Germany reached the semifinals of the Women’s Euro 2025 the hard way.
Forced to play 10-vs.-11 for most of the match due to an 11th-minute red card, the Germans beat France in a shootout to advance out of the quarterfinals. It was the first time in tournament history a team won a game after falling behind with 10 players.
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Their reward is a matchup with Spain on Wednesday. England faces Italy in the other semifinal on Tuesday, after a dramatic win of its own.
Germany is easily the most successful team in the Women’s Euro history with seven titles plus an eighth as West Germany, though they’ve fallen short in the last two tournaments after winning six straight.
They appeared doomed to a second quarterfinal loss in three tournaments when defender Kathrin Hendrich was called for a red card on a truly pointless hair pull during a free kick. Not only was Germany relegated to 10 players on the field, France was also given a penalty that Grace Geyoro converted to take a 1-0 lead.
No team had ever won a Euro match from the position Germany found itself in, but it scored the equalizer 10 minutes later on a corner kick via a header from Sjoeke Nüsken.
Both teams had the opportunity to break the 1-1 tie from there. France appeared to score the go-ahead goal in the 40th minute, but was called offsides. Germany got a penalty kick in the 68th minute, but France stopped it.
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The game went to extra time, then shootouts after a scoreless half-hour. Both teams missed only one of their first six shots, until Janina Minge scored on the seventh shot and Ann-Katrin Berger stopped Amel Majri’s do-or-die shot.
Spain, the only team in the field ranked higher by FIFA than Germany, now awaits, but it’s going to be hard to argue Germany didn’t survive a harder challenge Saturday.