Amid Germany's wild postmatch celebrations at Basel's St. Jakob-Park on Saturday night, goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger found herself at the center of media attention. "It's not just me," Berger told the TV cameras. "The team is also important." This modest outlook is typical of Berger, who has never sought the spotlight but was undeniably the hero of the night.

Germany faced significant adversity early in the match. They were reduced to 10 players in the 13th minute after defender Kathrin Hendrich was dismissed for a blatant hair pull on Griedge Mbock inside the penalty area. Grace Geyoro converted the resulting spot-kick, seemingly consigning the eight-time European champions to a disappointing quarterfinal exit.

However, galvanized by the challenging circumstances, Germany equalized through Chelsea's Sjoeke Nüsken after 25 minutes, taking France to extra time and ultimately penalties. Berger made a total of nine saves across the 120 minutes, the most by a goalkeeper in a Euros knockout stage match since 2013. Among them was a stunning stop to prevent an own goal from teammate Janina Minge in the first portion of extra time.

"She is a player who has had extreme experiences," said Germany's coach Christian Wuck. "That is a very important character trait. Her faith and pathway in life have made sure she is patient, and the patience and calmness she brings to the team she proved today."

Berger's ability to keep a cool head during the shootout was crucial. She brilliantly saved Amel Majri's opening penalty before emphatically slotting her own spot-kick past Pauline Peyraud-Magnin and making the decisive stop against Alice Sombath to earn Germany's place in the last four.

"Germany deserved the qualification," admitted France manager Laurent Bonadei. "The Germany team was heroic. They really hurt us in the duels. They defended very well in their half; they didn't leave any space."

Germany, the most successful team in Women's European Championship history, will now face world champions and tournament favorites Spain in the semifinals. Despite the continued absence of captain Giulia Gwinn and suspensions for Nusken and Hendrich, Germany's performance against France has shown they are capable of pulling off the near-impossible.

play1:09 Berger praises Germany teammates after shootout heroics After her crucial penalties performance against France, Ann-Katrin Berger credits her teammates as Germany advance to the Euro 2025 semi-final vs. Spain.