Basel
\nGermany are through to the semi-finals of Euro 2025 after beating France 6-5 in a dramatic penalty shootout on Saturday night.
\nThe match had everything \u2014 an early red card, a comeback, and a nail-biting finish \u2014 but it was goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger who stole the show, saving the final spot-kick to send her team into the last four.
\nGermany booked a place in the Euro 2025 semi-finals, setting up a clash with world champions Spain. The bruising contest ended 1-1 after extra time on Saturday.
\nGermany fought back brilliantly from both a goal down and a straight red card shown to defender Kathrin Hendrich just 13 minutes in. They battled hard and eventually outlasted the French in a thrilling shootout.
\nHendrich was dismissed following a VAR review that showed her pulling Griedge Mbock Bathy\u2019s hair in the box. Grace Geyoro converted the resulting penalty, just squeezing it past Berger despite the keeper getting a strong hand to the ball.
\nUnder pressure and shorthanded, Germany found a quick response. Sjoeke N\u00fcsken caught the French defence off guard by darting in to meet Klara B\u00fchl\u2019s near-post corner and heading home in the 25th minute. Germany then defended bravely, with France having two goals disallowed for offside.
\nN\u00fcsken later saw her second-half penalty saved.
\nEven before the shootout, Berger made a contender for \u2018save of the tournament\u2019 by back-pedalling and diving acrobatically to claw away Janina Minge\u2019s misjudged defensive header, keeping the scores level.
\nWith no goals in extra time, the match went to penalties. Berger gave Germany the perfect start by saving Amel Majri\u2019s effort. The French levelled the shootout when Sara D\u00e4britz struck the bar and missed.
\nBerger \u2014 a cancer survivor with a tattoo over her treatment scar that reads \u201cAll we have is now\u201d \u2014 stepped up to convert her own penalty, then secured Germany\u2019s win with a superb diving save to her left, denying 21-year-old Alice Sombath.
\nGermany will now face Spain in the semi-finals on Wednesday, the day after England play Italy in the other last-four clash.
\n\u201cWe knew we\u2019d done the hardest part by scoring first against 10 players. Penalties are always tough. It\u2019s hard on Alice \u2014 she\u2019s young and still learning. But you have to give credit to Germany,\u201d said France coach Laurent Bonadei.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Basel Germany are through to the semi-finals of Euro 2025 after beating France 6-5 in a dramatic penalty shootout on Saturday night. The match had everything \u2014 an early red card, a comeback, and a nail-biting finish \u2014 but it was goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger who stole the show, saving the final spot-kick to send her […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":491602,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-491590","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n