Pre-tournament review
Germany has been a powerhouse in European women’s football since the end of the 1980s. Starting from 1989 it has won eight European Championships, two World Cups and the Olympic Gold. Even though its mantra of invincibility has somewhat faded in recent years, Germany is still by default seen as a favourite in any international tournament it enters. But is being the most titled side enough to match the qualities and ambitions of other favourites in Women’s Euro 2022?
Let’s see, how well the German side performed the last few seasons, what are its strengths and weaknesses, how comfortable it feels in the ‘Group of Death’, and how it compares to other favourites.
Playing style & Strengths
Apart from its countless titles, there are many more factors, which make Germany an opponent to fear. Its experienced manager, who knows how to win European Championships, its attacking midfield and a perfect balance of youth and experience are among the most evident.
Martina Voss-Tecklenburg, Germany’s manager since 2019, is not a stranger to Women’s Euro. Twice Women’s Footballer of the Year in Germany, she has 125 caps for the German national team, with whom she became European champion in 1989, 1991, 1995, and 1997.
Voss-Tecklenburg’s preferred formation is 4-3-3. She expects her side to play attacking football and to quickly switch to aggressive counter-pressing when losing possession. Germany’s squad is filled with talented attack-minded players, which perfectly fits with an attacking playing style envisioned by its manager. As a result of a well-coordinated team effort in and out of possession, this side scores consistently many goals and concedes very little.
Germany does not really have the one ‘star’ striker, nor does it seem to need one. When attacking, this team does not count on its forwards only. Its midfielders such as Lina Magull, Svenja Huth and Sara Däbritz are just as excellent as finishers as they are as creators.
Another strength, which has long been a feature of the German side, is that it perfectly blends youth and experience. Its youngest players, such as Lena Oberdorf (20) and Klara Bühl (21), are already among the best in the world in their position, while Sara Däbritz, Dzsenifer Marozsan and Almuth Schult bring lots of experience as they already raised the European trophy in 2013.
If Spain is regarded as a favourite owing to Barcelona’s performance this season, the same conclusion could be made about Germany. German teams have shown a lot of class and character this year, including against top sides, as Wolfsburg defeated Chelsea (4:0) and Barcelona (2:0), Hoffenheim stunned Arsenal (4:1), and Bayern defeated Lyon (1:0). Just like in the case of Spain, the large bulk of players in Germany’s national team is composed of the best players from those clubs.
Recent performances & Weaknesses
The performance of the German side in the qualifying games for the Euros was nearly impeccable. Germany has dealt with all its opponents (Ukraine, Republic of Ireland, Greece and Montenegro) showing a lot of class, as they scored 46 goals and conceded only one (penalty from Katie McCabe). As convincing as this performance was, it does not accurately reflect the current form of Germany’s team. Due to COVID-19, the Women’s Euro was postponed by one year, so the qualifying matches which took place between August 2019 and December 2020 feel a little too far behind to draw conclusions from.
The 2023 World Cup qualifiers, international friendlies and the recent Arnold Clark Cup are much more relevant in this regard.
Germany’s nearly perfect qualification for the World Cup (Sept. 2021 – Apr. 2022), in which they scored 32 goals and conceded only two, did not end on a high note. They conceded three more in their last game against Serbia, unexpectedly lost (2:3) and failed to qualify early. This campaign has exposed two of Germany’s biggest weaknesses: inconsistency (in the first fixture they have comfortably beaten this same Serbia 5:1) and inability to display the same level of performance when playing away games.
The women’s friendlies that the German side played throughout 2021 further illustrate this tendency. Germany performed consistently well at home, as they beat Belgium (2:0), Australia (5:2) and Norway (3:1), but struggled at away games as they lost 2:1 and 1:0 to the Netherlands and France, their major European rivals. These games exposed yet another shortcoming. The German side has comfortably defeated the sides, which are not ranked within the top 10 teams in the FIFA world’s ranking, but lost to countries that (like Germany itself) are considered to be elite in women’s football and Germany’s fellow favourites in the upcoming Euros.
The Arnold Clark Cup held in February 2022 in the UK has further shown, that Germany struggles to perform at their best level when competing away against top-ranked international sides. In a span of one weak, they lost to Canada (0:1), England (3:1) and played 1:1 with Spain. (It is important to note, however, that Germany was severely hit by COVID-19 at the time of this tournament and had to do without 14 players, therefore this level of performance is not very representative).
How comfortable Germany is in the ‘Group of Death’?
Germany has been drawn into Group B, alongside Denmark (last Euro’s runners-up), Spain (whose numerous Barcelona players are hungry for a big European title like never before), and Finland (…just Finland).
Group B, also known as the ‘Group of Death’, is the toughest Group of the draw with at least three sides, whose ambitions are not beyond being crowned the Champions of Europe. Out of Germany, Denmark, Spain and Finland, only two will reach the quarter-finals. The German team is considered to be the deadliest side in the ‘Group of Death’ and has solid chances to make it to the knockout phase. Yet, with Denmark and Spain among its contenders, nothing is certain.
For the German side, the Women’s Euro will start with the game against Denmark. FIFA ranks Denmark #15 compared to Germany’s #5 (*recently demoted from #4), which is quite a gap, but it does not mean that Germany has little to worry about. It was exactly Denmark, that knocked Germany out of the tournament four years ago and reached the Euro’s final. The Danish captain and all-time top scorer Pernille Harder, Germany’s Player of the Year 2020, knows just too well how to play against German sides.
The second of Germany’s contenders, Spain (#7), has yet to make its statement on the European stage as a national team. Owing to Barcelona’s treble-winning performance this season and their Champion’s League title last season, Spain is seen as an emerging powerhouse of women’s football and as a clear favourite of the tournament. The Spanish pool of talents is not by a bit weaker than the German one, as this side can boast some of the most technically gifted players in the world, including the UEFA Player of the Year 2021 Alexia Putellas and great defenders like Irene Paredes and Mapi León.
Unlike Germany, which tends to lose to big European sides, Spain won against Denmark (3:0) and the Netherlands (1:0) last year, showing its growing ambitions. Spain and Germany have recently met on the English soil (Feb. 2022) but the strongest among them remains to be determined (1:1).
Out of all the teams in Group B, Finland is the only one that is privileged to play without carrying the heavy burden of expectations. Dramatically underestimated, this side relies on its underdog status, counts that other teams will take points from each other, and hopes to be an unpleasant surprise for its exhausted opponents.
Concluding thoughts
Minding its past glory and still relevant strengths, it would be blasphemous to call Germany an underdog. Under the management of Martina Voss-Tecklenburg, Germany remains a formidable force in European women’s football, and should not be underestimated. This footballing year with Lyon beating Barcelona in the UWCL final and Real Madrid defeating Liverpool on the men’s side has shown, that experience counts a lot when it comes to winning major titles.
My humble opinion is that Germany is not an underdog per se, but compared to other favourites, such as the hosts, England, and the reigning champions, the Netherlands, this side looks… slightly unimpressive. Germany’s lack of assertiveness in away games and inconsistent performances against top sides are the weaknesses which could be detrimental to its performance in Euros. Duelling with the best of the best is exactly the point of this tournament, and Germany has a lot to prove in July.
Written by Olesia Andersen
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