Australia’s return to European action ended in a 4-2 defeat by Germany in Karlsruhe, the first loss of the Matildas’ international window and the latest measure of how much work remains before the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Sam Kerr and Holly McNamara were the scorers for Joe Montemurro’s side at BBBank Wildpark, but the game was largely controlled by a youthful, regenerating Germany team ranked third in the world. Australia were missing a number of starting players, including Mary Fowler — ruled out of the friendlies for personal circumstances — Kyra Cooney-Cross and Alanna Kennedy.
The experience gap was stark on paper and, more strikingly, on the pitch. Australia’s starting XI carried more than 1,000 caps between them, led by an ageing front three of Kerr, Caitlin Foord and Hayley Raso; Germany’s starters shared just 325. It made little difference. The hosts pushed Australia back into their own half almost immediately, finding passages through midfield and down both wings through Cora Zicai and Klara Buhl, who combined for the first serious shot of the game in the second minute. Inside 20 minutes Germany had registered seven attempts to Australia’s two — an unconvincing back-heel from Kerr off a Carpenter cross, and a sixth-minute glimpse of goal for Amy Sayer, who then faded from the game.
Germany’s pressure eventually told. A deep cross from Manchester City full-back Carlotta Wamser was met at the back post by Franziska Kett, who beat Carpenter in the air to head the ball over Mackenzie Arnold for Melissa Kossler to tap home. It was a debut goal for the six-cap Denver Summit attacker, and just before the half-hour she had a second. A smart German press saw midfielder Elisa Sens win the ball in the centre circle and feed Kossler, who pulled away from Winonah Heatley and cut inside Steph Catley before firing a low shot past Arnold.
Australia also had a scare when Kerr went down after a stomp from her former Chelsea teammate Sjoeke Nusken, limping off with her armband removed as the bench scrambled to work out who could replace her. She returned, and in first-half stoppage time finally gave her side a foothold, turning in Carpenter’s chipped cross at the front post after the full-back had driven down the right and exchanged with Raso. It was a rare attacking moment for a team who had been outplayed, outmuscled, outrun and outshot for most of the contest, and it arrived with Australia already two goals down. Carpenter was a rare bright spark going forward, while Foord and Raso struggled against Germany’s two full-backs, and Kerr had barely touched the ball before the interval.
The second half laid bare Australia’s lack of depth, particularly in attack. Montemurro replaced Kerr, Catley, Sayer and Emily van Egmond with McNamara, Courtney Nevin, Alana Murphy and Leticia McKenna, and the Matildas struggled to break into Germany’s final third, to keep the ball or to create clear chances. Germany’s changes, by contrast, reinforced their dominance: substitutes Nicole Anyomi and Linda Dallman both found themselves one-on-one with Arnold after sloppy Australian defending, and the goalkeeper had to turn their shots onto a post or wide with her studs and fingertips.
The final 10 minutes opened up, with centre-back Camilla Kuver’s towering header making it 3-1 for Germany before McNamara struck back two minutes into stoppage time, angling the ball in off a neat Foord pass. The flattering 3-2 scoreline did not last, however: Nusken rifled a half-volley into the net from a corner in the final minute, handing Australia the first defeat of the window and another reminder of the nations beginning to pull away from them.