Germany overcome early red card for shocking Euros semifinal berth; France collapse yet again

BASEL, Switzerland -- As Germany's goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger dropped to her knees, arms stretched retired to invited the clasp of her 22 teammates and coaching staff, the world dawned: Germany had done the unthinkable.

In the past of the Women's Euros, nary squad has ever travel backmost aft being down a subordinate -- until now. Germany bushed France successful the quarterfinals aft a seven-round punishment shootout connected Saturday, contempt being down a subordinate for astir 2 hours of gametime.

Veteran German defender Kathrin Hendrich -- a subordinate with implicit 80 caps and astatine her 5th large planetary tourney -- was shown a consecutive reddish successful the 12th infinitesimal for the petulant hair-pulling of France's skipper Griedge Mbock Bathy. It was a dreadful lapse successful judgement, becoming the quickest reddish paper successful Women's Euros history, too, and it acceptable the Germans up for the biggest combat of their lives.

And combat they did. Germany grappled for 120 minutes, with Berger astatine the bosom of the combat back, making 9 saves. One of those was an impeccable diving prevention to her right, limb stretched down her to forestall an ain extremity arsenic Janina Minge's clearance astir ended up successful her ain net. Since 2013, lone Netherlands goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar has had much saves successful a Women's Euros knockout lucifer successful 2011.

Germany were not making things casual for themselves. Sjoeke Nüsken had a punishment saved successful the 68th minute, and the erstwhile champions were struggling successful onslaught with lone 7 shots, compared to 18 from their opponents.

The bulk of referee Tess Olofsson's calls besides went against Germany, with lone a fewer being correct. She called 50 fouls crossed 120 minutes -- but lone showed 5 yellows -- making the crippled excessively halt and commencement for either squad to truly get going.

St Jakob Park had been electrical each evening, but the stadium erupted erstwhile Germany's momentum yet gathered successful other time. Despite being faced with a barrage of pacey French attacks, Germany had immoderate of the champion opportunities of the evening, and the fans were down them each the way.

Whistles, shouts and chants flooded the stadium to the constituent that immoderate French enactment was being drowned retired by echoes of boos and jibes inundating the ground.

Both teams showed awesome travelling enactment with 34,128 fans successful house. They were divided successful who they wanted to win, but they were aligned connected 1 thing: the refereeing was inconsistent and shoddy and the vocal supporters made their feelings heard.

Despite this, determination was ever a glimmer of hope, for Germany against France, with the apical European broadside having a dismal way grounds successful large tournaments.

France person ne'er beaten Germany successful a large women's tourney before, present stretching to 12 losses successful 12 games. They did decision Germany successful the Nations League finals, though it was a short-lived victory.

This is the 3rd clip France person been eliminated from the Euros successful a punishment shootout, too, a thought that apt would person been connected their minds arsenic they entered the last signifier of the game.

There was a commencement opposition successful the assemblage connection betwixt the German and French players arsenic the shootout began. The Germans were assured portion the French were nervous, immoderate not looking successful the close absorption and were visibly shaken arsenic Berger made cleanable saves.

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Laurens: France's Euro 2025 exit a 'massive failure'

Julien Laurens reacts to France's punishment shootout decision to Germany to miss retired connected a semifinal spot astatine Euro 2025.

France's struggles spell beyond punishment kicks though. This is the 4th Euros quarterfinal they've lost. In 9 large tourney quarterfinals, they've lone surpassed this signifier erstwhile -- during 2022 Euros, erstwhile they past mislaid to Germany successful the semifinals.

The French squad has, successful 7 Euros, 5 World Cups and 3 Olympics, ne'er made a tourney final. For each of their acquisition and ability, France person fallen abbreviated desperately and unforgivably abbreviated successful large tournaments. Their signifier extracurricular of Euros and World Cups poses a stark quality to their lacklustre signifier erstwhile successful a competition.

Simply put, it was the quintessential France show astatine a large tournament. They had a cleanable accidental served connected a platter to instrumentality vantage of the eight-time winners with lone 10 players connected the pitch. After facing a reddish paper successful the last radical signifier crippled to get here, Germany past mislaid 4-1 to Sweden, proving their weaknesses.

France should person learned from that radical signifier game, especially, aft redeeming the punishment which would person surely sealed their fate. The accidental was determination to rattle the erstwhile champions, but France were incapable to instrumentality it.

They could not conjure an onslaught worthy of stealing backmost a lead. They were consistently profligate, with 2 goals were disallowed owed to offside and lone fractional of their 18 shots were connected target. That being said, Germany's defence was stalwart, organised and they frustrated France, forcing them into mediocre determination making and applying unit to marque the last interaction ineffective.

They volition beryllium celebrating agelong into the nighttime but look a agelong betterment up of them earlier facing Spain successful the semifinal connected Wednesday. They volition request to fig a program retired quickly, particularly arsenic they'll beryllium without Nusken (yellow car accumulation) and Hendrich (red card) on with Guilia Gwinn's extended lack (knee injury), arsenic their profligacy successful beforehand of extremity volition not suffice against the World Champions.

France are present backmost to the drafting board. With their tourney grounds continuing to get worse, contempt important changes nether caller manager Laurent Bonadei and a fresh-faced squad, the curse has continued. Perhaps the daze omission of Wendie Renard, Eugénie Le Sommer and Kenza Dali has wounded their run much than archetypal realised.

The inquest is improbable to beryllium pretty, but with a World Cup successful 2 years, France person clip to hopefully conjure immoderate answers. Germany, meanwhile, are 1 measurement person to reaching a second-straight Euros final.