Lea Schüller: Secret weapon for DFB women in the European Championship quarter-finals!

Lea Schüller: Secret weapon for DFB women in the European Championship quarter-finals!

When the DFB women meet France in the quarter-finals of the European Football Championship on Saturday at 9 p.m., there will not only be a tricky sporting challenge, but also a completely different highlight: the German team will wear white anniversary jerseys, combined with black shorts and socks. Sports show reports that assistant coach Maren Meinert emphasizes that goal scorer Lea Schüller in particular needs to be better integrated into the game. Schüller has already scored two goals in this European Championship and is considered the DFB's top scorer.

An exciting comeback for Schüller, who was substituted after 66 minutes in the group games against Poland, Denmark and Sweden. Their ball contacts were rather low at 21, 14 and 17, which is why Meinert and vice-captain Sjoeke Nüsken emphasize even more how important it is to showcase Schüller better in the future. Since the retirement of Alexandra Popp, the player has established herself in a central role in the attack and has increased her personal goalscoring rate to 54 goals in 78 international matches, as the South Germans documented.

Starting points for the match against France

The DFB women will probably have to make some playful changes in the quarter-finals. Meinert has already announced “adjustments” to perform better against the dynamic French team, who have gained momentum after the 4-1 defeat against Sweden. At the back, the players around captain Giulia Gwinn, who will support the team in the stadium despite injury, will need a more stable defensive line-up. Guad the mood in the team seems to have improved, as Sjoeke Nüsken reports, and Almuth Schult is also optimistic and expects a defiance reaction after the latest defeat. DFB saw great potential in the team, which was already visible at the Olympic Games.

It will also be important that the wingers Jule Brand and Klara Bühl can maintain their form from the preliminary round. Brand had 55, 44 and 57 ball contacts in the group games, while Bühl impressed with 70, 93 and 64. These two could provide Schüller with crucial balls, as it of course depends on the different playing styles of the German team.

The French opponent

France, on the other hand, come into the game with a strong performance after beating the Netherlands 5-2, led by Delphine Cascarino, who scored two goals. The DFB team watched the game in the hotel, although some of the German team's players collapsed due to fatigue after the first half. This quarter-final match promises a lot of excitement, and some voices like Lara Dickenmann's are already warning against the clear favorites France.

The upcoming match will also show to what extent the DFB can build on its recent achievements. The team is required to act compactly in order to be able to hold their own against the fast French women. The switch to an aggressive two-man game and the use of long balls could be crucial here. The development of the game under the new national coach Christian Wück will certainly also have an impact here, as he has emphasized further developing the players and making better use of their strengths. Sports show expects that the DFB team can start the game with the right momentum to perhaps create a surprise!