Match report: Germany 6-0 Morocco
Group H: “It was evident from the first whistle that Morocco were not going to be able to keep a clean sheet for long and after a slower first half the Euro 2022 runners-up brushed the debutants aside with an emphatic 6-0 victory,” writes Jo Khan from the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium …
An emphatic win for Germany, who go in search of their third #FIFAWWC!#BeyondGreatness
— FIFA Women's World Cup (@FIFAWWC) July 24, 2023
Germany beat Morocco: The first Arab nation to play at a Women’s World Cup, Morocco certainly didn’t disgrace themselves but their inability to deal with crosses really cost them.
Having gone down to two Alexandra Popp goals in the first half, the game really got away from Reynald Pedros’s side immediately after the break when Germany scored within 30 seconds of the restart. Back-to-back own goals from Morocco kept the scoreboard ticking over until Lea Schuller wrapped up the proceedings for Germany in the closing stages.
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Full time: Germany 6-0 Morocco
Peep! Peep! Peeeeep! It’s all over in Melbourne, where Germany have swattted the World Cup debutantes aside and made a real statement of intent.
90+8 min: Lea Schuller tries her luck with a piledriver from outside the penalty area but it’s blocked by a defender.
90+5 min: Germany have an effort ruled out for offside after Schuller had planted a downward header between the legs of Er-Rmichi after getting on the end of a flick-on.
We’ll have nine minutes of added time. It seems a little harsh on Morocco, who I’m sure would welcome the final whistle right now. German substitute Nicole Anyomi would certainly have welcomed it a minute ago as she’s just shipped a clearance in the face from close range
GOAL! Germany 6-0 Morocco (Schuller 89)
It’s a tennis score! And not a flattering one for Morocco, who are being bageld by their opposition. Lea Schuller slots into an empty net after Khadija Er-Rmichi had made a decent save from close range, only for the ball to drop at the feet of the substitute.
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89 min: Germany make another substitution, bringing on Chantal Hagel in place of Jule Brand.
86 min: Morocco create a half-chance from a corner which Germany failed to clear properly. With some nifty footwork, Rosella Ayane creates an opening and shoots low towards the German goal. Her fairly feeble effort is saved comfortably by Frohms.
82 min: Alexandra Popp has been susbstituted and won’t be completing her hat-trick. She’s replaced by Laura Freigang.
82 min: Morocco defender Elodie Nakkach hurt her head in that most unseemly scramble and is replaced. She looks like she might be concussed. Morocco double-substitution: Nakkach and Mrabet off, Nesryne El Chad and Najat Badri on.
GOAL! Germany 5-0 Morocco (Mrabet 79og)
Germany make it five! What a mess. The ball’s send into the Morocco penalty area, where goalkeeper Er-Rmichi punches the ball on to the head of Mrabet, her own defender. It ricochet’s goalwards and standing on the line, Redouani desperately tries to clear the ball, only to help it over the line. Just to make sure, Alexandra Popp barges through the melee to finish the job. That’s an own goal and it’s being attributed to Mrabet.
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78 min: Brand stands the ball up in the Morocco six-yard box but it’s headed out for a corner by Redouani.
75 min: The German substitute Anyomi is booked for a clumsy challenge on Zineb Redouani, who goes to ground smacking the turf in pain. It’s the first yellow card of the game.
73 min: With Germany having put the game well out of Morocco’s reach, there’s not a great deal to report on the pitch. The European side are firmly in control and for their African opponents, it’s all about damage limitation and trying to score their first ever World Cup goal.
70 min: Just replaced by Germany, Melanie Leupolz missed the Euros last summer because she was pregnant. The Chelsea midifelder has since given birth to a son, who is a firm favourite around the WSL side’s Cobham training ground and has also made the trip to Australia for the World Cup.
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69 min: Morocco substitution: Saima Amani on for Anissa Lahmari in midfield.
65 min: Germany triple-substitution: Lea Schuller, Lena Lattwein and Etonam Anyomi on for Leupolz, Magull and Buehl.
