Germany muscle past Denmark in Group C

Germany 2 Denmark 1

July 8 – Germany maintained their perfect start to Euro 2025 with a 2-1 comeback victory against Denmark to close in on the knockout phase. 

In a cagey affair, Germany laboured but came good in the second half with goals from Sjoeke Nusken and Lea Schuller to claim a victory that left Denmark on the brink of elimination. Amid a lot of scrappiness, body checks and endless VARS, Germany restored their dominance following Amalie Vangsgaard’s first-half strike that put Denmark ahead. Germany had passed their first major test of the tournament.

In midfield, the pivot of Nusken and Elisa Senss worked well and striker Schuller, flanked by Jule Brand and Klara Buehl, provided plenty of danger in the final third, but the first half was also a reminder of German fragility at the back.

After 26 minutes, Denmark silenced the St. Jakob Park, where about 16,000 German fans were enjoying the afternoon sunshine and a good start from their side, with a cool finish from Vangsgaard. She had capitalised on poor defending by Schuller, who tracking back lost sight of the ball.

Denmark’s number 21 drove through the channel and beat Germany’s goalkeeper at her near post. Perhaps, Ann-Katrin Berger should have done better, but, as it was, Denmark were in the lead, leaving the record eighth-time European champion stunned. The industrious Janni Thomsen almost doubled the lead with a dangerous attempt across the face of goal.

Germany’s good start had been erased. Buehl, perhaps their best player, had the ball in the back of the net in the 18th minute following a schoolbook German attack on the right, but the VAR ruled out the strike for offside. The Germans were left even more frustrated when the video technology chalked off a 37th-minute penalty. Frederikke Thogersen’s handball, it was adjudged, happened outside the box.

Even so, Christian Wuck’s team took full control and kept knocking on the door with a bombardment of long-distance attempts, including a looping volley from Sarai Linder. Denmark held everyone behind the line of the ball, except for captain Pernille Harder. They resisted the fired-up Germans with a collective defensive block and lurked on the counter. Vangsgaard took another punt but Berger tipped the ball over the bar

For the first time in the tournament, Germany were behind. The second half then was a major test of Wuck’s team and Germany kept peppering the Danish goal in search of an equaliser. They were rewarded in the 56th minute with a penalty after the referee ruled that Katrine Veje, already on a yellow, had clipped Linda Dallman. Nusken converted the spot kick, 1-1.

In dramatic fashion, Germany got the lead when Denmark took out their own player Emma Snerle with a bad clearance and Wuck’s team collected the ball and striker Lea Schuller swept the ball into the far corner in the 56th minute. It was ruthless from Germany. Snerle stayed on the floor and required treatment. She limped off disoriented. She had taken the ball square in the face and perhaps the referee should have stopped play earlier because of Snerle’s head incident.

With the next attack, Schuller almost scored Germany’s third with a glancing header. The Germans were queuing and substitute Giovanna Hoffmann was the next player to squander a chance. Germany did more than simply run down the clock and kept flooding forward as Denmark tired and ran out of options, much to the delight of the partisan crowd. To the tunes of Major Tom’s Völlig Losgelöst, they celebrated Germany’s victory.

Attended by 34,165 supporters, the match set the highest attendance for a Women’s Euros group stage match not involving the host nation.

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