Normally I’d do one blog for each of the two games coming up, but as you’ll see I don’t have a whole lot to say in build up to the match day three and match day four of the Women’s Nations League. So instead I’m going to combine them into one blog and go with that.
Scotland face Germany in a double header over the next few days, and our record against the Germans is a big fat zero. The teams have met five times previously, and the Germans have won all five games. Indeed, only Julie Fleeting has even managed to score against them.
That single goal was an equaliser in a Euro 2005 qualifier back in May 2004 at Almondvale in a game Scotland eventually lost 3-1. It was the second meeting in that campaign, having lost 5-0 in Germany in March 2003. If that sounds depressing, let me put it into a bit of context.
Between those two qualifiers, the Germans won the 2003 World Cup. After beating Scotland in those qualifiers to qualify for Euro 2005, they went on to win that tournament too. It was their FOURTH Euros victory in a row. Yes, they had won it in 1995, 1997 and 2001 as well.
Scotland next met Germany in the 2007 World Cup qualifiers. A 4-0 defeat in Germany in October 2005 was followed by a 5-0 defeat at McDiarmid Park in September 2006. Germany went on to qualify for that World Cup and retained the trophy they had won in 2003.
Our most recent with Germany came in June 2013 over in Essen. Germany won that game 3-0, a month before they went on to win Euro 2013. A trophy they retained having won it in 2009, and yes that does mean they won the Euros SIX times in a row. All of Scotland’s meetings with Germany have come in that period. Also, this last one is the only one I can find any footage of.
The Germans were finally dethroned as European champions by the Dutch in 2017, or more accurately by Denmark in the quarter final of Euro 2017. The Dutch merely managed to beat the Danes in the final. Germany came close to regaining the trophy in 2022, but lost in extra time to the host Lionesses in the final.
As for the World Cup, the closest they’ve come to matching their 2003 and 2007 successes was in 2015 when they finished fourth. At the last World Cup in 2023 they were actually knocked out in the group stages, finishing behind Colombia and Morocco.
The Germans have a bit more success in the Nations League, topping their group in 2023/24 despite losing their opening game 3-1 away to Denmark. Mainly because they then won the next four matches: 4-0 at home against Iceland, 5-1 at home against Wales, 2-0 away to Iceland, and 3-0 at home to Denmark. The goalless draw in the final game away to Wales didn’t matter. However, in the finals, Germany lost 2-1 to France in the semi final. Kadidiatou Diani and Sakina Karchaoui doing the damage just before half time, with Giulia Gwinn’s late goal not enough to turn the game around.
But they did beat the Netherlands 2-0 in the third place match, goals from Klara Bühl and Lea Schüller, and a win that meant the Germans got to go to the Olympics last year as they finished third.
In Euro 2025 qualifying they again topped their Nations League group to progress to the final in Switzerland this summer. They won five of their six matches, losing only away to Iceland 3-0 in the penultimate match. The other five matches saw them win 3-2 in Austria, 3-1 at home to Iceland, 4-1 at home to Poland, 3-1 away to Poland, and finish the campaign with a 4-0 win at home over Austria.
In this current Nations League campaign, Germany opened with a 2-2 draw away to the Netherlands. They were a goal down to Lineth Beerensteyn, then led 2-1 with goals either side of half time from Lea Schüller and Sjouke Nüsken, before being pegged back by another Beerensteyn goal.
They then beat Austria 4-1 at home on match day two. Austria took an early lead through Annabel Schasching, but Laura Freigang had the Germans level just before half time. Linda Dallman, Giovanna Hoffmann and Vivien Endemann all got the goals in the second half to secure the victory which sees them top the table currently.
Scotland on the other hand haven’t had much luck in the Nations League so far. They narrowly lost 1-0 away to Austria on match day one thanks to a goal from Lilli Purtscheller.
Then lost 2-1 at Hampden against the Netherlands having been leading at half time thanks to a first Scotland goal from Emma Lawton. Lineth Beerensteyn and Chasity Grant turned it around the second half for the Dutch.
This rather follows on from our first campaign where we picked up a couple of draws against Belgium, narrowly lost away to England and at home to the Netherlands, but also took a couple of poundings away to the Netherlands and at home to England. I’ll not post videos to them, you’ve seen them all before!
We, of course, fared better in our Euros Nations League group, winning five of the six fames and only drawing the opening game away to Serbia. But we’re not going to the Euros having not made it through the playoffs after losing out to Finland. Again, I’m not posting those either!
Kick off tonight at Tannadice is at 7.35pm tonight and it’s live on BBC Alba if you can’t get along. The other game in this group sees Netherlands host Austria, and it kicks off at 7pm oor time.
On Tuesday, the fixtures reverse with Scotland kicking off at 4.45pm oor time in Wolfsburg. The Netherlands visit to Austria kicks off half an hour later. That game is on the BBC Scotland channel which is going to start earlier than usual that day just for the game.
Good luck to Scotland tonight, and again on Tuesday!
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