July 4 – With no injury concerns, Germany will look to back up their credentials as title contenders at Euro 2025 with a convincing showing against Poland in their opening match in Group C.
The mood in the German camp has been one of optimism and confidence. While they may not be the top favourites in Switzerland, they, as a traditional powerhouse in the European game, believe in their own abilities. Perhaps Euro 2025 has come at the right time for Germans.
“We’re here to win this title. I believe we have it in us,” emphasised manager Christian Wück (pictured), who can count on a full squad after a few minor niggles in the team. “We can really do it. The game against Poland will be the most important thing for us to get into the flow.”
Senior player Janina Minge added: “Of course there’s a certain amount of pressure, but we’re aware of how good we are. And we’re trying to worry as little as possible.”
The Germans exude such confidence in no small part because of convincing wins in their warmup matches. They defeated Austria 6-0, but the 4-0 win against Netherlands was more significant. Something happened in that match to swing the momentum Germany’s way. At least that is how Wuck sees it: “Something happened in the game against the Netherlands. It’s hard to put your finger on it. But something happened – in the team structure and in the team’s conviction.”
In qualifying, Germany defeated Poland 4-1 and 3-1, but Wuck has warned for the opening match: “We have to work hard and deliver our best performance over the full 90 minutes. We have to push ourselves to the limit to be successful.”
Debutants at the European championship, Poland have been unbeaten for a year. In their final warmup friendly, they beat Ukraine 4-0, but Germany represent a different test altogether. Ewa Pajor, the FC Barcelona striker, is the team’s superstar, but Natalia Padilla-Bidas and Tanja Pawollek are among the players that add quality to the roster. They both ply their trade in Germany.
Manager Nina Palaton, who has been one of the architect’s of Poland’s rise, relishes the role of underdogs. She said: “During the training camp before departing for Switzerland, we made sure everyone had enough space and time for themselves. Our strength is that we like each other, so spending so many days together isn’t a big challenge.
“We’ve known who we’ll be playing against for many months, so we tried to improve certain aspects of our European Championship preparation during the Nations League spring games, including for the match against Germany. We have a plan for every game.”
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