France battles to a 5-2 win and faces Germany in the quarterfinals!

France battles to a 5-2 win and faces Germany in the quarterfinals!

In the first quarter-final match of the 2025 Women's European Championship, France defeated the Netherlands 5-2 in a thrilling duel. On July 13, 2025, 34,133 spectators came to the stadium to watch the exciting game. The match didn't start well for the French women, as they were down 2-1 at halftime. Sandie Toletti made it 1-0 for France in the 22nd minute, but the Dutch countered promptly. Victoria Pelova scored in the 26th minute and Selma Bacha gave the Netherlands the lead with an own goal in the 41st minute.

In the second half, however, the French turned up the heat. Marie-Antoinette Katoto equalized in the 61st minute, assisted by the outstanding Delphine Cascarino, who shortly afterwards netted twice in a row (64th and 67th minute). Sakina Karchaoui scored the final point with a penalty kick in stoppage time (90th + 2 minutes). This impressive second-half performance ensured France won the group and qualified for the quarter-finals against Germany, which will take place next Saturday at 9 p.m., as Sportschau reports.

Looking forward to the duel against Germany

With the victory over the Netherlands, France not only secured their ticket to the next round, but also demonstrated their strong offensive game in the second half. DFB sports director Nia Künzer has already expressed her excitement about the upcoming duel with the French. The German team is expecting a big challenge, as France have been in top form so far during the tournament, having also won convincingly against England (2:1) and Wales (4:1). In contrast, the Dutch have to return home in third place after a solid group phase and are therefore returning to a European Championship again after 2013.

Coach Andries Jonker was faced with the challenge of having to do without his top striker Vivianne Miedema. Beerensteyn, who was successful in the Bundesliga but was unable to have the desired influence on the game, played in her place. In the first half, France exposed defensive weaknesses that the Netherlands cleverly exploited, while the French strengthened their position in the second half and increased the pressure enormously, scoring four goals.

Statistics and records from the Euro 2025

The 2025 European Championship is not only characterized by exciting games, but also offers numerous records and statistics. According to a Wikimedia article, the average experience of the participating players and coaches is in the middle, with the oldest players and coaches particularly standing out. The oldest nominated player is Tinja-Riikka Korpela from Finland, and the most experienced referee at the European Championships is Edina Alves, who is already 45 years old.

The next storm of enthusiasm now awaits the French team, which confidently prevailed in this European Championship. The quarter-finals with Germany will certainly be a highlight – not only for the players, but also for the many fans who will be watching the action with excitement.