The German women’s national soccer team achieved the victory they had hoped for in the Nations League. The team coached by legendary coach Horst Hrubesch beat Wales 5-1 (1-1) on Friday evening (October 27, 2023).
After 25 minutes, Lea Schüller headed the DFB team into the lead. Shortly before half-time, Wales equalized through Ceri Holland (43′). Schüller shot Hrubesch’s team back in front shortly after the break (46′). Giulia Gwinn finally put the DFB women on the road to victory with a penalty kick. Shortly before the end of the game, Rihanna Roberts deflected a shot from Sjoeke Nüksen to make it 4:1 (86th), with her first touch of the ball Nicole Anyomi increased the score to 5:1 (88th).
The women’s team thus put pressure on Denmark, which is in first place in Group 3 with three wins from three games. Germany lost to Denmark in their first game after the botched World Cup, but then beat Iceland convincingly.
Only the first one will advance to the Nations League final tournament, where two tickets for the Olympic Games in Paris will be awarded at the beginning of 2024.
Despite the victory, Hrubesch names weaknesses
After the great victory on his debut at the sports show, Hrubesch said: “I didn’t have any doubts. I said at half-time: We have to reward ourselves for the effort. But you have to be honest and say: We lack security. We allow a chance to score and get the equalizer. That can’t actually be the case.”
Substitute captain Svenja Huth said: “The only drawback in the first half was the conversion of chances. We played with a lot of enthusiasm, let the ball and opponents run a lot at times and rewarded ourselves with five goals.”
A lot of steam in the German team
In the game, which was affected by the complications surrounding the actual national coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg, the German team started with a lot of forward momentum in the first game under the experienced DFB coach Horst Hrubesch. The result was quick chances from Laura Freigang (5th) and especially Marina Hegering (9th), but Germany was denied the lead. Wales were also lucky in the early stages when Holland shot the ball into his own face during a rescue operation, from where the ball flew just past the left post and into the side netting
The German team made a lot of progress, especially on the wings. And that bore fruit in the 25th minute: Sarai Linder, who was conspicuous throughout the game, crossed from the baseline into the center of the attack, where Lea Schüller was free to head in to make it 1-0. Up to this point, Germany had shot on goal seven times, Wales not once, and the ball possession rate from a German perspective was 80 percent.
Wales: one shot, one hit
After the goal, Hrubesch’s team increasingly lost their dominance, but without letting Wales come into the game decisively. Laura Freigang still had a chance to make it 2-0, but was denied by Welsh keeper Olivia Clark when she made a quick move forward from a half-right position.
And suddenly Wales were celebrating: On the visitors’ only advance, the German defense concentrated too much on the center, so that Sophie Ingle was able to cross freely from the right, Angharad James artistically passed it on in the middle and Holland, unmarked, was able to push the ball over the line from close range . Giulia Gwinn was close, but behind the Welsh goalscorer.
Successful coaching from “Hotte” Hrubesch
The blow to the neck right before the break was right. But Horst “Hotte” Hrubesch reacted – and immediately with resounding success. Shortly after the restart, substitute Linda Dallmann delivered an exemplary cross from the right to Schüller, who once again scored like a textbook header to give Germany the lead again. It was Schüller’s 35th goal in his 53rd international match.
National coach Horst Hrubesch
A little later, Wales were lucky that their overwhelmed defense had Clark behind them. Gwinn once again crossed from the right to Klara Bühl, who was denied from very close range by the keeper, who was again reacting brilliantly (49′).
Wales almost succeeded with minimal effort
Similar to the first part of the game, the German team was once again superior and seemed to be able to stabilize the good playing structure: Linder only missed a volley from a distance after a corner.
However, the Welsh only needed one and a half approaches to the goal to take the breath away of the spectators in Sinsheim: Kayleigh Green received a cross from the strong Holland in the 68th minute, but did not get enough pressure behind the ball. The DFB team was ahead again the efficiency of the guests.
In the end, Germany is simply too strong
But then the redeeming third goal: Ingle had wrestled Hegering to the ground before a corner, and the referee immediately pointed to the penalty spot. Gwinn stepped up and powerfully sank the ball with the help of the underbar to make it 3-1.
In the final phase, Wales was knocked out standing Nüsken used a cross from Dallmann, her shot was deflected unstoppably by Roberts. The DFB team prepared the next goal again from the left, Anyomi slipped in a deflected cross and pushed the ball over the line for Germany’s fifth goal.
The German women will play in Iceland on October 31st, then in what is expected to be the decisive game for group victory against Denmark (1.12.23) and again against Wales on December 5th. “The result will of course help the girls,” hoped Hrubesch.