Germany's women’s national soccer team kicked off their 2025 Nations League campaign with a gripping 2-2 draw against the Netherlands on February 21 at the Rat-Verlegh-Stadium in Breda. Despite showing resilience after going behind, the DFB ladies struggled to secure the win against their historic rivals.
The match started with the Netherlands seizing the early advantage. Lineth Beerensteyn, who plays for VfL Wolfsburg, broke through the German defense, scoring the first goal just 13 minutes in. She skillfully maneuvered past Rebecca Knaak, making her debut for Germany, and sent the ball through the legs of keeper Ann-Katrin Berger.
Despite the rocky start, Germany responded just before halftime. With time running out, Klara Bühl delivered a beautiful cross to Lea Schüller, who headed the ball home, leveling the score at 1-1 right on the stroke of halftime.
The second half opened auspiciously for Germany, who quickly took the lead. Just five minutes after the break, Sjoeke Nüsken found the net, finishing off another clever assist from Jule Brand. At this point, it seemed as if Germany would run away with the match.
But the Dutch struck back. Beerensteyn, again pulling the strings, found the back of the net in the 66th minute with another well-executed header after failing to be marked by Germany's defense, resetting the score to 2-2.
Germany captain Giulia Gwinn expressed frustration after the match. “We aimed to start the Nations League with a win. We need to learn how to capitalize on our momentum,” she lamented. Gwinn's sentiment echoed throughout the team, particularly as they realized they let this game slip away.
While the German side showed moments of brilliance, particularly through the attacking work of Bühl and Schüller, they also revealed persistent weaknesses, especially when defending against fast breaks from their opponents.
After falling behind, the DFB women dominated ball possession and created several chances. Bühl herself had multiple opportunities, but her attempts failed to find the target, culminating with her shot narrowly missing the post.
Looking back, head coach Christian Wück noted, “We need to learn to maintain our focus, especially after taking the lead. It’s frustrating to draw after putting in such strong efforts.”
With this being Wück's first competitive match as head coach, he hoped for more solid defensive strategy combined with offensive flair. The match served both as preparation for the upcoming UEFA Women’s Championship and as practical lessons highlighting areas for improvement.
The next outing for the DFB ladies is set against Austria, providing another opportunity to build on their performance and rectify defensive lapses witnessed during the match against the Netherlands.
Meanwhile, Dutch coach Andries Jonker will take heart from his team’s attacking approach and the return to form of Beerensteyn, who has proved to be instrumental on the attack. Though they equalized twice, Jonker will need to address defensive inconsistencies as well.
This early draw has important implications for both teams as they navigate the Nations League matches, with hopes to solidify their performance heading toward the European Championship scheduled this summer.
Germany and the Netherlands are set to face future challenges, but for now, they will move forward with valuable insights from this highly competitive draw.