Germany wishes to reach the semifinals of the Women’s Euros for an unprecedented tenth time but first had to face the hurdle of Austria also willing to reach the stage for only the second time after 2017.
Die Nationalelf ticked all the boxes in the group stages conceding none and scoring nine in a group consisting of last year’s finalist Denmark and fellow quarterfinalist Spain. On the other hand, Austria did their business in the final group game with a 1-0 win over distorted Norway 1-0 to progress to the quarterfinals.
GER vs AUT Match Details
Date: Thursday, 21st July 2022/ Friday, 22nd July 2022
Time: 20:00 (BST)/ 00:30 (IST)
Venue: Community Stadium, Brentford
GER vs AUT Match Preview
Many tipped the Germans to struggle in a group branded as the ‘group of death’ but they came out with flying colours. The team showed their royalty in the contest of being the record champions in the tournament starting with a 4-0 thrashing of Denmark and following it up with a qualification sealer 2-0 professional win over Spain. They even scored three more goals in the final game against Finland, a match with nothing to play for, to prove no casualness in their approach. Germany have now escaped the group stages for the seventh consecutive edition of the Euros since the tournament was introduced in 1997. Boss Martina Voss-Tecklenburg will be happy to see her side’s ruthless nature to silence all critics before even the tournament began. Next to England, Germany have progressed without conceding a single goal and containing the in-form goal-scorer Alexandra Popp having the Euros of her dream. Their discipline at the back has been the key to preventing opposition from having any real say against them. Austria will be a tricky opposition to face as Germany will have a task in their hand to find solutions to open up their low block with a check on counter-attacks. Die Nationalelf is yet to be tested to their limits and knows they can’t pause here after a delightful campaign in the Euros so far. All is needed is professionalism again to tie up with a semifinal against France or Netherlands.
Austria was slapped with the underdog tag in their debut tournament in 2017 as well but they turned everyone’s head by ending in the semifinals of all teams in the last edition. Topping the group against France and then striking out Spain in the quarterfinals on penalties was the stuff of dreams for the newcomers. Something similar, if not the same, the Austrians have done at this tournament too. Sharing the group with England and former winners Norway is tough but Irene Fuhrmann’s side proved football is played on the pitch and not on some assumptions on paper by earning the qualification to the last eight. Facing the hosts in the opening game is a whole different challenge but they manage to restrict the goal-scoring goliath to just one strike, also troubling them on a few occasions. Celebrations started early after the 2-0 win over Northern Ireland which followed the all-important 1-0 win over fragile Norway in the final group stage game. The strength of Austria has been their unity and sticking to their game plan of protecting first then inflicting damage on the opposition. The same strategy they used to move themselves to the last four in 2017. Making into the quarterfinals, Austria faced Spain at that time and now Germany so they must be aware of the kind of opposition to face in the later rounds. Irene Fuhrmann wants her team to repeat the miracle in trying to frustrate mighty Germany like they did with La Roja. End of the ninety minutes or extra time or even penalties will say if Austria find themselves in the semi-final dreamland again.
Recent Form
GER: LWWWW
AUT: WLLWW
GER vs AUT Team News
Good news for Germany is striker Lea Schuller has tested negative and will return back to training in coming days depending on certain tests but there is no official confirmation yet of her making it to the squad for the quarterfinal clash. Top scorer for the team, Alexandra Popp is expected to retain her place after scoring in three straight games in her first ever Euros. There are other returnees to the team in the form of Felicitas Rauch and Lena Oberdorf after serving their one-match suspensions causing them to miss the win over Finland. They will slot right back into their starting spot as will Lina Magull who has shaken off a thigh injury. Lena Lattwein, Linda Dallmann and Sophia Kleinherne will dropped to the bench. Defender Marina Hegering is walking on a thin edge as she is one booking away from missing the semi-finals should Germany make it there. Her impact at the back has been gigantic.
Austria are hoping to have Viktoria Schnaderbeck back in the defence by overcoming a knee injury. The Arsenal defender has mended a strong partnership with Carina Wenninger in the back four that leaked only one goal with Manuele Zinsberger making eight saves in the group stages. In the attack, the Austrians are boosted by the news of Katharina Naschenweng coming back from Covid and listing herself to the squad for this massive game. The Hoffenheim winger has a goal to her name and missed the qualification decider for the last eight against Norway. However, she won’t be available from the start for obvious reasons with Julia Hicklesberger-Fuller retaining her spot in the team on the right with the player of the match Barbara Dunst continuing on the left where she has looked more dangerous than on the opposite flank of the pitch.
GER vs AUT Predicted Lineups
GER: Merle Frohms; Giulia Gwinn, Kathrin Hendrich, Marina Hegering, Felicitas Rauch; Lena Oberdorf, Sara Dabritz, Lina Magull; Svenja Huth, Alexandra Popp, Klara Buhl
AUT: Manuele Zinsberger; Laura Wienroither, Carina Wenninger, Viktoria Schnaderbeck, Verena Hanshaw; Sarah Puntigam, Hicklesberger-Fuller, Sarah Zadrazil, Laura Feiersinger, Barbara Dunst; Nicole Billa
GER vs AUT Dream11 Team Prediction
GK: Frohms (8.5)
DEF: Gwinn (9), Hendrich (8.5), Hegering (8.5), Hanshaw (9)
MID: Dunst (8.5), Dabritz (8.5), Puntigam (9), Magull (9)
FW: Billa (9.5), Popp (10.5)
Frohms has been the best goalkeeper of the tournament with three clean sheets and the best save percentage than anyone else.
Marina Hegering has been one of the best in her role for Germany and received the player of the match award against Spain
Verena Hanshaw provided the crucial assist for the win against Norway in the last game and has been a constant threat from left-back position throughout the group stages
So has been Barbara Dunst when she switched her place from the right providing an edge to Austria’s attacks
Nicole Billa got her first goal in the tournament which ultimately clinch the quarterfinal berth for her side in the final game
Germany’s reliable number nine, Alexandra Popp has been one of the best scorers of the tournament finding the back of the net in three group games in a row.
