Two-time cancer survivor Ann-Katrin Berger puts in all-time great performance to propel Germany to Euro 2025 semifinals
That's not to say it wasn't a huge night for the goalkeeper and her country – she put in one of the tournament's all-time great goalkeeping performances as Germany beat France 6-5 in a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw after extra time.
Berger made nine saves in open play, more than any other player has managed in a knockout stage match at the European Women's Championship since 2013, per the BBC.
Her 102nd-minute save to prevent an own goal by teammate Janina Minge was the pick of the bunch, as she acrobatically dived backwards and clawed away the captain's looping header when it looked destined for the back of the net.
But the 34-year-old did not stop there. In the penalty shootout, she kept out the very first spot kick from France's Amel Majri, scored her team's fourth penalty, and then dived to her left to keep out Alice Sombath's effort – France's seventh penalty attempt – and win the game for Germany.
In apparent disbelief, Berger simply sank to her knees, her arms outstretched and a huge grin on her face, and watched as her jubilant teammates sprinted towards her to celebrate.
Progressing to the semifinals of Euro 2025 will have particular meaning to Berger, as it was at this tournament three years ago that she discovered her thyroid cancer had returned after she had previously been diagnosed in 2017.
In both instances, the German returned to soccer within months of starting her treatment, citing her need to take her mind off the situation.
'You have to focus on something else, to hold onto something. For me, that was the Euros,' she told Sky Sports in 2022. 'Football saved my brain and saved my mental health because I had something to hold on to.'
Having made a full recovery again, the only visible sign of what Berger has been through is on her neck, where a tattoo reading 'All we have is now' covers up scars from her treatment.
On the pitch on Saturday, Berger and Germany's hopes of making it past the quarterfinals took a huge dent in the 13th minute when Kathrin Hendrich was sent off for pulling Griedge Mbock by her hair in the penalty area.
Grace Geyoro converted the resulting spot kick, and suddenly Germany found itself a goal and a player down.
But Die Nationalelf responded quickly when Sjoeke Nüsken headed Klara Bühl's corner in at the near post in the 25th minute.
France's Delphine Cascarino and Geyoro each had goals disallowed for offside either side of halftime, before Nüsken passed up a golden opportunity to give Germany an unlikely lead in the 69th minute when her poor penalty was saved by Pauline Peyraud-Magnin after Selma Bacha had fouled Jule Brand.
But Berger's heroics were enough to take Germany to the semifinals, where it will face world champion Spain on Wednesday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
14 minutes ago
- Yahoo
On this day: Celtic sign Larsson
On 25 July 1997 Celtic signed striker Henrik Larsson from Dutch side Feyenoord with little knowledge of just how monumental an impact the Swede would have. Larsson followed manager Wim Jansen to Glasgow as Celtic were preparing try to stop Rangers from winning a 10th successive title. And the Sweden striker helped his side do just that. Despite not getting off to the best start - including scoring an own goal in his first European outing - Larsson went on to score 19 goals in his debut season in Glasgow and inspire Celtic to their first league title in a decade. Larsson would go on to make over 300 appearances in the hoops, scoring 242 goals - including 15 against Rangers. He was a driving force in Celtic's run to the Uefa Cup final in 2003, two years after helping them to a domestic treble, and won four league titles, two League Cups and two Scottish Cups before joining Barcelona. When that departure finally came in 2004, it was clear Larsson had cemented himself as a Celtic legend.
Forbes
17 minutes ago
- Forbes
Bonmatí-Powered Spain Seeks To Overwhelm England's Grit In Euros Final
For all Spain women's pedigree, it has never won a European Championship final. Any from the free-scoring constellation might have stepped up as Spain found itself locked in a goalless European Championship semifinal against Germany on Wednesday. Even so, deep into a major tournament, which requires incision alongside all the easy-on-the-eye soccer, it's hardly surprising that Ballon d'Or holder and Barcelona star Aitana Bonmatí finally struck the winner. Indeed, the midfield orchestrator delivered the final flourish to another neat passage of play that has characterized Spain's offensive output in Switzerland. The squad has the most goals in the competition, 17, including 14 in the group stage, with Bonmatí the 10th to contribute. Spain is far from bullet-proof defensively, but this is a fun and typically rhythmic La Roja side to watch. All of which makes the world champion a largely anticipated finalist. Yet there's still great significance. Despite the explosion of Spanish women's soccer over the last decade or so, this will be its first Euros final. And it will face England—a repeat of the World Cup finale in 2023, when ex-federation president Luis Rubiales' actions after full time marred the achievement. Montse Tomé is the attentive personality spurring the current crop on from the sidelines. A former Barcelona player, she was previously trainer Jorge Vilda's right-hand woman and became the first female to take the head coach role back in 2023. Blessed with some of the best players on the planet, she's already won the Women's Nations League, but it will be interesting to see whether England can disrupt her selection from dictating the terms (which it has for most of the tournament) on Sunday. Both of the head coaches for the Euros final are women—Spain's Tomé (pictured) and England's ... More Wiegman. England Bring Plenty Of Fight England reaching the showpiece game was also a realistic expectation. It's the fifth straight occasion that Lionesses' head coach Sarina Wiegman—previously at the wheel of her native Netherlands—has dragged a side to the final of a tournament. Meanwhile, Spain and England, the latter reigning champion from Euro 2021, boast athletes with the highest market values in the tournament by some distance, according to Off The Pitch. Be that as it may, England's resolve has been the difference so far, needing to recover from a defeat against France at the beginning and from deficits to Sweden and Italy in the knockout rounds, both involving late goals. Epitomizing that, and helping England get over the line, is teenager Michelle Agyemang. She's gone from the outskirts at Arsenal, even a ball girl for Wiegman's England, to a warrior-esque scorer from the bench—all while tinkling the ivories on the piano she brought to Switzerland. Ahead of the final, full-back Lucy Bronze says, 'I don't think you'll find a team in world football with more fight and more resilience than this England team.' On the evidence to hand, who's to argue with her? Still, England will need to raise its game as well as maintain its stubbornness against Spain, which has the steel to match; Bonmatí was hospitalized with viral meningitis shortly before the competition started. In terms of complete play, Spain—equipped with dynamos such as Bonmatí, Alexia Putellas, and the brilliant Claùdia Pina—has the edge. Given the opponents' resilience and a chink of weakness in the backline, it will require that firepower, and more in reserve, to prosper in the showdown.
