The Swedes ruthlessly reveal the weaknesses of the German national team at the European Championship.

After the heaviest defeat in German European Championship history, the frustration among the German women's soccer team is deep. "We clearly went into this game wanting to finish first in the group. And that's why we're feeling a bit down now," said national coach Christian Wück after the disappointing 4-1 defeat to Sweden in Zurich. "We gave the game away in 10 to 15 minutes, which is incredibly bitter," lamented national striker Klara Bühl.

"It's sobering, of course. You'd prefer not to have a day like this during a European Championship," said playmaker Laura Freigang, who was starting for the first time at this year's tournament. "But I'd rather have it today than any other day, because now there are knockout matches."

Instead of the supposedly easier path to the tournament as group winners, France now faces a quarterfinal and world champions Spain in a possible semifinal – the strongest teams so far in this European Championship. "We'll shake ourselves up and then go into this quarterfinal with joy and full courage. No matter who we face – whether it's the French, the English, or the Netherlands," Wück announced after the botched preliminary round finish.

At least the break until the first knockout match is now longer for the German national team: The team will not play in Basel until Saturday. The semifinal on July 23 will take place in Zurich. "We have seven days to prepare. We will use them," promised Freigang from Frankfurt.

The Germans saw the sending off of right-back Carlotta Wamser as the crucial moment. "The red card was the deciding factor in our not coming back," analyzed Wück. However, the defense also looked poor in the two goals conceded before Wamser's sending off for handball on the goal line.

The eight-time title winners took an early lead through Jule Brand and impressed with a strong opening phase. "I was really looking forward to the game, and after the first ten minutes, I had the feeling it was going exactly as we had hoped," said Freigang. In the end, however, it was "a day that the team needed."

"I thought it would be a great game. We're in," said goalscorer Brand, for whom it was her second goal of the tournament. Looking ahead to the challenges ahead, the winger stated: "There are no weaker teams coming." She couldn't comment on the mood in the locker room, as she had undergone a doping test.