Germany Coach Warns His Players That They Will ‘have To Suffer’ Against Spain

The Germany coach, Christian Wück, has said his players must “do a batch of chasing” and “suffer” successful bid to hit Spain successful Zurich connected Wednesday and scope nan Euro 2025 final.

Spain, nan world champions, are clear favourites aft winning each of their 4 games successful Switzerland, scoring 16 goals. Germany mislaid 4-1 to Sweden successful nan group shape and had to spell nan region against France successful nan quarter-final, winning connected penalties contempt having had Kathrin Hendrich sent disconnected aft 13 minutes.

Wück is alert Spain will person much of nan shot but is assured Germany person nan weapons to wounded Montse Tomé’s side. “We each cognize nan Spanish players and really they guidelines retired because of their passing game,” he said. “We will person to do a batch of chasing and we person to suffer. We besides person to hold for nan correct moments [to spell forward] but these moments will come.

“We person to show our strengths successful attack, which we couldn’t really do against France, erstwhile we person nan ball. We person our accuracy and our principles and really we want to play arsenic a German squad and they haven’t changed. We want to spell into nan duels and actively triumph nan ball.”

Spain person had 1 much day’s rest, having beaten Switzerland 2-0 connected Friday, earlier Germany’s energy-sapping triumph against France. Germany produced a heroic show aft Hendrich’s sending-off for pulling Griedge Mbock’s hairsbreadth successful her ain punishment area. They went 1-0 down from nan resulting punishment but Sjoeke Nüsken equalised successful nan first half earlier a rearguard action enabled Germany to return nan crippled to penalties.

Rebecca Knaak, 1 of nan defenders who had to woody pinch sustained France pressure, said nan capacity had group nan benchmark for nan players’ activity rate: “The crippled against France showed what is needed successful position of fighting spirit, passion, desire and unity. Those are nan values that we person to embody and they will beryllium important against Spain too.”

Germany won 8 retired of 9 Euros betwixt 1989 and 2013 (the first secured by West Germany) but countries specified arsenic Spain – and England – person moved up of them. They did scope nan Euro 2022 final, losing against nan Lionesses, but nan pursuing year’s World Cup was different measurement back, nan squad going retired astatine nan group stage.

Wück, who took complete successful March 2024, has introduced a much attacking style pinch nan wingers Jule Brand and Klara Bühl important to his tactics. Both players person been successful good shape successful Switzerland, pinch Wück picking retired nan erstwhile for peculiar praise connected Tuesday. “Jule’s performances from nan first crippled against Poland done to nan quarter-final against France speak for themselves,” he said. “She has taken nan adjacent measurement up and proved that she is continuing to develop. I americium very pleased pinch her.”

Spain person their ain array of attacking players pinch Esther González (four goals) and Alèxia Putellas (three) among nan tournament’s 4 apical scorers, and Clàudia Pina and Athenea del Castillo 1 behind. Putellas said connected Tuesday they had to support their attraction to scope nan final.

“We person to do what we’ve been doing truthful acold – and effort to beryllium perfect,” she said. “There are only 4 teams near truthful you person to get arsenic adjacent to excellence arsenic possible, moreover if it doesn’t guarantee a win. But we judge we tin get to our champion version, some individually and collectively, successful bid to beforehand to nan final. It will beryllium a reliable match, for illustration immoderate semi-final, but we person nan utmost excitement and assurance to support moving guardant and make history erstwhile again.”

Alèxia Putellas (right) helps Clàudia Pina observe nan extremity that put Spain 2-0 up against Switzerland. Photograph: Anthony Anex/EPA

Germany will beryllium without nan suspended Hendrich and Carlotta Wamser arsenic good arsenic nan injured Giulia Gwinn and Sarai Linder but Tomé, nan Spain coach, said she expected a difficult game. “[The missing players] is not thing we’re reasoning about,” she said. “We cognize Germany are ever strong; physically they’re very good, arsenic we saw successful nan lucifer against France. Tomorrow they will section their champion squad to play against us, conscionable arsenic we will.

“Excitement is nan main driving unit of this team. This is nan tourney wherever we’re emotion astir comfortable. I spot a mature team, eager to compete tomorrow. I spot a assured team, excited and looking guardant to nan lucifer – I don’t spot them nervous.”