BASEL: The all-round brilliance of goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger inspired Germany to a remarkable shootout victory over France after a grippingly intense UEFA Women’s Euro quarter-final in Basel,

Germany won 6-5 on penalties after a 1-1 draw which they secured despite having been reduced to 10 players by the 13th-minute expulsion of defender Kathrin Hendrich. They now face favourites Spain in the semi-finals on Wednesday.

Berger’s two saves in the shootout included the final decisive stop from Alice Sombath after she had converted a kick of her own. Earlier the 34-year-old from Gotham FC in the National Women’s Soccer League had kept her team alive with a string of superb saves.

Hendrich saw red after a VAR review for pulling the hair of Griege Mbock at a corner. The foul brought a penalty struck home by Grace Geyoro but was the Germans were rescued by a header from Sjoeke Nusken to Klara Buehl’s near-post corner 12 minutes later.

Nusken missed a second-half spot-kick while France had two goals ruled out for offside and Melvine Malard hit the top of the bar with the very last kick in extra time.

Germany have reached the semi-finals for the seventh time since the format changed to a group stage in 1997, twice more than any other nation.

The shootout:

Penalties (Germany first): Minge 1-0, Majri saved 1-0; Dallman 2-0, Karchaoui 2-1; Knaak 3-1, Malard 3-2; Dabritz over bar 3-2, Baltimore 3-3; Berger 4-3, Francois 4-4; Buhl 5-4, Ndongela 5-5; Nusken 6-5, Sombath saved 6-5.

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