Schüller brace sends German women through to Olympic quarterfinals

Horst Hrubesch's German women's national team have clinched a place in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Women's Olympic football tournament after beating the Zambian "Copper Queens" in their final group stage fixture. The German Frauen-Nationalmannschaft recovered from a heavy defeat to the USWNT in their second match of the competition and delivered a victory more reminiscent of their opening round romp of the Aussies. The DFB-Mädels dispatched their African opponents 4-1 Wednesday evening in Saint-Etienne. 

Hrubesch initially had no changes to make to the XI that lined up against the United States in the second group stage fixture. Despite having to exit proceedings injured, squad captain Alexandra Popp was fit enough to start. Shortly before kickoff, however, Marina Hegering had to be scratched late due to muscular issues. German Basque central defender Bibiana Schulze Solano thus slotted into the lineup.

A change in formation was evident shortly after kickoff. Popp moved up to pair alongside Sjoeke Nüsken in a double-eight pairing. Lena Oberdorf replacement Janina Minge handled the midfield herself. Jule Brand and Klara Bühl kept the line with center forward Lea Schüller in order to form a three-striker set. Hrubesch clearly wished to play aggressively against a goal-hungry Zambian side. 

Little happened in an opening ten-minutes characterized by several injury interruptions. In what was the first notable bit of action in open play, Schüller put the DFB-Mädels ahead in the 10th. Schüller pounced on a bit of poor possessional play by Zambian central defender Pauline Zulu. Nüsken and Bühl eventually returned the ball to Schüller for a magnificent deke and distance finish on the 1-0.

Talismanic Zambian striker Barbara Banda - who collected a scorer's brace and a late winner in the Africans' victory over Germany last summer - became very active as the Copper Queens went in search of an equalizer. Banda sent a tracer-bullet wide of DFB keeper Ann-Katrin Berger in the 15th. Two minutes later, Berger proved equal to another powerful effort from 13 meters out. 

Play then slowed up again. It became apparent in the 18th that German central defender Kathrin Hendrich (injured early on) would be unable to continue. Sara Doursoun entered on Hendrich's behalf in the 22nd, giving Hrubesch a totally unexpected center back pairing. This - combined with high temperatures on the Saint Etienne pitch - led to conservative and occasionally sluggish play from the DFB-XI. 

Near the end of the first-half, there was some more offensive impetus from Hrubesch's side. Nüskens - who hasn't looked particularly sharp since the start of the tournament - failed to supply the final ball to Schüller on a pair of occasions. Nüskens herself headed over the best chance at the 2-0 at 45+2. The German Bundestrainer opted for a change at the half, replacing Brand with her VfL Wolfsburg teammate Vivien Endemann. 

The VfL's breakout star of the season made an immediate impact, testing keeper Ngambo Musole with a close range effort just seconds after the restart. Bühl would officially double the advantage with the 48th-minute 2-0, sinking a blistering shot from 23 meters out central. Regrettably for the Germans, celebrations were short lived. Banda capitalized on a poor pass out from Berger to pull a goal back two minutes later. 

Schüller would restore the two-goal-cushion shortly after the hour-mark. Nüskens and Bühl were involved in the high-tempo attacking sequence that set up Schüller's 61st-minute 3-1. Buoyed by the goal, the DFB-Mädels were relentless in attack immediately afterwards. Bühl only just missed out on a brace of her own in the 63rd. Endemann saw a goal disallowed for offside one minute later. 

Schüller herself found herself unlucky not to secure a hat trick in the 68th when her header at the end of a clever corner-kick variation struck the post. Substitutes Endemann and Laura Freigang combined well in the 79th on a play that should have resulted in the 4-1. Minge also unluckily hammered a ball off the crossbar at 90+1.

At long last, substitute Elisa Senß added the fourth goal on the final play of the game. The Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder furnished an impressive finish off the volley after receiving a deflected corner kick at 90+6. Senß' sensational lob-in from the half-left constituted a fitting finish to an excellent game.