France 1-1 Germany Women’s EURO 2025 quarter-final shoot-out
Ann-Katrin Berger was Germany’s penalty shoot-out hero after another extraordinary UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 quarter-final in which they played most of the game against France in Basel with ten players but still set up a last-four tie with Spain in Zurich on Wednesday.
A much-changed Germany side were down to ten players and behind within 15 minutes as Kathrin Hendrich was dismissed for conceding a penalty scored by Grace Geyoro. Sjoeke Nüsken soon levelled with a header but in the second half had her own spot kick kept out by Pauline Peyraud-Magnin. Germany held out for penalties and Berger converted one and saved two to earn her team a record 11th Women’s EURO semi-final three years on from beating France at that stage.
Key moments
15′ Geyoro converts penalty after Hendrich dismissed
25′ Nüsken heads equaliser
69′ Peyraud-Magnin keeps out Nüsken spot-kick
103′ Incredible Berger save prevents own goal
120+3′ Malard hits bar from distance
Penalty shoot-out Berger converts and saves two
France welcomed Griedge Mbock Bathy back to the starting line-up after injury had ruled her out of the group stage, and she was partnered by the returning Maëlle Lakrar, the central duo that had been expected before the finals, while Kadidiatou Diani was preferred to Sandy Baltimore in attack. Germany meanwhile, missing suspended right-back Carlotta Wamser in addition to injured captain Giulia Gwinn, switched Sarai Linder from the left and introduced Franziska Kett, with Hendrich starting in central defence and Janina Minge pushed into midfield, while Giovanna Hoffmann replaced Lea Schüller in attack.
Germany looked to take the game to France with Jule Brand having an early chance. However, Hendrich was given a straight red card for pulling Mbock Bathy’s hair and Geyoro converted the penalty despite Berger getting a hand to it.
That meant another Germany defensive change, with Sophia Kleinherne on as their latest right-back, Linder sacrificed and Minge moved back as Christian Wuck deployed a 4-2-3 formation, but France were looking to make their extra player count. So it was out of the blue when Germany equalised, Nüsken applying a flicked header at the near post to a Klara Bühl corner.
Germany’s fans, the majority in the Women’s EURO quarter-final record 34,128 crowd, now were in full voice, even more so when Berger saved a curling free-kick from Delphine Cascarino. Having started on the left, Cascarino was back on her familiar right and again looking France’s main source of danger, but Germany’s reshuffled defence were operating with supreme determination.
The second half began in a similar manner, France dominating the ball but Germany fired up and willing to counter. Cascarino was sent clear in the Germany half just before the hour mark, but Berger, initially out of goal, scrambled back in time to make a diving save. From the resultant corner, Berger then did excellently to deny Marie-Antoinette Katoto, and not long after she kept out a Diani effort following more good work by Cascarino.
France introduced Baltimore, but against the run of play Germany had a penalty when Selma Bacha brought down Brand, only for Peyraud-Magnin to save Nüsken’s spot kick. Just before the 90-minute mark, a deep Bacha corner was volleyed on goal by Elisa De Almeida, but Berger was equal to it.
That meant extra time, during which Schüller was introduced, Germany’s first substitution since the early arrival of Kleinherne. What did not change was their tireless running to attempt to neutralise France’s one-player advantage.
Also unaltered was Berger’s determination to keep the ball out of the net, with an incredible backward diving save at full stretch when it seemed a defensive header from Minge would loop in. Baltimore, by sheer determination, was able to fashion a cross, but substitute Melvine Malard’s header could not beat Berger.
As extra time ran out, Malard tried her luck from distance, yet the shot hit the bar and Germany went into their first Women’s EURO penalty shoot-out since 1993. Berger, something of a shoot-out specialist, saved France’s first kick from substitute Amel Majri, but Germany’s fourth effort from newly introduced Sara Däbritz clipped the top of the bar.
Berger was then among the scorers as it went to sudden death, and she was the hero once again as she dived to stop France’s seventh kick by Alice Sombath. In the 2024 Olympic quarter-final shoot-out with Canada, Berger also scored one and saved two. Now, Germany hope to defeat Spain, the team they pipped to bronze last year thanks to more penalty heroics from their keeper.
