France's finesse: What the DFB team must pay attention to

The German women's soccer team enters the European Championship quarterfinals in Basel as underdogs. This is due not only to their own weaknesses, but also to the strengths of their opponents.

Dream goals, magical passes, individual and collective class: Alongside Spain, France has matured into the top favorites for the European Championship. The German women's soccer team will face a team with an impressive record in the quarterfinals on Saturday (9:00 p.m./ZDF and DAZN) in Basel. France's strengths:

Laurent Bonadei isn't afraid of conflict. The 55-year-old banned stars like the soon-to-be 35-year-old star defender Wendie Renard and the one-year-older record goalscorer and player Eugénie Le Sommer (200 international matches, 94 goals) from the squad before the tournament.

Renard, in particular, complained bitterly, but so far, Bonadei's plan is working: The star is his brilliantly harmonious team. "We are a strong group, a strong collective, and that's reflected in the games," said attacker Delphine Cascarino after the 5-2 win against the Netherlands.

With all their attacking power, it's hardly noticeable that the French also boast an excellent goalkeeper in Pauline Peyraud-Magnin. The 33-year-old from Juventus Turin has been powerless to stop the four goals they've conceded so far in the tournament, but she made some strong saves, particularly against the Netherlands. In this form, she's a reliable backup.

Élisa de Almeida impresses with intelligent defensive work and attacking diligence on the right flank. The 27-year-old from Paris Saint-Germain is expected to replace Germany's winger Klara Bühl . When asked, the Bayern star said she hasn't watched de Almeida's strong performance against the Netherlands yet. "Sometimes I'm so in the flow that I just do a lot based on my gut feeling." Bühl in the flow against de Almeida – this could be a thrilling duel.

Delphine Cascarino (28/San Diego Wave) and Marie-Antoinette Katoto (26/Olympique Lyon) stand out in the front row, each with two goals and two assists. The duo complements Chelsea's Sandy Baltimore (25), who was unstoppable even against four opponents when she scored the 2-0 goal in the opening match against England.

The midfield, featuring the seasoned PSG stars Sakina Karchaoui (29) and Grace Geyoro (28), provides the passing power. "Individually, they have a lot of speed and a lot of power. And that's what they can do to make the difference," explained Dutch player Dominique Janssen.

Against the Netherlands, coach Bonadei allowed himself the luxury of making six changes to his team compared to the 4-1 Wales victory. There was no drop in performance. France's bench could make the difference in close matches. "When we substitute players, the intensity doesn't decrease; on the contrary, it increases," said Cascarino.

France's most recent defeat came in early December in a friendly against world champions Spain (2-4). Since then, they have won eleven of their eleven matches, including three at the European Championship. In their last international match before the European Championship, "Les Bleus" turned a 0-2 deficit against Brazil into a 3-2 victory.

"The friendly against Brazil showed us that we can turn things around, no matter the score," said de Almeida. With this confidence, the French women hope to finally break their title curse. They have never left a major tournament with the trophy.