What a wild night it was for football fans. Germany clinched its spot in the Women’s Euro semifinals. They faced down France in a thrilling match that went all the way to penalty kicks. After 120 minutes of play, the score stood at 1-1.
The German team will now meet the current World Champion, Spain, in the semifinals. This seemed unlikely after a chaotic start. Just 13 minutes into the game, Germany’s Hendrich received a red card. This led to a penalty kick for France. Geyoro stepped up and scored at the 15-minute mark. Germany was down a player and a goal early on.
But the Germans showed incredible spirit. They didn’t hang their heads. Nusken found the net in the 26th minute, pulling her team even. Later, Nusken had a chance to win it from the penalty spot in the 69th minute. She missed, though, sending the game into extra time.
The real star of the show, however, was Germany’s goalkeeper, Ann-Katrin Berger. As the French offense kept pushing, Berger stood tall. She made save after save during regulation and extra time. Her calm presence kept Germany in the game.
When it came down to the penalty shootout, Berger became the undisputed hero. The veteran keeper saved two crucial shots, one from Majri and another from Sombath. Then, showing nerves of steel, Berger stepped up herself. She calmly scored her own penalty kick. This incredible performance sealed Germany’s path forward. It means they have reached their 11th European Championship semifinal in their last 12 tries.
The semifinal matchups are now set. Germany will battle Spain. On the other side of the bracket, defending champion England will face Italy.