Jule Brand produced a moment of sheer brilliance to fire Germany to a 2–0 win over a disciplined Poland side, launching their UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 campaign in style.

The 21-year-old midfielder struck a sublime effort early in the second half to finally break Poland’s defensive resolve, before Lea Schüller’s header sealed the points for the eight-time European champions in St. Gallen.

While Germany had to work hard to carve open a well-drilled Polish unit, their second-half dominance proved decisive. Poland, making their debut at a European Championship, can take pride in their performance, but once Brand found the breakthrough in the 52nd minute, the result felt inevitable.

Brand Delivers the Spark as Germany Rise After Half-Time
With her back to goal on the edge of the box, Brand collected possession, turned sharply and rifled a fierce left-footed strike into the far corner — a moment of magic that lit up the contest and gave Germany the impetus they needed.

“It wasn’t perfect — we still need to improve our final passes,” Brand admitted post-match, “but the first game of a tournament is always difficult. That’s why it feels good to have secured the three points.”

Germany’s second arrived via Schüller, who nodded in at the far post after a well-worked passage of play. Sjoeke Nüsken had earlier spurned a gilt-edged opportunity, heading inexplicably wide from close range.

Poland Show Resolve in Tournament Debut
Despite the defeat, Poland delivered a spirited and tactically intelligent performance. In the opening 45 minutes, coach Nina Patalon’s side defended with discipline, frequently dropping into a back six without the ball and frustrating Germany’s build-up.

On the counter-attack, they looked threatening — particularly through Barcelona forward Ewa Pajor, whose pace and movement troubled Germany’s defence. Emilia Szymczak volleyed wide when unmarked from a deep free-kick, and Ann-Katrin Berger was forced to tip over Pajor’s curling effort, though the flag was up for offside.

Germany’s manager, Christian Wück, was visibly frustrated at the break and sent his team out three minutes early for the restart — a signal of intent. His players responded accordingly.

Supporters Bring the Noise as Germany Benefit from Local Backing
With St. Gallen just 15 miles from the German border, the 2022 runners-up effectively enjoyed a home atmosphere. Their supporters arrived in droves, filling the streets of the historic Swiss town with colour, song, and anticipation.

After the host nation, Germany fans had purchased more tickets for the tournament than any other country, and their presence was felt both in and around the stadium. Entering the match, Germany had scored 24 goals in their previous five fixtures, and while they weren’t at their free-scoring best on this occasion, their quality eventually shone through.

Concern for Captain Gwinn Amid Celebratory Night
The only setback on an otherwise positive evening came in the first half when captain and right-back Giulia Gwinn was forced off with a worrying injury. The Bayern Munich defender appeared visibly distressed and fought back tears as she was helped off the pitch.

Wück confirmed after the match that Gwinn would undergo an MRI scan in Zurich on Saturday morning to determine the severity of the injury.

Speaking on the incident, Brand said: “When Giulia stays down, it’s never a good sign — she usually gets back up straight away. You could feel the mood shift. But we were determined to get the three points for her.”

A Measured but Confident Start from Germany
While Germany did not quite match the dominant statement Spain made earlier in the tournament, the win nonetheless reflects a team in form and capable of growing into the competition.

Poland pushed them to their limits for large periods, but with moments of quality from Brand, Schüller and the ever-composed Berger in goal, Germany demonstrated once again why they are among the tournament favourites.