Disappointment in the European Championship semi-finals: DFB women lose 0-1 against Spain!

Disappointment in the European Championship semi-finals: DFB women lose 0-1 against Spain!

On July 24, 2025, a decisive day for German women's footballers will go down in the history books. In the European Championship semi-finals they were beaten by Spain 0-1 after extra time. The decisive goal came in the 113th minute from Aitana Bonmatí, and it was a moment that ended the DFB Women's hopes of another final.

The game took place at the Letzigrund Stadium in Zurich, where 22,432 spectators gathered, including Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The atmosphere was tense and the German team went into the game full of confidence. Despite a certified superiority of 78% ball possession at half-time, the goal failed to materialize, which frustrated the players and fans alike.

An exciting duel with changes due to injuries

National coach Christian Wück had to adjust the starting eleven in three positions compared to the quarter-final against France. Sjoeke Nüsken and Kathrin Hendrich were missing due to suspensions, while Sarai Linder was unable to compete due to injury. Sara Däbritz and debutante Sophia Kleinherne, among others, jumped into this breach. Despite these challenges, the defensive line-up did its job not allowing a goal until extra time.

Klara Bühl had a great chance to take the lead in the first half, but was denied by Spanish goalkeeper Cata Coll. A header from Paredes, which hit the post in the 45th minute, could have given Spain the lead. Tensions and uncertainty hovered over the game, while the game was characterized by high intensity.

The decisive goal conceded

In the second half, the Germans' defensive work continued to stabilize, but they lacked the necessary bite in attack to create clear chances. The game then seemed to be going into extra time when the shock came when the decisive goal was conceded. In the 113th minute, Aitana Bonmatí shot from a tight angle past Ann-Katrin Berger, who ultimately took responsibility for the goal despite strong performances in this tournament.

With this defeat, Germany missed revenge for the lost 2022 European Championship final and ended the tournament prematurely. The Spanish team is now in the final and will face the defending champions from England. The DFB women had previously been unbeaten in their last eight meetings against Spain, but on this day the Spaniards were the luckier ones.

The disappointment after the game was clearly noticeable, but Wück emphasized the committed performance of his players. “It's just disappointing,” he summed up, and the German team's thoughts on future challenges must now be a priority again.