France is the semi-final opponent of the German soccer team at the European Championship in England. The clearly superior team around captain Wendie Renard beat the defending champions and World Cup runners-up Netherlands 1-0 (0-0, 0-0) after extra time in the quarter-finals on Saturday evening. The French will play against the DFB women in Milton Keynes on Wednesday (9 p.m. CEST/ZDF and DAZN) for a place in the final, which will be played at Wembley Stadium in London on July 31.
At Rotherham’s New York Stadium, Eve Perisset only scored in the 102nd minute with a penalty kick for coach Corinne Diacre’s selection. France is among the top four for the first time in its European Championship history.
Even without their star striker Marie-Antoinette Katoto (torn cruciate ligament), the French put on pressure from the start, but missed a lot of chances: Sandie Toletti, free-standing, slammed the ball into the ranks from ten yards out, Delphine Cascarino hit the post, and then a Dutchwoman saved the shot by Melvine Malard on the goal line.
The Oranje team was able to field record goalscorer and captain Vivianne Miedema again. The 26-year-old from Arsenal had to watch the last two group games from the Corona quarantine. The former Bayern player remained largely ineffective. The Oranje starting XI also included two players from German champions VfL Wolfsburg, Dominique Janssen, who conceded the decisive penalty, and Lynn Wilms, as well as Bayern Munich’s Lineth Beerenstyn, who was replaced by Jill Roord from Wolfsburg after the break.
After the break, the 1.87 tall defender Renard from Champions League winners Olympique Lyon caused danger with a series of headers. Goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar deflected one of them just around the post shortly before the end of regular time.