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
England vs Spain prediction: World champions to land Euro 2025 title
England vs Spain betting tips Spain to win, both teams to score - 13/5 William Hill Aitana Bonmati to score or assist - 21/20 Bet365 England take on Spain in the final of the Women's European Championship in Basel on Sunday, as these two giants meet again in what is a rematch of the 2023 World Cup final. England competed another dramatic knockout-round turnaround to earn their place in the final, coming back from 1-1 with a 96th-minute equaliser from Michelle Agyemang before Chloe Kelly grabbed a win as she tucked in the rebound from her own penalty. Despite their own world class talents, Spain didn't have it all their own way in the last four either, narrowly overcoming a stubborn Germany with an extra-time winner from Aitana Bonmati. But it is the world champions who will enter the showpiece event of Euro 2025 as favourites, as happened in Australia two years ago when La Roja were the narrow 1-0 victors thanks to a goal from Olga Carmona. England haven't really impressed with their recent performances – barring their evidently strong mentality – and a similar start to the games with Sweden and Italy will surely see them punished beyond the possibility of a comeback, so the Lionesses will have to improve and improve quickly. And it seems football betting sites agree, with various sites offering odds of 2/1 for England to lift the trophy compared to 4/11 for Spain to win. England vs Spain betting preview: La Roja to add European honours to World Cup triumph England will face undoubtedly their toughest test of the tournament so far when they face La Roja, with Sarina Wiegman's side so far having flattered to deceive with their comebacks. Despite a remarkable will to win, it is clear that performances have been subpar in the knockout rounds so far against two teams they were expected to beat. Their slow starts were punished on both occasions but although the Lionesses found a way back in the last two matches, Spain will not afford them the attacking chances and domination of possession that Sweden and Italy did. Spain did not even concede a single goal in their wins over Switzerland and Germany, and while their group stage results suggest they can be defensively vulnerable at times, Wiegman may need to make some big chances if the Lionesses are to hurt the world champions. These changes could well come, for example if Wiegman decides to start Agyemang, but whatever happens it feels like England will struggle to deal with Spain's overall quality – an opinion reflected in the early Women's Euros odds, with the Lionesses offered at 10/3 to win the game in normal time. Nevertheless, a final is a final and they often do not pan out in the same way that the games before suggested they might. England never managed to get on the scoresheet in the World Cup final but we're backing them to do so here, even if we think the Lionesses will fall short once again in the end. England vs Spain prediction 1: Spain to win, both teams to score - 13/5 William Hill England vs Spain best bets: Bonmati to make decisive impact Two-time Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmati has cemented her status as the world's best player in recent years through her performances at club and international level, and while this tournament started off relatively quietly by her lofty standards, the knockout rounds have proven that the best players step up on the biggest occasions. Bonmati had not registered a goal or assist in the group stages – having started on the bench in the opening two games – but it was her brilliant backheel assist that unlocked the Switzerland defence in the quarter-finals – setting the stage for the eventual 2-0 win – before she scored her only goal so far with a superb winner against Germany in the semi-finals. Matches against better teams seem to see Bonmati involved more higher up the pitch, and it's almost as if the 27-year-old's performances get better the further that Spain advance, meaning it could be bad news for the Lionesses on Sunday. We're backing the Spanish midfielder to continue her recent influence in Sunday's final, with betting sites offering odds of 21/20 for Bonmati to score or assist. England vs Spain prediction 2: Aitana Bonmati to score or assist - 21/20 Bet365 Responsible gambling Sports betting can be enjoyable, but it's important to stay in control and gamble responsibly. Whether you are using the best online casino, slot sites, poker sites, or online bookmakers, responsible gambling should always be a priority. All licensed gambling sites in the UK are required to provide tools such as deposit limits, time-outs, self-exclusion, and self-assessment questionnaires. These are designed to help you manage your activity and protect your well-being. Many operators, including online bookmakers and new casino sites, will offer free bets or a casino bonus. While these can be tempting, it is vital to read the terms and conditions of any offer before taking part. If you are concerned about your gambling behaviour, support is available from: NHS Help GambleAware Gamblers Anonymous We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
