What lessons the DFB women have to learn

National coach Christian Wück and his players all spoke of three good halves and one slightly weaker one, which ultimately made the difference. “We let them come into play too much and were no longer really compact,” said Ann-Katrin Berger. The German goalkeeper didn’t look quite as happy when Claudia Pina made it 1-0 after an hour. “They scored three really good goals. Those are the qualities they have and we still have to get there.”

Looking at the result and the goal difference of 14 shots to seven in favor of the Spaniards, the difference may not seem small. The complete picture, however, includes the fact that the Germans’ qualifications were mostly awarded from significantly more dangerous positions.

Franziska Kett and Jule Brand missed their early opportunities before Nicole Anyomi narrowly missed the lead shortly before half-time. “We had the biggest chance in the first half and we just don’t take it. If we go into the locker room 1-0 at the half-time whistle, then the second half won’t go the way it did now,” said Wück.

For the national coach, the Spaniards’ renewed title win is still deserved. The differences between the two nations are still noticeable, even if they played on equal terms, especially in the first leg. “If we play our game, we will bring Spain to the brink of defeat. But today we weren’t at the level we were at in Kaiserslautern.”

In Madrid, the technical skills were inferior to those of the Spanish women. The German team won the ball several times, but then played poorly in transition situations. In the penalty area itself there was often a lack of good first contact, so that the shot was either inaccurate or didn’t even take place. On the other hand, things were completely different. The other remarkable goals from Vicky Lopez and Claudia Pina showed a high level of individual class, which, in contrast to the German players, was also evident in the final third.

Better offensively, more of a step backwards defensively

The defeat in Madrid revealed that the German team still has room for improvement in many respects. “I still believe that we have taken two development steps in the right direction after the European Championships,” said Wück. If you look at the much more offensive and courageous way of playing football, that’s true. On the defensive side, at least Tuesday’s game was more of a step backwards.

For midfielder Sjoeke Nüsken, all three goals were avoidable. “We made a lot of small mistakes today, that pulled the plug on us a bit,” said the 24-year-old. “We mustn’t lose track of things like that and therefore lose the game within ten minutes.” In this phase, in the middle of the second half, the German team reached its limits, especially athletically, and once again had no plan B to react to the deficit.

And perhaps that is the most important insight given the past few months under Christian Wück. Although we are basically on the right path, we need greater consistency in the games themselves and even more resilience in the event of setbacks. Because they will come for the young German team.

“We have had a lot of changes since October 24 and have still achieved a lot in a relatively short time,” said DFB sports director Nia Künzer, drawing a positive conclusion. “Especially the last four games after the Euro were really good. We can look positively into the future and are not at the end of the road yet.” But until then, the gap to the world leaders remains, at least in the crucial moments.