Germany's missed chances open up Nations League final vs. Spain

Germany were once again haunted by their greatest weakness: wastefulness in the final third.

On paper, they outperformed Spain in the first leg of the UEFA Women's Nations League final, yet their inability to convert a host of promising chances left them with only a 0-0 stalemate, leaving everything to play for in the second leg.

Ordinarily, a goalless draw against the reigning world champions in the opening leg of a final would be welcomed. But in this case, Germany know they missed a crucial chance to take a lead into the return fixture.

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Their profligacy is not a new concern; it was evident during last summer's Euros, particularly in the quarterfinal against France and the semifinal against Spain. But this time it hurt them more than it should have.

In many ways, it was a near-perfect performance. Germany created wave after wave of opportunities, pushed Spain deep into their own half, and left goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger with little to do. Yet the one thing they needed, and arguably deserved, never came: a goal.

The first half proved frustrating for Germany. Young full back Franziska Kett broke through on goal, but in choosing to go alone, Spain's composed defense dealt with the danger with ease. Jule Brand saw her effort cleared off the line by Irene Paredes, and goalkeeper Cata Coll poorly dealt with Rebecca Knaak's header from a corner, but the Barcelona shot-stopper recovered just in time.

With Lea Schüller absent for personal reasons, the goalscoring burden fell to Eintracht Frankfurt striker Nicole Anyomi, who has struggled to establish herself under manager Christian Wück. Both Anyomi and Klara Bühl found themselves in promising positions throughout, yet neither could provide the clinical finish Germany needed. Bühl failed to make her earlier chances count and did not register a shot until the 70th minute. When she finally did, the woodwork denied her, just as it had Spain's Esther González moments before.

Selina Cerci also endured a difficult evening, her long-range effort fired straight at Coll, summing up her frustration. Germany pushed hard in the closing stages, with chances from Bühl and Kett dominating territory and tempo.

Two last-ditch chances from Sjoeke Nüsken and substitute Shekiera Martinez came agonizingly close to breaking the deadlock. Still, the lack of precision and spark in the final third meant that, despite an otherwise commanding performance, they were forced to settle for a goalless draw.

Germany were once a powerhouse of Europe, claiming 11 titles, including two World Cups and seven (eight if you count West Germany's win in 1989) Euros titles, yet their most recent silverware came a decade ago during the 2016 Olympics.

Ten years is a significantly long time between lifting trophies, but the former juggernauts are not making it easy for themselves to taste victory once again with their inability to convert chances into goals in crunch, decisive matches.

It seems to be an issue that springs to the forefront when games are under the highest pressure. During their Nations League campaign, Germany netted 29 goals in total, 26 of them across the six group-stage matches, including two 10-1 wins over Scotland and Austria across two legs and 6-2 against the Netherlands. In total, they've scored 35 goals across 15 matches.

Their stalemate comes just weeks after the German Football Federation (DFB) pledged an unprecedented €100 million over eight years, starting in 2026, to accelerate the professionalization of the Women's Bundesliga, which will have a direct impact on the national team's competitiveness and pathway.

The FF27 Strategy Goals (by 2027) included winning international titles with the national team. With this Nations League final and the 2027 World Cup being the only two major trophies up for grabs within the time frame, much of the DFB's focus on the national team will have to be on securing results in these crucial matches.

While Germany will take real confidence from the way they contained Spain, their lack of goals leaves them exposed against a side that will undoubtedly be more assertive and more clinical in Madrid.

Against the world champions, it is rare for any side to create 15 chances, with nearly half of them on target. What's even more improbable is the prospect of Germany being gifted the same volume of opportunities in the second leg. Wück and his players will know they may come to regret their inability to convert after the second leg next week.

Still, everything remains to play for. With so many aspects of their performance already close to perfect, sharpening the fine margins in the final third will put Germany in a strong position to claim their first major title since 2016.

But if they hope to end a decade-long trophy drought, their attacking output in the final third will need to be far more ruthless when the tie resumes in Madrid.