DFB Women ahead of qualifying finale in Slovenia: Wück announces major rotation

In Ljubljana, Wück will change the squad significantly. Goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger, who was kept very busy against Norway, is to be rested; instead, Stina Johannes or Ena Mahmutovic could start. Several Wolfsburg players are available in defense: Janina Minge, Camilla Küver, Sophia Kleinherne, and Sarai Linder could line up together. Minge, who was suspended against Norway, will also take over the captain's armband from the injured Giulia Gwinn.

Personnel questions and rotation

On the right wing, Marie Müller will not be in the starting lineup despite her successful debut against Norway. Wück gave a measured explanation: "Ich habe sie erst mal in Ruhe gelassen." The 26-year-old from the Portland Thorns had debuted in the 2:0 in Cologne as a substitute for the injured Gwinn and scored the opening goal.

The situation ahead of the match is a particular one. In the first leg in April, the DFB team had unexpectedly dropped points in a 0:0 draw in Austria. Wück admitted: "Wir haben beim 0:0 in Österreich gemerkt, daß wir gegen 'kleinere' Nationen schon das ein oder andere Problem auf dem Platz hatten, das wir nicht lösen konnten." With the win against Norway, the team has "die Treppenstufe wieder hochgegangen, die wir in Österreich runtergefallen sind".

Looking back at the 0:0 in Austria

At the same time, the head coach called for humility. Looking ahead to the upcoming World Cup finals in Brazil, he said: "Ich glaube, es fehlt noch sehr viel." The goal is to continue developing "so weiterzuentwickeln, dass wir eben nicht nur bei einer Europameisterschaft, sondern jetzt auf der ganzen großen weiten Welt mit Mannschaften mithalten können." Friendlies against teams from South America, Africa, or Asia are therefore planned for the autumn.

The Stozice Stadium in Ljubljana, which holds 16,000 spectators, is expected to be only about one-third full according to the DFB. Slovenia sits last in the qualifying group. At the final training session on Monday evening, temperatures reached 27 degrees. Janina Minge appeared relaxed about the task ahead: "Es ist auch mal angenehm, so ein Spiel zu haben. Wir wollen natürlich bestätigen, was wir in dieser WM-Quali schon gezeigt haben. Wir wollen mit einem positiven Gefühl in die Sommerpause gehen."

Freigang and the doping case

Alongside the sporting questions, the case of Laura Freigang is attracting attention. According to the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA), the 28-year-old striker from Eintracht Frankfurt had missed three testing appointments within twelve months because she had not been at the stated location. Under NADA rules, bans of up to two years can be imposed in such cases. The DFB's Anti-Doping Commission is reviewing the case and submitted documents before a decision is made on further steps. Freigang, who was not nominated for the match in Slovenia, stated on Instagram: "Bei den verpassten Kontrollen handelt es sich nicht um bewusst vermiedene Kontrolltermine, sondern um Unstimmigkeiten bzw. Missverständnisse in den täglich zu aktualisierenden und umfassenden Angaben, die wir als Nationalspielerinnen tages- und stundenaktuell im System zu aktualisieren haben."

The DFB Women had won the first meeting with Norway convincingly 5:0 in Dresden, before the 2:0 in Cologne sealed early qualification. Germany is record world champion with two titles (2003, 2007). The last major title, however, dates back some years: in 2016, the team won Olympic gold in Brazil. Defender Kathrin Hendrich still sees the team well positioned: they possess "Riesenqualität in der Breite".

Outlook for the autumn

Looking ahead to the match, Wück stressed that all players had the quality and the trust "dass sie Spiele für Deutschland entscheiden können". Regardless of the lineup, Slovenia is an important test: "Es ist für uns als Mannschaft ein wichtiges Spiel, weil wir einfach den Weg weitergehen wollen".

It remains to be seen how the team will line up personnel-wise in Ljubljana and which players can impress enough to be considered for the international tests planned for the autumn. Wück wanted to announce the final lineup only on matchday.