62 min: Germany ping the ball around, leaving Morocco chasing shadows, a most exhausting pursuit, particularly when you’re 4-0 down. Ait El Haj comes perilously close to scoring her second own goal in a few minutes, when she deflects a low Jule Brand cross goalwards. On this occasion, her goalkeeper digs her out in a far more productive way, getting down to turn the ball around the upright. Good save.
60 min: There’s a break in play as one of Morocco’s players, the scorer of the own goal, receives treatment for an injury.
59 min: Klara Buehl finds herself in acres of space down the left wing but is unable to pick out a teammate with her low cross. Somewhat frantically, Morocco clear their lines.
58 min: Playing for pride now, Morocco keep plugging away against an increasingly confident German side after amo st eventful opening to the second half.
GOAL! Germany 4-0 Morocco (Ait El Haj 53og)
It’s turning into a rout. Moroccan defender Hanane Ait El Haj turns the ball into her own net after a defensive header from Elodie Nakkach dropped her way.
Somewhat uncharitably, her team’s goalkeeper, Khadija Er-Rmichi, rollocks the crestfallen young defender out of it, despite not being entirely blameless herself. She’d come for the initial delivery into the Morocco box but failed to get anywhere near it.
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53 min: Anissa Lahmahri strays offside a split-second before receiving a pass from Ghizlane Chebbak and shooting past Frohms. Her “goal” is correctly ruled out for offside.
52 min: Morcocco get forward and Chebbak has a low shot comfortably saved by Marle Frohms.
47 min: Standing in an offside position, Magull cleverly lets a through ball roll between her legs so Buehl, running from deep, can shoot goalwards. She clips the outside of the post and the flag goes up for offside. Had Buehl scored again, I suspect that offside decision might have beenn overturned, unless the officials deemed Magull to have been interfering with play.
47 min: Buehl started and finished that move, getting down the left flank and crossing to the far post, where the ball was knocked down for Lina Magull, who hit the woodwork. Morocco failed to clear their lines and the ball broke to Buehl, who sent if fizzing past Khadija Er-Rmichi.
GOAL! Germany 3-0 Morocco (Buehl 46)
Germany extend their lead! It’s a disaster for Morocco as Klara Buehl rifles home from eight yards just 10 seconds after the restart.
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Second half: Germany 2-0 Morocco
46 min: Play resumes with no changes in personnel on either side.
Half-time: Germany 2-0 Morocco
Peep! Referee Tori Penso draws first-half proceedings to a close, with Germany leading courtesy of Alexandra Popp’s brace. They’re well worth their lead but haven’t had it all their own way against a team ranked 70 places below them in the cosmic scheme of things.
45+3 min: An intricate move by Germany that would have Pep Guardiola himself salivating ends with Jule Brand teeing up Klara Buehl, whose low drive from inside the penalty area is blocked. It stemmed from a throw-in and featured an inch-perfect, wonderfully weighted backheel from Lina Magull. Had Buehl scored, that certainly would have been an early contender for goal of the tournament.
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45+2 min: Zineb Redouani, who’s been very impressive in the Morocco defence, makes a crucial interception to concede a throw-in as Germany try to play in behind their rivals down the right touchline.
44 min: Going back to Popp’s second goal, the German was actually facing away from goal when she connected with Klara Buehl’s excellent corner. She didn’t make any sort of clean contact with her head but managed to steer the ball past Er-Rmichi with her shoulder from six yards. It won’t be a goal of the tournament or Puskas Award contender but they all count.
41 min: Morocco squander what looks like a big chance after Fatima Tagnaouti is playedf in behind for a one-on-one with Merle Frohms, but is unable to round the German goalkeeper, who rushed off her line but stayed on her feet. The flag goes up for offside, so Tagnaouti’s blushes are spared.
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GOAL! Germany 2-0 Morocco (Popp 39)
Popp doubles Germany’s lead! The German skipper sort of shoulders one in from the edge of the six-yard box, getting on the end of the corner delivery to score her second goal of the game.
