Ann-Katrin Berger produced a goalkeeping masterclass to drag 10-player Germany into the Euro 2025 semi-finals, prevailing 6-5 on penalties after a gripping 1-1 draw with France in Basel. Germany played nearly the entire match a player short after Kathrin Hendrich was sent off in the 13th minute for pulling Griedge Mbock’s hair, a dismissal that also yielded a penalty. Grace Geyoro converted, becoming France’s all-time leading scorer at Women’s European Championships.
Germany responded bravely despite the numerical deficit. Sjoeke Nüsken darted to the near post to meet Klara Bühl’s corner and looped a clever header into the far side for the equaliser. France twice thought they had restored their lead only for offside calls to intervene: Delphine Cascarino’s inventive back‑heel before half-time, and later a Geyoro finish after Berger denied Marie-Antoinette Katoto, scrubbed when Maëlle Lakrar was judged to interfere.
The drama barely relented. Selma Bacha’s clumsy challenge on the outstanding Jule Brand brought Germany a second-half penalty, but Nüsken’s effort at a comfortable height was pushed away by Pauline Peyraud‑Magnin. Extra time belonged to Berger. Back‑pedalling desperately, she clawed a looping deflection from teammate Janina Minge off the line with one hand while falling backwards an astonishing, momentum-turning save. France later rattled the crossbar in the 120th minute but could not find a winner.
The shootout encapsulated Germany’s famed nerve. Berger buried her own kick, then made two stops, the second from Alice Sombath in sudden death, to seal progression. Germany converted six attempts; France five. The record eight-time European champions now face world champions Spain in Wednesday’s semi-final in Zurich.
Afterward, head coach Christian Wück praised the resilience and collective discipline that underpinned the comeback, noting how his players reorganised into a compact, hard‑running block that frustrated France’s usually fluent attack. Opposite number Laurent Bonadei dismissed talk of a psychological barrier yet accepted his side must turn progress into silverware. This latest quarter‑final exit their fourth in the past five Women’s Euro tournaments extends the nation’s wait for a first major women’s trophy.
In a tournament where penalties have been anything but routine, Berger’s anticipation and resolve shifted the mood inside St Jakob-Park and epitomised Germany’s competitive steel. Surviving more than 100 minutes a player light and waves of French pressure, they head to Zurich carrying hard‑earned belief and a goalkeeper in inspired form. Geyoro’s early strike already feels a distant memory by tonight.
