Germany into semi-finals

 

THU 21 Jul 2022, Women’s European Championship – Quarter-Finals

Germany.          2                                                   Austria.      0

Magull 25’, Popp 90’

Germany beat Austria 2-0 and booked their place in the semi-finals of the European Women’s Championship at Brentford’s Community Stadium.

Irene Fuhrmann’s Austrian side was unlucky – hitting the woodwork three times and putting their local rivals under more pressure than any other side so far in the tournament.

Klara Buhl took the ball from an Austrian defender and crossed into the box where Alexandra Pop., on for her fourth goal in four games, but left the ball to Lina Magull who slotted home to give Germany 1-0 lead.  Popp got her moment in the dying minutes of the match as Austria goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger’s attempt to play out from the back backfired and Wolfsburg forward Popp nudged the ball into the net, equalling the record of Heidi Mohr who did so between 1989 and 1993 and moves within one goal of England’s Beth Mead in the battle for the Golden Boot. Martina Voss-Tecklenburg’s German side in their pursuit of a record-extending ninth European title, winning six times in a row between 1995 and 2013, and their bid for a seventh was ended by Denmark in 2017,  was lucky to beat Austria but they face stiffer competition from France or the Netherlands in the semi-final in Milton Keynes next Wednesday. Germany had ample opportunity to extend their lead at 1-0 with Buhl shooting wide when faced with an open net after having a shot from distance denied, and Popp a persistent threat.