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37 min: Germany are posing Morocco plenty of problems down the inside left but on this occasion, Hanane Ait El Haj dispossesses Jule Brand with an impeccably timed tackle to concede a corner after the German had been played in behind.
33 min: It’s a beautiful dinked finish from Sara Daebritz, who thinks she’s doubled Germany’s lead after being played in behind to lift the ball over Morocco keeper Er-Rmichi. Offside!
30 min: Chebbak, whose father Arbi won Afcon with Morocco in 1976, is penalised for a rough challenge on Svenja Huth and gets a mild ticking-off from our American referee Tori Penso upon protesting her innocence.
29 min: Morocco win a free-kick halfway inside the Germany half and the ball is drilled low and hard towards the edge of the penalty area. The Germans clear their lines.
26 min: German left-back Felicitas Rauch tries a shot from the edge of the Morocco penalty area but her effort is blocked by Redouani, a rock in the African side’s defence.
25min: With Rosella Ayane loitering with intent in the centre, Morocco get the ball into the Germany box and it’s cleared … eventually, but only as far as Chebbak. The Morocco skipper tries her luck from a long way out and her shot is on target. It arrows straight into the breadbasket of German goalkeeper Merle Frohms. A decent effort.
22 min: A wayward pass from German midfielder Lina Magull prompts the breakdown of another promising German attack, as Morocco get numbers back to defend.
19 min: Sakina Ouzraoui plays the ball down the right touchline trying to release Fatima Tagnaout but her pass is intercepted and put out for a throw-in. Morocco are a goal down but are giving a pretty decent account of themselves so far. There’s no evidence of any bus-parking in Melbourne so far.
16 min: Moments before that goal, there was a moment of panic in the Morocco defence, when Redouani was forced the hack the ball clear from the six-yard box seconds after after the Germans had hit the woodwork. The ball rebounded to Klara Buehl, who should have scored from inside the penalty area.
15 min: Popp was completey unmarked for the goal and was ably assisted by Morocco goalkeeper Khadija Er-Rmichi, who came for the cross but was unable to claim it.
GOAL! Germany 1-0 Morocco (Popp 11)
Germany lead! Employing a high press, Germany win the ball deep in Morocco territory, pouncing on a loose pass out of defence. Kathrin Hendrich was played in behind and she played an inch-perfect cross to Popp, who powered her header home from seven yards.
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9 min: Morocco are gradually getting a foothold in the game having weathered what passed for the early German storm. The German’s go forward again and Klara Buehl picks out Popp with her back to goal on the edge of the Morocco penalty area. Before she can turn, Yasmine Mrabet sticks in a leg to take the ball off her toe. Good defending.
8 min: A promising Morocco sortie upfield breaks down when their captain Ghizlane Chebbak gives the ball away in midfield.
5 min: Germany continue to dominate possession in these early stages, as you might expect. They advance down the right with Svenja Huth on the ball. She gets in behind Morocco left-back Zineb Redouani and sends a cross into the box. Her delivery is cleared.
3 min: Sakina Ouzraoui concedes a free-kick in a dangerous position with a handball. It’s wide on the left, in line with the edge of the penalty area. Instead of crossing into the box, Klara Buehl sends a shot fizzing across the face of the goal, trying to catch out Morocco goalkeeper Khadija Er-Rmichi. It’s wide, but not by much.
2 min: Morocco win a series of throw-ins but eventually concede possession. Germany ping the ball around at the back.
Germany v Morocco is go ...
1 min: Alexandra Popp gets the ball rolling for Germany, with Morocco contesting their first ever match at a World Cup finals.
Not long now: Both sets of players march out and line up either side of referee Tori Penso and her team of match officials for the national anthems. There looks to be a capacity crowd in the Rectangular Stadium with fans of both nations extremely well represented. Kick-off is just a few minutes away.
Germany are heavy favourites. The second ranked team in the world have seven of the team who started last summer’s Euros final in their line-up. Alexandra Popp, who missed out on that showdown against England after injuring herself in the warm-up, also starts up front today.
