Germany faces France tomorrow in the quarterfinals of EURO 2025. The Germany women had a strong if not all-cylinders-firing start to the tournament, but then fell completely apart in the final group stage match against Sweden.
It was the kind of heart-breaking collapse that usually means the end of a team’s run, only this time it came in a match that only impacted which side of the knockout bracket they would end up on. Could that be a blessing in disguise?
The Germans have now had a full week to mull
it over and reset before facing France tomorrow (Saturday) at 3:00 PM EDT. They’ll be counting on another strong showing from their fans in Basel, where they helped set a group stage attendance record for a non-host nation match in their contest against Denmark.
“Of course, we’re hoping for a lot of German fans,” Bayern Munich winger Klara Bühl said in comments captured by Sport1. “[Against Denmark] we realized what a decisive factor it can be when you realize that a lot of people are behind you and cheering on your team. That helped us a lot in the game.”
Germany coach Christian Wück also discussed the opportunity for his side to put the loss to Sweden behind them, and promised that he and his staff have found a ‘good solution’ for the challenge ahead.
“It’s clear to everyone that [France] have a top-notch attacking line. They have players they can replace one-on-one, not just on the field but also on the bench. That gives them tremendous power and speed. We have to adapt to that, of course. We know we have the same strengths in our team, including in attack. It will be crucial who can control the other team’s offense. That’s why I believe we’ve found a strategy that can well reflect this variability between offense and defense,” Wück explained in comments captured via DFB.de.
Lineups
How might Germany line up? How about like this, as proposed by Munich journalist Marie Schulte-Bockum on Bluesky:
Wen — und wie — würdet ihr die #DFBFrauen gegen Frankreich aufstellen? Hier wäre jedenfalls meine Idee… …meine Wunsch-S11 ist dann trotz viel Kritik (von mir!) an #Wück in der vergangenen Woche doch eher konservativ ausgefallen . #Kett #Freigang #WEURO25 #VierZweiDreiEins #LetsGetIt
— Marie Schulte-Bockum (@marieschubo.bsky.social) 2025-07-17T18:41:05.169Z
Sarai Linder has held down the left-back position so far but the Wolfsburg defender has not looked entirely convincing. At right-back, Kathrin Hendrich (Chicago Stars) was the makeshift substitute following Carlotta Wamser’s red card. Whether it’s her or Sophia Kleinherne (Eintracht Frankfurt), it would mean a more defensive presence on this flank.
Might that be an opportunity to switch things up and deploy Bayern Munich’s 20-year-old Franziska Kett — a winger-turned-left-back for the national team — for some positional asymmetry? It would be a big call. Kett hasn’t played a single minute at these EUROs so far.
In attacking midfield, neither Linda Dallmann (Bayern) nor Laura Freigang (Frankfurt) have fully grabbed hold of the spot. Freigang started against Sweden but was hooked at half-time for new Manchester City midfielder Sydney Lohmann after Wamser’s red card.
Germany’s EURO run so far
Read up on our coverage of Germany’s EURO to date:
- Germany 2-0 Poland: Live Thread | Match Awards | Observations
- Germany 2-1 Denmark: Live Thread | Match Awards | Observations
- Sweden 4-1 Germany: Live Thread | Match Awards | Observations
Predictions
Germany is well-rested and sure to bring the intensity against France. France have depth and power and it is hard to bet against them grinding out a result over 90 or 120 minutes. But we will predict with our hearts: Germany races out to an early two-goal lead and just about hang on.
3-2, Germany in 90’ plus stoppage time. And onto Spain!
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