Women's EURO team guide: Germany
Wednesday, February 2, 2022
Article summary
Can the eight-time European champions return to the top after an unexpected early exit at UEFA Women's EURO 2017?
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Group B fixtures
Friday 8 July
Germany vs Denmark (21:00 CET, Brentford)
Tuesday 12 July
Germany vs Spain (21:00 CET, Brentford)
Saturday 16 July
Finland vs Germany (21:00 CET, Milton Keynes)
How they qualified: Group I winners (P8 W8 D0 L0 F46 A1)
Women's EURO best: Winners (1989, 1991, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2005, 2009, 2013)
Women's EURO 2017: Quarter-finals
Key player: Svenja Huth
At 31, Huth is as impactful an attacking force as ever, whether down the wing or in the middle supporting the forward, as shown by her displays for Wolfsburg. Creative and speedy, a leader and fine decision-maker.
One to watch: Lea Schüller
Voted the national team's 2021 Player of the Year by fans, the Bayern München striker has scored at an impressive rate for Germany (not too far off an average of a goal a game) and her extraordinary pace and dribbling skills have seen her picked out as 'the female Marco Reus'.
Coach: Martina Voss-Tecklenburg
A four-time Women's EURO winner as a player, Voss-Tecklenburg made her Germany debut at 16, so knows what young players need to do to step up at senior level. Hired to rebuild the Nationalmannschaft in 2018, Voss-Tecklenburg had been in charge of Switzerland for six years, leading them to their first World Cup finals. She has said that a semi-final appearance should be Germany's minimum goal for UEFA Women's EURO 2022.
Tactics
Under Voss-Tecklenburg, Germany have often deployed a 4-3-3 formation, with a flexible front line and full-backs pushing up in support. It is a thrilling, fast-paced style which demands skilled technicians in midfield. Germany have immense strength in that department: there are at least six candidates to be first-choice in midfield at the finals, and the standard of players in the squad means they can adjust their personnel to rise to any challenge.
Pedigree
Winning six consecutive titles from 1995 to 2013, Germany dominated European women's football for 20 years, but with the standard of competition rising, the Nationalmannschaft struggled to fill gaps left by key players retiring. Quarter-final exits at the 2017 Women's EURO and 2019 World Cup were a shock to a team accustomed to success. Lessons were learned, though, and Germany hope a good mix of youth and experience will restore them to the throne.