Germany prevailed 3-2 on aggregate over France in the UEFA Women’s Nations League semifinals after a 2-2 full-time result in Caen on Tuesday in the second leg of the tie.
France’s Melvine Malard opened
the scoring just three minutes into the game, while Nicole Anyomi leveled with a worldie at the 12’ mark. Bayern Munich’s Klara Bühl blazed in a second from a tight angle shortly after half-time and nearly assisted Anyomi for a third later on, but it was disallowed after video review.
Clara Mateo gave France a chance with an 89th-minute equalizer, but Les Bleues were unable to conjure up a third and so it is Germany that advances to the Final — where a strong Spain side awaits.
Highlights available on YouTube.
This game shouldn’t have been that close
Germany controlled the first match without bringing their shooting boots and missed chances to kill the game off when it was well within grasp. The credit should go to France for a furious fight-back that began from the opening whistle and did not let up. Even down 3-1 on aggregate, going past the 80-minute mark, the French seemed to realize: wait a minute, we just need two goals. While the Germans, disappointed after Anyomi’s disallowed brace, seemed to be hanging on for dear life.
France’s openness and aggression should have resulted in more opportunities to counter for Germany, but instead it was the French who held the big advantage in shots (13-8), shots on target (7-2), corners (6-1), and big chances (3-0), per Sofascore. Germany were at times so at sixes and sevens in defense that it was attacker Jule Brand scrambling back to make crucial interventions. But sloppy play in their own third kept handing the ball and the initiative back for France, who were particularly adept at moving down the right flank.
It was down the right that France were able to work in Kadidiatou Diani, who took a few touches to freeze makeshift left-back Giulia Gwinn and whip in a cross for the on-rushing Mateo — who had somehow ghosted past multiple German defenders at the back post.
Ultimately it was enough for the Germans anyway and too little too late for France. But questions will be asked, fairly, about the German substitutions and their ability to put a game to bed. If Germany was trying to defend resolutely, well, it didn’t do that. If they were trying to keep France off the ball by staying on the front foot…they didn’t do that either.
Nicole Anyomi, take a bow
Germany had the attacking prowess today to dominate, and they needed it. Anyomi’s goal was the literal definition of top drawer, a hard reset after what threatened to be a shell-shocking French opener:
The Eintracht Frankfurt forward is being entrusted to lead the line and made the most of her opportunity today. Her disallowed goal was equally as good if not as spectacular — after hard pressing by Sjoeke Nüsken, Klara Bühl got in behind and laid a perfect cutback for Anyomi in space. She would be forgiven for rushing her shot — after all, she was in the box and getting closed down fast — but took a composed touch to work it into a much better opportunity, which she buried. Pity what looks to have been a narrow offside on Bühl.
It’s not easy keeping Bayern Munich striker Lea Schüller on the bench. But it won’t be easy to take Anyomi off, either.
Of course, fair play to our very own Big Game Bühl as well, ever the mainstay on the left. She had an absolute scorcher from what was surely an impossible angle to put Germany up 2-1.
Stina Johannes the lifeguard
It was this summer that Gotham FC shot-stopper Ann-Katrin Berger was Germany’s hero in a dramatic penalty shootout win over France at EURO 2025. Today, Johannes surely has a shout for player of the match honors in another cracker of a game. The VfL Wolfsburg keeper made five saves to help her side withstand the French barrage.
Spain — beatable?
If Germany got through France, Spain absolutely walked over Sweden with a 5-0 aggregate win over two legs that was 4-0 heading into today. Sweden looked, well, more alive in the second one and it took a late Alexia Putellas goal to break the deadlock. But of course, the state of the tie was what it was.
Germany should offer a sterner test and in the matchup against Spain we will see two teams that like to keep hold of the ball. In July, it was a match decided in extra time by the tightest of margins. Expect more of the same, though Spain certainly looks extremely on its game at the moment.
