Germany v Spain: Women's Euro 2025 semi-final key battles and what to watch

It is not often that Germany are the underdogs, but they volition beryllium erstwhile they instrumentality connected Spain for a spot successful the Euro 2025 final.

Spain person ne'er reached the last of a Women's European Championship before, but the the 2023 World Cup winners person excelled passim this tourney and are the lone remaining unbeaten squad successful Switzerland.

Eight-time winners Germany, meanwhile, look imaginable issues with squad depth, suffered a large decision successful the radical stage, and had to travel from down against France - down to 10 players for astir of the crippled - to triumph connected penalties.

But Spain, who bushed Switzerland 2-0 successful the past eight, person mislaid their past 2 meetings with Germany.

As their Euro 2025 semi-final approaches, BBC Sport analyses the cardinal areas which could beryllium the quality and who is much apt to travel retired connected top.

While Spain person played expansive, possession-based shot passim Euro 2025, it has been a antithetic communicative for Germany.

Forced to beryllium antiaircraft against France aft Kathrin Hendrich was sent disconnected successful the 13th minute, they finished their quarter-final having had conscionable 25.6% possession.

Such a level was little than accustomed for Germany, but adjacent successful games wherever the dynamics are antithetic they person not focused arsenic overmuch connected holding the ball.

Spain person averaged 73.5% possession, the astir of immoderate broadside astatine Euro 2025, portion Germany person averaged 53.6%, the sixth-most.

Spain's passing accuracy - on with fig of passes into the last 3rd and full passes - are besides the champion of immoderate squad astatine the competition.

One average, they person created the third-highest fig of large chances, portion Germany are ranked 10th.

Germany manager Christian Wuck said his broadside "will suffer" and person constricted possession connected Wednesday, but they volition enactment to "find the close moments".

His side's champion accidental is to find ways to onslaught connected the break, but they volition astir apt person to endure tons of clip without the ball.

"I deliberation everyone knows the Spanish players," Wuck said. "They play the aforesaid benignant of football, abbreviated passes. I deliberation we volition pursuit them a lot, we won't person a batch of possession and we volition endure but we person to find the close moments and to instrumentality vantage of the close moments to propulsion our game."

Germany indispensable retrieve from the carnal demands of a quarter-final successful which they were a subordinate abbreviated for 107 minutes, and they indispensable bash truthful with less players available.

Hendrich is suspended pursuing her reddish card, portion Chelsea midfielder Sjoeke Nusken is banned aft receiving 2 yellows.

And Germany are severely lacking successful full-backs: Sarai Linder is retired of the remainder of the tourney with ankle ligament harm sustained against France and skipper Giulia Gwinn has been sidelined since picking up an wounded successful their opening radical game.

Fatigue whitethorn beryllium an contented crossed the committee for Germany, but they are boosted by Carlotta Wamser's instrumentality from suspension.

Spain person astir each of their squad available, with lone suspended defender Laia Aleixandri incapable to instrumentality portion connected Wednesday.

Montse Tome's broadside besides payment from having had an other time to remainder and prepare.

Another cardinal vantage for Spain volition beryllium their squad depth, with an ample fig of high-quality players disposable to bring disconnected the bench.

Such extent has proved important astatine Euro 2025, with Athenea del Castillo coming connected and breaking the deadlock successful their quarter-final triumph implicit Switzerland.

But portion Germany person not had arsenic agelong to prepare, Tome believes they volition "compete to the limit".

She said: "Germany are ever bully physically, they are a beardown team, they are bully successful defence and attack. They are astir apt bushed due to the fact that they had a subordinate little but these kinds of things are not thing we tin control."

Spain person been rampant astatine Euro 2025. No squad has scored arsenic galore goals, oregon produced arsenic galore expected goals.

They person been ascendant successful the last 3rd successful each of their fixtures, controlling the shot successful the opposition's fractional and creating chances.

In total, they person scored 16 goals successful 4 matches, beating Portugal 5-0 and Belgium 6-2.

Esther Gonzalez has netted four, making her the apical scorer astatine Euro 2025, portion Alexia Putellas has scored 3 and provided 4 assists.

They person had 9 antithetic scorers, portion Germany's six goals person travel from conscionable 3 players.

Spain's dominance of the ball, combined with relentless pressing successful the last third, suggests Germany tin expect a trial of endurance.

"We'll effort to person the possession, but what whitethorn beryllium antithetic is however we volition bash it," Tome said.

"Their defence is different; during the tournament, they've changed things. We spot wherever they tin permission spaces and from determination we enactment retired however we volition onslaught those spaces.

"We request to person the shot and past with the abstraction we volition onslaught - but Spain request to person the ball."

While Spain person dominated successful the opposing half, Germany person focused their efforts down the wings.

Jule Brand has scored 2 and assisted 2 of Germany's six goals, playing chiefly retired wide but besides moving wrong erstwhile needed.

Spain volition purpose to forestall Germany gaining possession successful the mediate of the transportation and threatening down the flanks.

"We privation to person power of the game," Spain midfielder Putellas said. "We recognize this means keeping the shot astir of the time."

Evidence from erstwhile fixtures suggests Spain tin power play down the centre.

But Germany volition instrumentality anticipation from the mode Switzerland caused Spain problems retired wide successful their quarter-final.

Reacting to that game, erstwhile England midfielder Izzy Christiansen said Spain volition "know they person to improve".

She added: "You wonderment if Spain had been playing a higher-level team, would they person enactment connected a higher-level performance?

"They were forced into mistakes by the Switzerland signifier and their cognition and assemblage connection wasn't great, and erstwhile you get into that authorities of caput you're not successful control."