Player of the Match: Ann-Katrin Berger (Germany)
Player of the Match: Ann-Katrin Berger
“Berger saved two penalties and scored her own, but she also showed great composure during the game, contributing both in possession and between the posts, notably with her big save in extra time.”
UEFA Technical Observer panel
Christian Wück, Germany coach: “We received a red card early on, and that meant we had to play with ten for the majority of the match. The way the team reacted, their mentality, their fighting spirit, and the unity – it’s incredible and makes me very proud. Everyone was happy that this hard-fought performance led us to victory. I’m so proud of the team for the way they took on this challenge against an opponent who demanded everything from us. That was incredible.”
Ann-Katrin Berger, Germany goalkeeper: “I was not happy that we had to go to a penalty shoot-out; I wanted the game done and dusted in 90 minutes. But I did my part of the game. The team worked incredibly hard in the 120 minutes so all the credit should go to the team, not me. Everyone should talk about the team performance as that was incredible, amazing.”
Sjoeke Nüsken, Germany midfielder: “It was such a tough game. It was a rollercoaster of feelings; it was amazing. I had the chance to make it 2-1 in the middle of the game and didn’t score. So it was tough in the beginning, but I knew we were going to do it during the penalties because we have such a good team spirit. The fans today were amazing. It was crazy. I think everyone was behind us. They were so loud and pushed us forward.”
Sjoeke Nüsken: ‘I knew Berger would save penalties’
Laurent Bonadei, France coach: “Germany defended very well in their own half; they didn’t leave any space, and it was hard to find solutions between the lines. Our passes were not fast enough. Germany deserve their qualification as they defended well and their goalkeeper made two or three saves. We were not ahead for long; we should have kept the ball and allowed no counterattacks. In a counterattack, they won a corner and equalised.”
Pauline Peyraud-Magnin, France goalkeeper: “Obviously disappointed. Disappointed to lose another quarter-final. I believed until the very end. Until the last second, the last minute, the last breath, I’ll always believe. It’s a bit of a paradox, this defeat. In the end, we impressed everyone with the way we played but we still didn’t get past the quarter-finals. You also have to credit their goalkeeper; she had an outstanding game.”
Key stats
Germany are into their record 11th semi-final, all in the last 12 editions.
France have now lost three times on penalties in the five editions since the quarter-final round was introduced, after defeats by Denmark in 2013 and the Netherlands in 2009
Germany became the first team to play their 50th Women’s EURO final tournament match.
Geyoro is the first France player to reach five career Women’s EURO final tournament goals.
Nüsken’s equaliser made this the first Women’s EURO final tournament to reach 100 goals.
34,128 is a record crowd for a Women’s EURO quarter-final, beating the mark set only yesterday for Spain vs Switzerland in Bern. In total, 112,535 watched the four quarter-final ties.
Jérôme Vitoux, France reporter
France were once again unable to overcome their long-time nemesis in UEFA Women’s EUROs. The early penalty may have given Les Bleues hope, but the mental strength of the German team proved extraordinary. Despite the heartbreak, this French side has thrilled its fans throughout the tournament – and that, above all, must not be forgotten.
Germany are through to the semi-finals after an all-time classic contest with France. Despite finding themselves a player down for the majority of the match, they have done themselves and their fans proud with a hard-fought and passionate performance. With this spirit pushing them on, there’s no limit to how far they can go in the competition.
Fantasy star performers
Ann-Katrin Berger (Germany) – 8 points
Grace Geyoro (France) – 7
Sophia Kleinherne (Germany) – 7
Pauline Peyraud-Magnin (France) – 7
Line-up
France: Peyraud-Magnin; De Almeida (N’Dongala 112), Mbock Bathy (Sombath 85), Lakrar, Bacha; Geyoro (Majri 112), Jean-François, Karchaoui; Cascarino (Malard 76), Katoto (Mateo 76), Diani (Baltimore 67)
Germany: Berger; Linder (Kleinherne 20), Knaak, Hendrich, Kett (Cerci 114); Senss (Däbritz 120), Minge, Nüsken; Brand (Dallmann 120), Hoffmann (Schüller 98), Bühl
Next
Germany will face Spain in the semi-finals at Stadion Letzigrund in Zurich on Wednesday 23 July at 21:00 CET.
