Stanway, Bühl, Caruso and Co: Eight Reds in semi-finals

While preparations for the new season are already under way in Munich, a total of eight FC Bayern Women players are still competing for a major international title: the European Championship in Switzerland. The German double winners have the joint second-largest contingent in the semi-finals together with Juventus – only FC Barcelona (11 players) are better represented. fcbayern.com takes a look at the performances of the Munich girls so far at the 14th EURO finals.

FCB clash in semis: Stanway & Caruso fight for first final ticket

There’s a Bayern clash in the first EURO semi-final in Geneva on Tuesday night, with midfielders Georgia Stanway and Arianna Caruso going up against each other for their countries. The two influential players have impressed in the tournament to date, as a look at the stats proves. Stanway has started all four matches for England, playing the full 90 minutes in the last two group games. She put the defending champions 2-0 up against Netherlands with a powerful long-range strike and then opened the scoring in the 6-1 thrashing against Wales with a penalty.

Caruso has also demonstrated her class in the course of the EURO. In Italy’s opening match against Belgium, the 25-year-old was the match-winner with her winning goal and was consequently presented with the Player of the Match award. Le Azzurre coach Andrea Soncin has relied on the Rome native since then too, with Caruso playing every minute so far. The linchpin of the Italian midfield has registered five shots on goal, while 78 percent of her passes have reached a team-mate.

Germany up against world champions

The second semi-final also promises great excitement and drama as Germany, containing six Bayern players, face defending world champions Spain.

The Munich player with the most minutes so far is Klara Bühl – and she’s shown why she’s a pillar of the German team in impressive style. The 24-year-old has started all four of the eight-time European champions’ matches, only being substituted off once and even playing the full 120 minutes in the quarter-final against France. In that game, it was once again her precise corner that set up the vital equaliser scored by Sjoeke Nüsken, which ultimately took the tie to penalties. Bühl has been a constant threat in attack and instrumental to Germany’s play. She was crowned Player of the Match in the group game against Denmark – an accolade that reflects her displays.

Lea Schüller started up front in all of Germany’s group games, netting the second goal against both Poland and Denmark shortly before coming off in the 66th minute. Then in the quarter-final against France, she came on for Giovanna Hoffmann in extra time, and her clever positioning and high work rate helped to take the game to penalties despite the numerical disadvantage. In total the forward has registered 225 minutes of action, nine attempts and a pass completion rate of 71.5% – numbers that underline her importance to the DFB-Frauen’s attacking play, even when coming off the bench. 

Franziska Kett made her EURO debut in the quarter-final against France, no less – right from the start. On the left side of defence, the 20-year-old Bavarian was up against Kadidiatou Diani, one of the most dangerous attacking players in the world. But Kett was not overawed and defended with aggression, strong running and tactical discipline, keeping on her opponent's tail and not giving up any tackles.

Despite Kathy Hendrich’s early sending-off, Kett remained a key part of the back five – often pushing up and cutting out French attacks early on, becoming a reliable pillar in the defensive unit. With a pass completion rate of 67%, 114 minutes on the pitch and no sign of nerves, Kett threw herself into every ball, every challenge – she later left the Mixed Zone with a scratch on her neck and a smile on her face. “I think that was the opponent, but I just tried to give everything,” she said after reaching the semi-finals, before adding with a grin: “I think the French were a bit annoyed by me.”

Linda Dallmann started Germany’s opening two group games and played an important role in the centre of midfield as the link between defence and attack. The 30-year-old constantly drew opponents towards her with her varied play, opening up spaces – and it was she who won the penalty that Nüsken converted to equalise against Denmark. The Bayern veteran has been on the field for 141 minutes in total, and although her pass rate of 57 percent leaves a little to be desired, Dallman remains an important driving force in midfield for Germany.

Giulia Gwinn led the German side as captain in the first group game against Poland, but her tournament was already over before half-time. The full-back sustained a ligament injury in her left knee in the 40th minute, but since then she’s been cheering on the team from the sidelines and embodying the impressive team spirit with her voice and support off the pitch.

Backup goalkeeper Ena Mahmutovic, taking part in her first EURO, is yet to feature but remains a reliable option in the background.

A round-up of the quarter-final clashes for the Bayern players in Switzerland: