Germany fight back after false start

Jessica Wich scored two goals in a minute as Germany recovered from a disastrous start to open their Group A campaign with a 2-1 win against France.

Timely intervention
Wich's previous 13 internationals at this level had brought just two goals but here she doubled that tally in the space of 60 seconds as Germany turned the game on its head after Solène Barbance's early opener. Both owed to the unselfish awareness of Dzenifer Marozsan, the 17-year-old giving Wich the simplest of opening to equalise and then combining with Svenja Huth, leaving blue shirts in their wake, to set up the grateful No7 once more. It was enough to earn Germany a fifth victory against Les Bleuettes in as many meetings in this competition.

French vim
The game had begun innocuously enough but, on seven minutes, France scored with the first shot. Wendie Renard's high, looping cross was hit more in hope than anything else but Barbance did brilliantly. Getting the wrong side of the static Valeria Kleiner, the diminutive No10 cushioned the ball and held off the defender as she calmly slotted low to Desiree Schumann's right. It could easily have been 2-0 by the half-hour as Léa Rubio rattled the crossbar from range, the ball hitting the unwitting Schumann on the rebound and fortune favoured the goalkeeper.

Turnaround
There were positive signs for a disjointed Germany side, however, with Wich, Marozsan and Huth combining well. Huth wasted one excellent opening and only a well-timed tackle from Charlène Sasso denied Marozsan a run on goal. The Germany No10 hit the crossbar with the resulting corner and the holes in France's five-player back line were exploited in the 35th minute as Wich turned in a cut-back from the omnipresent Marozsan. The 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam forward swiftly completed the turnaround and there was never really any way back for their opponents.

Defensive steel
Making his bow at this level, France coach Jean-Michel Degrange rang the changes but to no avail as his charges failed to threaten Schumann's goal after half-time. Germany, meanwhile, were content to go down a couple of gears, conserving their energy ahead of Thursday's meeting with Switzerland when France take on hosts Belarus.