Emily Keogh
Germany once again suffered from their biggest weakness: profligacy in the final third.
On paper, they got the better of Spain in the first leg of the UEFA Women’s Nations League Finals, yet an inability to capitalize on several promising chances only resulted in a 0–0 stalemate, leaving everything to play for in the second leg.
Normally, a goalless draw against the reigning world champions in the early stages of the final would be welcomed. But in this case, Germany knows they missed a crucial chance to take the lead in the return match.
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Their extravagance is not a new concern; This was evident during last summer’s Euros, especially in the quarter-finals against France and the semi-finals against Spain. But this time he felt more sad than he should have.
In many ways, it was an almost perfect performance. Germany created one chance after another, forcing Spain into their own half and leaving goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger with nothing to do. Yet the one thing they needed, and arguably deserved, never came: a goal.
The first half proved disappointing for Germany. Young full back Franziska Cate opened the scoring, but deciding to go it alone, Spain’s balanced defense easily dealt with the danger. Jul Brand saw her effort parried by Irene Paredes, and Rebecca Knaack’s header from a corner was poorly dealt with by goalkeeper Cata Cole, but the Barcelona shot-stopper recovered in time.
With Lee Schuler absent for personal reasons, the onus in goalscoring has fallen on Eintracht Frankfurt striker Nicole Anomi, who has struggled to establish himself under manager Christian Wouk. Both Enyomi and Clara Buhl found themselves in promising positions, yet neither could provide the clinical results Germany expected. Buhl failed to make their early chances count and did not register a shot until the 70th minute. When she finally did, the woodwork rejected her, just as Spain’s Esther González had done some time earlier.
Selina Searcy also had a difficult evening, her long-range effort going straight to Cole, showing her frustration. Germany played hard in the final stages, with Buhl and Cate’s chances dominating on field and pace.
Two late chances from Sjoke Nusken and substitute Shekira Martínez came close to breaking the deadlock. Nevertheless, a lack of accuracy and spark in the final third meant that, despite an otherwise excellent performance, they were forced to settle for a goalless draw.
Germany were once Europe’s powerhouse, claiming 11 titles, including two World Cups and seven (eight if you count West Germany’s win in 1989) Euro titles, yet their most recent silverware came a decade ago during the 2016 Olympics.
Ten years is a long time between lifting trophies, but the former juggernaut is not making it easy for himself to taste victory once again due to his inability to convert chances in decisive matches.
This seems to be an issue that comes up when games are under the most pressure. During their Nations League campaign, Germany scored 29 goals in total, 26 of which came in six group-stage matches, including 10–1 wins over two legs over Scotland and Austria and a 6–2 win against the Netherlands. Overall, he has scored 35 goals in 15 matches.
Their standoff comes just weeks after the German Football Federation (DFB) pledged an unprecedented €100 million over eight years, starting from 2026, to accelerate the commercialization of the Women’s Bundesliga, which will have a direct impact on the national team’s competitiveness and path to success.
FF27 strategy goals (until 2027) included winning international titles with the national team. With only two major trophies to achieve within this Nations League final and the 2027 World Cup time frame, much of the DFB’s focus on the national team will be on getting results in these important matches.
Although the way Germany stopped Spain will give them real confidence, the lack of goals will expose them to a team that will undoubtedly be more assertive and more clinical in Madrid.
Against the world champions, it is rare for any side to create 15 chances, almost half of which are on target. What’s even more improbable is that Germany are likely to get a similar amount of opportunities in the second leg. Vuk and his players will know that they may regret their inability to score after the second leg next week.
Still, there’s everything left to play for. With many aspects of their performance already close to perfect, widening the gap for good in the final third would put Germany in a strong position to win their first major title since 2016.
But if they hope to end a decade-long trophy drought, their attacking displays in the final third will have to be more ferocious when the contest resumes in Madrid.
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