Germany, the team that caused Spain the most problems in last summer’s European Cup, tonight played the most complete match against an opponent since a 4-0 defeat to Japan in the 2023 World Cup. Patriotism dies It came like a storm on a cold night in Kaiserslautern in the first leg of the UEFA Nations League final. The Germans subdued the world champions with an impressive performance: they dominated possession and besieged La Roja, the team with the most possession in the world, in their own stadium for almost the entire match. The second leg in the Metropolitano next Tuesday was almost a miracle as Cata saved the set with several huge saves in the heads-up.
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Objectives
Judgment Juliana Elena Dimitrescu
Yellow cards Laia Alexandri (18 minutes) and Jules Brand (68 minutes)
Sonia Bermudez changed her lineup against Sweden in the semifinals. With Ester Gonzalez already recovered and on call, the Vallecan coach opted to place the European Cup top scorer at the top, accompanied by Mariona and Pena on the wings. As in Barcelona, Laia compensated for the loss of Patri in the pivot, with Aitana and Alexia in depth. Spain’s engine room, the place from which the course of the match was decided, was bogged down from the start by the stifling and forward pressure of its rival. La Roja looked like a drifting ship every time he tried to build it. The attacks faltered in their own half as Berger watched from the goal as her teammates stole and fired electric transitions towards Kata. Already in the first moments, the Barcelona goalkeeper blocked a shot from Puhl and saw how Aniomi’s cross hit the left post in a clear counterattack that was poorly resolved by the Eintracht striker.
The team led by Bermudez not only did not get close to Berger’s goal, but was unable to defend itself with possession. The Germans, who were more powerful in duels, dominated all aspects of the game: their set-piece attacks bypassed the Spanish lines, their transitions were poison arrows towards the cata goal and in clashes they won every split ball.
The Germany game flowed primarily through the communication of Brand and Pohl, the two most dangerous players on the team. The Lyon winger turned in the middle of the field and played a wonderful pass behind the defense that left Kit alone past the Spanish goalkeeper. Kata narrowed the space and stretched out to avoid the goal from the side. She also frustrated Bühl herself in a similar action after Paredes saved another trademark attempt on the line.
Spain went to the locker room after a corner kick taken by Puhl hit the post after a defensive error. The break seemed to reorganize La Roja’s ball, which finally appeared in Berger’s penalty area at the start of the second section when Alexia’s cross shot went wide after a diagonal shot and Esther hit the crossbar after a cross from Mariona. The mirage lasted only ten minutes Patriotism dies And raise the pressure level again.
The Germans looked like crocodiles: they bit with extraordinary force at every movement and pushed their opponent little by little into the area. A corner kick went across the Kata area before Bohl hit the right post after a brilliant shot. Long unrecognizable Spain also found no composure on the ball with the introduction of Eva Navarro and Athens and the debut of Edna Emadi. The team resisted the German attacks with all they could after a cross from Brand hit the crossbar and their opponent failed to score after circling the Kata area repeatedly. The goalkeeper and three sticks rescued the group in their worst match in over two years, and will go into the final with everything open on Tuesday at the Estadio Metropolitano despite seeing Spain’s worst game today.