Germany U19 W opened their UEFA Women's U19 EURO 2026 campaign with a dominant 5-0 win over hosts Bosnia and Herzegovina in Zenica.
Match Videos
Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow it unfolded
Germany dominated from the first whistle. Helen Börner forced a save from Bosnia goalkeeper Nadija Golubović inside eight minutes, and Mia-Lena Maas headed a corner narrowly wide soon after.
The hosts had a rare chance on 15 minutes when Hana Mešan crossed for Sara Mujdžić, whose looping header required a tip over the bar from Germany goalkeeper Janne Krumme. That was Bosnia's only serious first-half threat.
An early injury forced the first change: Zoe Schick went off after 14 minutes, replaced by Paula Rintzner. Rintzner made the decisive contribution before half-time. A defensive mix-up saw Natalija Mirković's clearance cannon off a team-mate, gifting the ball to Börner, who squared for Rintzner to steer home from close range (36').
Germany hit the woodwork before the break — Marie Gmeineder's long-range strike crashed against the crossbar — but led 1-0 at half-time.
The floodgates opened after the restart. Felicia Sträßer collected the ball at the right edge of the box, beat three defenders and curled a superb finish over Golubović for 2-0 (49'). She completed her brace eight minutes later, arriving unmarked to head home from a corner (57').
Substitutes combined for the fourth: Elira Terakaj, on for Börner, slid a low pass across for Emma Memminger to convert under pressure from close range (71'). Lany Bäcker capped the night with a spectacular long-range strike from over 20 yards that flew into the top-right corner deep in stoppage time (90+5').
The turning point
Rintzner's 36th-minute opener changed the dynamic. Until then, Bosnia had defended resolutely and even posed the occasional threat on the counter. Once Germany had the lead, the hosts had to push forward, leaving space that Sträßer and the substitutes ruthlessly exploited in the second half.
Key performers
Felicia Sträßer — the standout player on the pitch. Her brace (49', 57') showed two very different finishes: a dribble-and-chip from the edge of the box and a poacher's header from a corner. Unplayable in the second half.
Paula Rintzner — came on as an early substitute for the injured Schick (14'), scored the crucial opener (36') and assisted Sträßer's second (57'). A game-changing cameo.
Lany Bäcker — her stoppage-time thunderbolt from distance was the moment of the match. The 90+5' strike was pure quality and capped a dominant display.
Lenelotte Müller, Luzie Zähringer and Mia-Lena Maas — Germany's back three controlled the game from deep, cutting out Bosnia counters and starting attacks with composed distribution.
Player of the match: Felicia Sträßer.
By the numbers — interpreted
The scoreline tells a story of complete German control. The 5-0 margin flattered no one: Germany created chances throughout, hit the woodwork once, and could have added more. Bosnia's only shot on target was Mujdžić's 15th-minute header, which Krumme dealt with comfortably. Germany's second-half surge — three goals in 22 minutes between the 49th and 71st — reflected both superior fitness and tactical sharpness after the break.
What it means
Germany sit level on three points with Sweden at the top of Group A but lead on goal difference after the Swedes' narrow 1-0 win over Poland. Poland and Bosnia are yet to get off the mark.
Germany face Poland next on Tuesday 30 June (20:00 CET kick-off). Bosnia and Herzegovina take on Sweden on the same day. The top two in each group advance to the semi-finals.
Verdict
Ruthless, professional and increasingly fluent as the game wore on. Germany look like serious contenders for the title. Bosnia, making their first EURO appearance as hosts, competed gamely for 35 minutes but simply could not live with Germany's technical superiority once the first goal went in.
Match Events
Key match events between Bosnia-Herzegovina U19 and Germany U19 W — 5 goals and 3 cards recorded during the match.
assist: H. Borner· Carl Zeiss Jena W
assist: P. Rintzner
assist: E. Terakaj
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 30 Jun 2026
