France v Germany live: Rivals meet in Women’s Euro 2025 blockbuster as Spain await in semi-finals

France are winless in five major tournament matches against Germany, scoring just five goals while conceding 15. That includes a semi-final defeat to Germany at Euro 2022.

France, though, have won their last 11 matches in a row in 2025 and are one win away from tying their national record. They also beat Germany in the semi-finals of the Nations League in February 2024.

England will play Italy in their Euro 2025 semi-final on Tuesday in Geneva, as the Lionesses look to recover from their gruelling victory over Italy by reaching a second consecutive Euros final under Sarina Wiegman.

England’s performance against Sweden showed there is plenty of work still to do, however.

It won’t get any easier for France or Germany in the semi-finals, where they will Spain on Zurich on Wednesday.

The world champions maintained their 100 per cent record at the Euros by beating hosts Switzerland 2-0 last night, in a win that was far more comfortable than the scoreline suggests.

It was also Spain’s first-ever win at the Euros knockout stages.

France captain and defender Griedge Mbock starts against Germany after being sidelined for a month with a calf injury, and said she is not nervous about kicking off her European campaign in what is sure to be an intense quarter-final.

“I’m not scared. I trust my co-players, and I know that even within the pace, I haven’t played for one month, but I know that my teammates will be able to help me and to fill the gap, any gap, if I have a lack of pace,” she said.

“We are a collective and I’m lucky because I’m in this collective sport and I can count on my co-players. This is a real plus. No, I’m not really scared.”

France captain Griedge Mbock returns for her first appearance of the tournament, with Maëlle Lakrar also starting to displace young centre-backs Alice Sombath and Thiniba Samoura. Sandy Baltimore drops to the bench and is replaced by Kadidiatou Diani alongside Marie-Antoinette Katato and the in-form Delphine Cascarino.

Germany required a defensive reshuffle after right back Carlotta Wamser was sent off for handball in the defeat to Sweden, with regular starter and captain Giulia Gwinn sidelined for the tournament with a knee injury. They appear to have shifted to a back-five with Kathrin Hendrich recalled.

France XI: Peyraud-Magnin; De Almeida, Lakrar, Mbock, Bacha; Geyoro, Jean-Francois, Karchaoui; Cascarino, Katoto, Diani

Germany XI: Berger; Linder, Minge, Hendich, Knaak, Kett; Brand, Senss, Nüsken, Bühl; Hoffmann

France coach Laurent Bonadei has not given much focus to penalty kicks ahead of his team’s quarter-final clash with Germany at Euro 2025, despite the wild shootout between England and Sweden.

Reigning champions England reached the semi-finals after squeezing past Sweden in an error-filled shootout.

“We worked a lot on (penalties) before the 2023 World Cup in a specific way, and this time, I preferred not to overload them with this too much, because we don’t know how it happens,” Bonadei told reporters.

“Last night, we saw players who were really under pressure. And, yes, you can actually put them under pressure during the training, but it’s not the same as during the game. When it’s the game, when they are tired, when there’s a pressure of the audience, maybe it can be completely different.

“The players do it in an individual way with their own pace at the end of every session, sometimes they try two, three, four, or five penalties, but it’s very difficult to recreate the context of the game.”

Germany’s group stage at the Women’s Euro may not have gone to plan but the eight-time winners have put all the setbacks behind them as they get ready to face France in the quarter-finals.

Germany were thrashed 4-1 by Sweden and had defender Carlotta Wamser sent off in their final Group C game in a sub-par performance that saw them finish second in the standings.

That set up a blockbuster clash between Germany and France, who Wuck considers as favourites for Saturday’s showdown in Basel.

“If you look at the raw numbers, the French won nine points in the group stage, we won six, that’s why I think the French are the favourites,” Wuck told reporters.

England are “optimistic” that captain Leah Williamson will be ready to face Italy in the Euro 2025 semi-final.

Williamson rolled her ankle and was forced off during England’s quarter-final win over Sweden on Thursday and was seen leaving the stadium in crutches.

Defender Esme Morgan filled in for Williamson in England’s reshuffled defence during extra time and would have been the leading candidate to step in against Italy on Tuesday.

But speaking at a news conference on Saturday, Morgan suggested that Williamson’s injury is not as bad as first feared and she could be available to start the semi-final.

“We’re very optimistic that Leah will be available,” Morgan said. “She seemed in very high spirits this morning. I want what’s best for the team, and that’s absolutely having our captain on the pitch for us.”

England will look to return to the Euros final as they take on dark horses Italy in the semi-finals in Geneva.

The Lionesses fought from two goals down and survived a penalty shoot-out to defeat Sweden in the quarter-finals.

Sarina Wiegman’s side looked to be on their way home but Chloe Kelly helped change the game from the bench and Lucy Bronze and Hannah Hampton were the heroes to help the holders over the line.

Italy scored a last-minute goal to defeat Norway in the quarter-finals and are playing in their first Euros semi-final since 1997 – and England’s first-half performance could have given them plenty of encouragement.

France have never won a major tournament and their head coach Laurent Bonadei attracted plenty of attention when he dropped captain Wendie Renard and all-time top scorer Eugenie Le Sommer before the tournament in search of “different results”.

Well, a bold approach has so far paid off and France look like tournament contenders.Their level shocked England in the opening game of Group D and France’s margin of victory should have been greater than 2-1.

This is another rematch of a Euro 2022 semi-final and the next step for France, who won all three of their group games and came from behind to defeat the Netherlands 5-2 and top Group D, is beating a team with the tournament history of Germany in the knockout stages.

Germany have looked dangerous in attack but lack the defensive solidity of the side that reached the Euros final three years ago, given the amount of change in their back four. There is also a selected headache at right back after captain Giulia Gwinn was ruled out of the tournament with a knee injury and her replacement Carlotta Wamser was sent off for handling the ball on the line in the defeat to Sweden.

It will require a reshuffle but head coach Christian Wuck said his team will remain committed to their attacking style of play and won’t set up to restrict France. “I think it would be wrong now to react and destruct [the plan],” Wuck said after his team’s 4-1 defeat to Sweden. “We are not a team that only wants to keep their box clean. That’s not what we’re going to do.”