Germany 2-0 Austria: Eight-time champions reach semi-finals

Germany booked their place in the semi-finals of the European Women’s Championship with victory over Austria at Brentford’s Community Stadium.

Klara Buhl hustled the ball from an Austrian defender and crossed into the box where Alexandra Popp, on for her fourth goal in four games, unselfishly left the ball to the arriving Lina Magull who slotted home to open the scoring.

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 Popp stuck a boot out to nudge into the net.

The Wolfsburg forward has scored in four out of four consecutive Euro matches, 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.

Despite having earned 117 international caps, this is Popp’s first Euros tournament after returning from a long-term injury which kept her sidelined for 10 months in the build-up to the competition.

Austria, featuring in just their second Euros, were surprise semi-finalists in 2017 but lost out on a place in the final to Denmark.

Germany did well to maintain their record of not conceding a goal at Euro 2022, although Austria hit the woodwork three times and put their local rivals under more pressure than any other side so far.

These were only the second and third goals that Austria have conceded at this tournament – the first coming against England – but they have also only scored three goals and poor decision-making in the final third has cost them.

Germany now face France or the Netherlands in the semi-final on Wednesday, 27 July in Milton Keynes.

Germany not without flaws

On paper it seems that Germany’s Euro 2022 journey has been a straightforward one. And until now, it has been.

They 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.

But their 100% record of clean sheets in the tournament – the only team left with such a return – flatters their occasional defensive frailty, as Germany struggled to assert the dominance they showed in the group stages and Austria missed big opportunities to draw level at 1-0.

Despite having won the title on eight of the 12 occasions the Euros have been staged, Germany did not come into this tournament as outright favourites.

They lifted the trophy six times in a row between 1995 and 2013 but their bid for a seventh consecutive title was ended with a shock quarter-final defeat by eventual runners-up Denmark in 2017.

The absence of Lyon’s injured midfielder Dzsenifer Marozsan and Chelsea’s Melanie Leupolz, who announced her pregnancy in March, made it difficult to know what to expect but they seem to have grown as a team throughout the tournament.