MADRID (AP) — Claudia Pina scored twice and Germany collapsed as Spain won 3-0 in the second leg of the Women’s Nations League final on Tuesday.
Just as Spain had done in the first leg, Pina finally broke the deadlock after an hour of play as Germany stubbornly held on, with Vicky Lopez also scoring. Kaiserslautern 0-0 draw on friday.
Spain was without three-time Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bommatti. she broke her leg while training He will be out for five months on Sunday.
López replaced Bommatti and Spain took control from the start. Esther González hit the ball right on the post and Mariona Caldenti forced an early save from Ann-Katrin Berger as the fans cheered loudly.
Nearly 56,000 supporters attended Atlético Madrid’s Metropolitano stadium, easily breaking the Spanish team’s record at home.
As Spain maintained their advantage, González tried his luck with an acrobatic scissor kick. Mariona, López and again Mariona gave everyone a good chance before the break, with Berger successfully stopping the latter.
Nicole Anyomi had a rare chance for Germany in a one-on-one with Kata Kol before the half-time whistle, but her shot went wide of the right post.
Pina got the party started in the 61st minute with a one-two with Mariona past a German defender and a low shot that beat Berger. Berger got his hands on the ball but was unable to stop it from progressing inside the right post.
The 19-year-old Lopez scored seven minutes later, cutting in from the right and curling a shot inside the far post.
Pina was gifted the ball by Germany’s Janina Minge and sealed the victory in the 74th minute. The Barcelona forward aimed for goal and flew from about 20 meters (yards) past a desperate Berger.
It was Spain’s second victory over arch-rival Germany. The last time was at the European Championships last summer. Bonmati scores in extra time Won 1-0 in the semi-finals. Spain lost to England in the final on penalties.
It was the only disappointment after reaching the finals of the previous four major tournaments. Spain defeated England in the 2023 Women’s World Cup and France in the 2024 Women’s Nations League. Tuesday’s win over Germany made it three wins out of four finals.
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