Spain 3-0 Germany, UEFA Women’s Nations League Final Leg 2: La Roja Retain Title As Pina Inspires Big Win

Claudia Pina scored twice, and Germany crumbled as Spain retained the UEFA Women’s Nations League title with a 3-0 victory in the second leg of the finals on Tuesday at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid. The night belonged to the European champions, who broke through after a tense goalless draw in Kaiserslautern on Friday.

Vicky Lopez added the other goal on a historic night at Atletico Madrid’s home ground, where nearly 56,000 supporters created a record home attendance for Spain.

The flags, chants and cold evening in Madrid did little to slow the momentum as Spain surged from the opening whistle, despite missing three-time Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati, who broke her leg in training on Sunday.

Spain Take Full Control In Final

Lopez stepped in for Bonmati and Spain dominated from the start, pressing Germany deep and creating early danger. Esther Gonzalez swept the ball just wide, while Mariona Caldentey forced a strong save from Ann-Katrin Berger as the home crowd roared.

Gonzalez also attempted an acrobatic scissors kick, and Mariona, Lopez and Mariona again all carved out chances before halftime, with Berger standing firm to deny the latter.

Germany managed only a rare first-half breakaway as Nicole Anyomi found herself one-on-one with Cata Coll, yet dragged her shot wide of the right post.

“That has to go in, and she had another one in the box in the second half,” Germany coach Christian Wuck said later. “That’s the difference between us and the technically gifted Spanish players.”

The breakthrough finally came in the 61st minute. Pina breezed past a German defender, exchanged a swift one-two with Mariona and beat Berger with a low shot inside the right post despite the keeper’s touch.

Seven minutes later, the 19-year-old Lopez cut in from the right, curled a superb effort inside the far corner, and sent the stadium into a frenzy.

Spain were relentless. In the 74th minute, Pina sealed the win after Germany’s Janina Minge gifted her the ball. The Barcelona forward strode forward and unleashed a strike from around 20 yards, leaving Berger helpless once again.

Historic Crowd Lead Emotional Reaction

The cold night in the Spanish capital did nothing to deter the supporters, many of them children, who remained in their seats long after the final whistle.

“One of the most magical nights we have ever experienced, one of the best in my career,” two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas said after the match.

“Some of us have been playing for the national team for 13 years and never imagined this,” Putellas said of the attendance. “It says a lot about what we have achieved with women’s soccer in Spain. We will continue to inspire girls and boys to fight for their dreams, which sometimes come true.”

Spain coach Sonia Bermudez, winning her first title since taking over from Montse Tome in August, praised the team’s resilience. “The goal was to win again and retain the Nations League title. It was all worth it,” she said.

This victory marked only Spain’s second-ever win over old foe Germany. Their previous success came at last summer’s European Championship when Bonmati scored in extra time for a 1-0 semifinal win. Spain went on to lose to England on penalties in the final.

Even so, the team remain one of Europe’s most dominant forces, having reached the finals of the last four major tournaments.

Spain beat England in the 2023 Women’s World Cup, overcame France in the 2024 Women’s Nations League, and Tuesday’s win over Germany now makes it three triumphs from four finals.

(With AP Inputs)