Germany and France are set to compete in the first leg of the UEFA Women’s Nations League semi-final in Düsseldorf on Friday, three months ahead of their quarter-final ties in the European Championship.
In their previous encounter, Germany eliminated France during last summer’s Euros. However, France advanced to the final of the inaugural Nations League after facing Germany in the semi-finals.
Hervé Renard, the former coach of France, has since left to take on the role of head coach for Saudi Arabia's men's national team. Laurent Bonadei, an interim coach for Saudi Arabia in the past, has taken over, leading France to victories in all group stage matches, including impressive wins against Norway without conceding a goal.
Germany has been on a strong run, securing five consecutive victories following an initial draw against the Netherlands. Under the management of Christian Wück, the team has only conceded twice, while France has also allowed just two goals in the tournament.
Notable players include Lea Schüller and Sandy Baltimore, each scoring five goals, making them standout contributors alongside Belgium’s Tessa Wullaert in the top division of the Nations League.
In the first edition of the Nations League, Germany finished third and reached the semi-finals in Euro 2025 but were eliminated by Spain in the dying moments of the match. The team previously advanced past France on penalties despite facing a reduction to ten players in the 13th minute, with goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger making remarkable saves during the match.
Team updates indicate that Germany's starting goalkeeper has been sidelined since the start of the month, with Ena Mahmutovic set to replace her but now injured as well. Lena Oberdorf was anticipated to return but sustained another ACL injury recently. Conversely, captain Giulia Gwinn and striker Nicole Anyomi are back in the squad.
France's starting center-back Wendie Renard is again absent from the squad, while Grace Geyoro has joined the newly-promoted London City Lionesses in the Women’s Super League.
This matchup marks France's first game since their quarter-final exit in Switzerland. The return leg will take place in Caen on Tuesday night, alongside another semi-final between Spain and Sweden. The final will consist of two legs, differing from the format of the inaugural edition.
Predicted lineups for the match are as follows:
Germany: Johannes; Kett, Knaak, Minge, Gwinn ©; Nüsken, Senß; Bühl, Anyomi, Brand; Schüller
France: Peyraud-Magnin; Almeida, Mbock Bathy ©, Lakrar, Bacha; Geyoro, Jean-François, Karchaoui; Cascarino, Katoto, Diani
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