Spain Vs Germany Preview, UEFA Women’s Nations League Final Leg 2: Reigning Champions Hope To Overcome Injury Blow

Spain will defend their UEFA Women’s Nations League crown on Tuesday at the Metropolitano Stadium, but the build-up to the second leg in Madrid has been overshadowed by a devastating setback – the loss of one of the world’s best players just 48 hours before kick-off.

Three-time Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati suffered a broken leg during training on Sunday and has been ruled out of the decisive second leg against Germany. The opening match in Germany finished 0-0 on Friday, leaving everything at stake in the Spanish capital.

Spain Rocked By Bonmati Injury

Coach Sonia Bermudez admitted the squad took the news of Bonmait’s hard. “It’s a huge loss,” Bermudez said on Monday. “Yesterday, the mood was a bit down because it’s hard when a teammate is injured. We hope she recovers as soon as possible.”

“The team is fine and knows they'll have all the support in the world. We want to dedicate the victory to those who are injured,” she added. “Aitana wanted to be in the final with us, but we have to prioritise the player’s health.”

Bonmati suffered the injury after landing awkwardly in an accidental training collision. Tests later confirmed a fractured left fibula, ruling the midfielder out of one of Spain’s biggest fixtures of the year.

Captain Irene Paredes echoed the sense of shock in the camp. “Absences like Aitana’s throw you off because nobody likes to see a teammate getting injured and suffering,” she said. “But we’re going to move forward, we have other players and everyone is capable of contributing.”

Bermudez Confident In Title-Chasing Spain

Despite the magnitude of the loss, Bermudez – a former Spain captain – insisted the team remains fully equipped to compete at the highest level.

“Any of the 24 players are more than ready,” she said. “The good thing is that the squad is very versatile; players interpret the game well in different positions, so we have multiple options.”

Bermudez took charge in August, replacing Montse Tome, and is aiming for her first trophy as national team coach.

Spain arrive in the final having reached the last four major tournament finals, including victories over England at the 2023 Women’s World Cup and France in the 2024 Women’s Nations League. They finished runners-up to England on penalties at Euro 2025 in July.

Meanwhile, Germany coach Christian Wuck acknowledged Bonmati’s stature but maintained that Spain remain formidable. “Bonmati is one of the best players in the world at the moment, and still, Spain is in a position to replace every player,” he said.

Germany Also Missing Key Names

Germany remain without Giovanna Hoffmann, Lena Oberdorf, Carlotta Wamser, and Lea Schuller, all of whom impressed during Euro 2025.

Nevertheless, the visitors drew confidence from their disciplined first-leg performance in Kaiserslautern, where Spain goalkeeper Cata Coll was forced into multiple saves.

Midfielder Janina Minge believes Germany can finish the job. “The second game will be extremely difficult again,” she said. “But I’m totally convinced we can do it.”

(With AP Inputs)