Morocco may be rank outsiders but will surely be inspired by the heroics of their male counterparts, who surprised us all by reaching the World Cup semi-finals.
The Moroccan government has ploughed plenty of money into the women’s game and in Reynald Pedros, have an elite manager with plenty of trophy-winning experience at the very highest level.
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Meanwhile in Group G: Italy left it late to take all three points against Argentina, with Cristiano Girelli coming off the bench to nod home the only goal of the game in the 87th minute with her first touch of the ball.
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Germany v Morocco line-ups
Germany: Frohms, Huth, Hendrich, Doorsoun, Rauch, Leupolz, Dabritz, Brand, Magull, Buhl, Popp.
Subs: Berger, Anyomi, Freigang, Hagel, Hegering, Kleinherne, Lattwein, Lohmann, Nusken, Oberdorf, Schuller, Johannes.
Morocco: Er-Rmichi, Ait El Haj, Mrabet, Redouani, Ouzraoui, Nakkach, Kassi, Tagnaout, Chebbak, Ayane, Lahmari.
Subs: Arouaissa, Amani, Badri, Benzina, Bouftini, Chapelle, El Chad, Gharbi, Jraidi, Mazrouai, Seghir, Zouhair.
Referee: Tori Penso (USA)
Reynald Pedros speaks
“We’ll be ready for the first match against Germany and we’ll do what we can in the group phase to qualify for the last 16,” said the 51-year-old Frenchman. “Then it all comes down to how much work you put in. We know that Germany, Korea Republic and Colombia are happy to be playing Morocco. It’s up to us to show them that it’s not going to be that easy for them and that we’re going to give it our best shot to qualify. If we get it into our heads that we can do it, then we’ll be in a position to go and do just that.”
Martina Voss-Tecklenberg speaks ...
“I want to trust players to make decisions, to think about attacking and be creative,” said the German boss. “We want to have courageous players. We want them to develop a joy and passion for playing. I think we showed that at the Euros last year, with our defending, and with our willingness to counter-attack and play the ball straight away.
“That [style] means always being active and alert. We work on that both on and off the pitch – and our amazing players create a positive atmosphere, which is the basis for success.
“We want to be contenders for the title, to be a team who could be world champions,” she says. “That’s cool, a good feeling, and I think if everyone stays fit we can be a team to beat.”
Rosella Ayane: The sole member of the Morocco squad to play in the English WSL, Ayane made 12 appearances in the competition last season, scoring one goal.
The Guardian's team guide to Germany
Germany’s football self-image, which was lost for a short time, is back. After the quarter-final defeats at the 2017 European Championship and the 2019 World Cup, the Germans were no longer considered favourites – but that changed at Euro 2022. Read on …
The Guardian's team guide to Morocco
Morocco’s maiden participation in the World Cup is an achievement in itself. Hosting the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in 2022 was a huge boost to promoting the women’s game in the country and the side reached the final with a team largely composed of players from Rabat’s AS Far and some very talented individuals from further afield. Read on …
Early team news: German head coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg has to plan without Wolfsburg defender Marina Hegering, who is out with a heel injury, while her club teammate, the midfielder Lena Oberdorf, misses this opener with a thigh strain.
Morocco boss Reynald Pedros is expehas a full complement of players to choose from. Should the Frenchman pick defender Nouhaila Benzina, she will become the first ever player to appear at a World Cup wearing a hijab.
Group H: Germany v Morocco
Among the tournament favourites, Germany get their World Cup campaign under way with an opener against Morocco. The first Arab nation ever to play in this tournament, Morocco are 72nd in the Fifa rankings, the second lowest in the competition and on paper at least, should pose few problems for last year’s beaten European finalists.
This match, however, will be played on grass, specifically that of the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium and the Atlas Lionesses will have taken heart from the performances of other “minnows” who have defied lowly rankings to give unexpectedly admirable accounts of themselves in the opening games of this competition. Kick off in Victoria is at 9.30am (BST) but stay tuned in the meantime for team news and build-up.
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