tormentor in chief that summer, Alexandra Popp, who ended France’s tournament. Popp scored twice that night in Milton Keynes but after retiring from international duty following the Olympics, Popp will not face France again.
There has been a lot of turnover in players since that EURO 2022 tournament. Only one defender that started for Germany in that victory over France just three years ago has a chance of featuring again against the French. Merle Frohms, Sara Doorsoun and Martina Hegering are all retired from international duty. While starting full backs that day Feli Rauch and Gwinn are also missing. Gwinn due to injury and Rauch due to being omitted from the final squad.
Fast forward to their most recent match against Sweden. Of the back four that started last week, none had even made their international debut when Germany faced France in the semi final of EURO 2022.
Both sides will do all they can to make the semi final. And Bonadei will do everything in his power to ensure his French side can defy history and land a maiden knockout blow to their fiercest rival.
Predicted line ups:
GER: Berger; Linder, Minge, Knaak, Hendrich; Nüsken, Senß, Dallmann; Bühl, Brand, Schüller
Doubts: None.
Injured: Giulia Gwinn.
Suspended: Carlotta Wamser.
FRA: Peyraud-Magnin; Bacha, Lakrar, Sombath, De Almeida; Karchaoui, Jean-François, Geyoro; Baltimore, Cascarino, Katoto
Doubts: Sandie Toletti, Kadidatou Diani, Sandy Baltimore, Maëlle Lakrar, Greidge Mbock.
Injured: None.
Suspended: None.
Where can I watch Germany vs France at EURO 2025?
The match will be broadcast on ITV One and ITV X with kick off set for 8pm BST on Saturday July 19th.
