Goalkeeper Nadine Angerer saved two penalties to help Germany win a record sixth consecutive women’s European Championship with a 1-0 success against Norway in Solna on Sunday.
Substitute Anja Mittag scored the only goal of the game just a few minutes after being introduced from the bench at the beginning of the second period, but the true star of the show was Angerer.
Twice Norway were awarded what seemed highly dubious penalties, but Angerer deflected Trine Ronning’s first half spot-kick away with her knee before thwarting Solveig Gulbrandsen in the second period.
Photo: AFP
Those two crucial stops meant Mittag’s close-range tap-in from a pinpoint cross from Celia Okoyino da Mbabi was enough to give Germany a measure of revenge on opponents who had inflicted a shock group-stage defeat on them by the same scoreline.
Germany have now won eight of the 11 women’s Euro events and have not failed to lift the trophy since Norway triumphed in 1993.
It was a richly deserved victory as Leonie Maier hit the bar with a looping header in the opening minutes and near the end Nadine Kessler bobbled a scuffed effort against the base of the upright.
They dominated throughout, but Norway had their chances, not least from the penalty spot.
In the first half Catherine Dekkerhus crumpled to the turf theatrically under Okoyino da Mbabi’s challenge, but Ronning could not find the net.
Caroline Hansen was the next to hit the ground after seemingly minimal contact in the second period, but again Angerer proved equal to Gulbrandsen’s penalty.
Norway had the ball in the net soon after, but Ada Hegerberg had strayed offside when slotting home Maren Mjelde’s cross.
It was the fourth time twice previous winners Norway had lost to Germany in the final after defeats in 1989 (to West Germany), 1991 and 2005.
SSC Napoli’s Italian Serie A title hopes suffered a late setback on Sunday when they were held to a 2-2 draw at home against Genoa, setting up a thrilling season finale with closest rivals Inter just one point behind. The hosts remain top with 78 points, holding a slim lead over Inter, who won 2-0 at Torino earlier on Sunday, with two rounds remaining. To make matters worse for Napoli, midfielder Stanislav Lobotka, struggling with an ankle injury, was forced off just minutes after the match began. Scott McTominay delivered a perfect pass into the box where Romelu Lukaku got
Harry Kane opened the scoring ahead of lifting his first career silverware as Bayern Munich beat Borussia Moenchengladbach 2-0, with veteran Thomas Mueller playing his last home game for the club. Bayern officially won the title on May 4 when defending champions Bayer Leverkusen were held to a 2-2 draw at Freiburg, but were presented with the Bundesliga shield in front of their home fans at full-time. Dripping wet after being showered with beer by teammates, Kane said the title win was “an incredible feeling,” and hoped it would be “the first of many.” “It’s been lot of hard work, a lot of
A stunning Lamine Yamal strike on Thursday helped crown Barcelona La Liga champions with a 2-0 win over local rivals RCD Espanyol, with victory ensuring Real Madrid cannot catch them at the top of the table. Yamal’s effort and Fermin Lopez’s goal took Hansi Flick’s side seven points clear of Los Blancos with two matches remaining, to clinch Barcelona’s 28th title and complete a superb domestic treble. Only the UEFA Champions League title escaped an exciting young Barca side this season, as they won the league for the second time in six years, at Espanyol’s ground again just as in 2022-2023. Back then,
Jannik Sinner on Thursday marched into the semi-finals of the Italian Open after destroying Casper Ruud in straight sets 6-0, 6-1, while Coco Gauff won a marathon three-set battle with China’s Zheng Qinwen to advance to the women’s singles final. American Gauff is to face Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in today’s title match after pulling through 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 7-6 (7/4) in a match that lasted over three-and-a-half hours. Ruud was supposed to be Sinner’s toughest test in Rome since he came back from his three-month doping ban, as the Norwegian came into the match in hot form on clay after winning in
RSS