French and Swiss advance to semis

Pauline Crammer and Solène Barbance were on target in Minsk as France progressed from Group A along with Switzerland, who, despite this result, also reach the semi-finals at Germany's expense.

Thrilling climax
The section reached a thrilling climax, with Switzerland, France and Germany all beginning the afternoon with realistic chances of qualifying. Although the five-time winners brushed Belarus aside 9-0, Les Bleuettes ensured that all three teams finished with six points thanks a determined second-half display. After Crammer had broken the Swiss resistance on 52 minutes, the 2003 winners endured some nervy moments before Barbance completed the win with her fourth of the tournament ten minutes from time. France progress as group winners, while Germany fail to reach the last four for the first time in six years.

Bachmann menace
Switzerland began with the swagger of a side that had inflicted a record defeat on Germany three days earlier, spraying the ball with confidence. Ana Maria Crnogorcevic and Ramona Bachmann had been the scourge of Maren Meinert's team, and they began posing problems eleven minutes in, the former laying a pass off for the Umeå IK forward who outstripped Kelly Gadea before having her shot saved by Laëtitia Philippe.

Brilliant save
Bachmann displayed her talent again moments later, nimbly turning past Charlotte Bilbault only to see her powerful strike brilliantly parried by Philippe. The Montpellier Hérault SC goalkeeper was getting more touches than her team-mates, although France slowly clawed their way back. Amélie Barbetta rifled one effort over before Crammer missed her side's best chance of the half, latching on to Audrey Fevrier's cross but failing to control with just the keeper to beat.

French pressure
Jean-Michel Degrange clearly found the right words at the break as the blues shirts came out reinvogorated. Swiss No1 Nathalie Schwery had been a virtual spectator in the opening period, yet she needed to push Fanny Tenret's strike wide and make a sharp double save from Barbance and Tenret before France's pressure told. After Lara Keller had misplaced a pass, Crammer created space for herself 20 metres out and unleashed a precise shot into the bottom corner. Switzerland refused to make life easy for France, with the ever-dangerous Bachmann surging infield and unleashing another stinging drive that Philippe beat away, but their nerves were finally calmed by Barbance, the No10 curling a wonderful shot into the top corner from 20 metres.