Nations League
Olympics still possible: DFB women convince against Denmark
Alexandra Popp gave the DFB women the lead against Denmark. photo
© Sebastian Christoph Gollnow/dpa
The German national soccer players celebrate a deserved home win against Denmark – and thus preserve the dream of Paris 2024.
The German soccer players can still dream of taking part in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. After the 3:0 (2:0) in Rostock against Denmark, the selection of interim national coach Horst Hrubesch, has its fate in its own hands before the final group game on Tuesday in Wales.
Captain Alexandra Popp (14th minute), Marina Hegering (26th) and Klara Bühl (90th + 3) scored in front of 19,180 fans in the sold-out Ostseestadion.
Already at halftime there was loud applause from the stands. After 45 minutes it was 2-0 for the strong home team, which was exactly the result the Germans had hoped for. The German team was hard-working, sometimes combined well and struggled to find many solutions in the offensive game. In the end with success.
DFB team can make everything clear in Wales
After the 0:2 in the first leg, the direct comparison against the Danes now goes to the German team. While the DFB team is competing in Wales and can make everything clear with a win, the Danes are hosting Iceland at the same time. The DFB team is only the first to qualify for the four-team final tournament of the Nations League at the end of February, where the two European Olympic places will be awarded.
Against Denmark, the absence of defensive midfielder Lena Oberdorf from VfL Wolfsburg and Bayern striker Lea Schüller – both of whom had to withdraw due to injury – was hardly noticeable. In any case, Hrubesch had called six players into the starting line-up compared to the recent 2-0 win in Iceland, including captain Popp and Sjoeke Nüsken from Chelsea FC. While the recovered Popp demonstrated her header strength early on after a cross from left-back Sarai Linder, Nüsken continued to cleverly distribute the balls from central midfield.
The Germans often tried to use the flanks, where Linder and right-back Giulia Gwinn diligently pushed. The 2-0 result came from a corner that Klara Bühl took sharply in front of the goal and found the perfect receiver in Hegering. The fact that 33-year-old Hegering was shown a yellow card shortly afterwards was a nuisance – she is now missing from Wales.
Danish women harmless
Overall, there was little from the Danes, despite the many drumbeats that the “Fanklubben Blok G” gave. Sanne Troelsgaard and Amalie Vangsgaard, the double goalscorer in the first leg, still had the best chances, Merle Frohms, who was again guarding the German goal after her concussion, saved twice.
Even after the break, the DFB team, in which Leverkusen’s Elisa Senß made her debut, remained more grippy. Lohmann shot powerfully at goal, but missed the 3-0, as did Popp, who failed to hit the post. So it remained unnecessarily exciting, even if the guests seemed quite harmless. Coach Andrée Jeglertz’s team was not compensated for the absence of Bayern director Pernille Harder.
In the meantime, the German fans sent one Laola after the next through the stadium. The atmosphere suited a game in which a lot of other things were right for the Hrubesch team. Bühl set the perfect final point in stoppage time.
Information about the game at the DFB