UEFA Women’s Nations League Final Preview: Spain vs. Germany

Germany face holders Spain away from home in the second-leg of the UEFA Women’s Nations League final.

The second edition of the UEFA Women’s Nations League will conclude on Tuesday night with defending champions Spain hosting Germany at the Metropolitano Stadium. The two teams finished goalless in the first fixture of the two-legged final at Kaiserslautern’s Fritz-Walter-Stadium.

Apart from the first ten minutes of the second-half, Germany largely dominated their illustrious opponents on Friday. However, they couldn’t convert their chances, while Klara Bühl and Jule Brand hit the woodwork late in the game.

It’ll be a first chance at silverware for both Christian Wück and Sonia Bermúdez as they were appointed by their respective federations after the end of last summer’s European championship. There was a tense exchange between the two coaches at the end of Friday’s game.

Germany are in search of their first major title since the 2016 Olympics. Spain added the inaugural Nations League trophy to their cabinet a year after winning their first-ever title in the 2023 World Cup hosted by Australia and New Zealand.

Spain’s only Nations League defeats came in the group stage against Italy and England. With Montserrat Tomé in charge, they beat France in the first-ever final thanks to goals from Aitana Bonmatí and Maria Caldentey. Horst Hrubesch’s Germany finished third back then with a 2-0 win over the Netherlands in the third-placed playoff.

Germany have no new injury worries as there is every possibility for Wück repeating the same starting XI. Spain will be without the three-time Ballon d’Or Féminin winner as Bonmatí will undergo surgery on her fibula fracture on the same day the game will be played.

Predicted Lineups

Spain W: Coll; Batlle, Paredes ©, Leon, Carmona; Athenea, Aleixandri, Putellas; Pina, Esther, Caldentey

Germany W: Berger; Gwinn ©, Knaak, Minge, Kett; Nüsken, Senß; Cerci, Brand, Bühl; Anyomi