In reconquest. Eliminated in the quarter-finals at the last Euro, Germany, eight-time winner of the competition, intends to recover its throne. This Thursday, during the second quarter-final Austria paid the price, coming out at the gates of the last four for its second participation in the competition.
The Germans, however, struggled to get into the game, and came up against a solid Austrian block that was trying to come out cleanly. Like England on Wednesday, the favorites had little control in midfield and failed to establish their usual dominance in possession. The best chances were from Austria, like Georgieva’s header on the post (13′), established in central defense in place of the usual captain Schnaderbeck hit in the knee.
Faced with the intensity put into the duels by the players of Irene Fuhrmann, the Mannschaft was jostled.
Austria did everything well, thwarted the German pressing and moved forward quickly in recovery. However. In major events, each mistake is paid for in cash. A lack of concentration, an avoidable ball loss, and Lina Magull puts hers back on track (27′, 1-0). The sanction is immediate against the ultra-realistic Germans, who open the scoring with their first shot on target.
After having somehow controlled the German offensive waves on the restart, passing very close to 2-0 with the post of Gwinn (46′), the Austrians try to react and come up against the uprights again. Dunst finds the crossbar on a vicious long shot (53′), while Puntigam sees his recovery die on the post (57′).
The ball definitely does not want to shake the German nets, and Frohms has a 4th clean sheet in as many games in the competition.
Buhl could have put hers away at the end of the game – she hits the crossbar (78′) then misses the inevitable (82′) – but it is captain Alexandra Popp, like a symbol, who definitely qualifies the Germany in the semi-finals. With surgical efficiency, she scored her 4th goal in 4 games for her first euro (the 31-year-old striker had been injured in previous editions), countering a clearance from Zinsberger (89′).
The Germans eliminate a deserving Austrian team in Brentford in front of 16,000 spectators. Alexandra Popp’s teammates will have two additional days off compared to their opponents, France or the Netherlands.