Fußball, Damen, WM Quali, Türkei - Deutschland Lina Magull 20 and Svenja Huth 9 of Germany during the 2023 FIFA Women s World Cup qualification Group H match between Turkey Women s and Germany Women s at Buyuksehir Belediye Stadium in Bursa, Turkey on September 3, 2022. Photo by Seskimphoto PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxTUR

Sweaty work instead of playful magic: Germany’s footballers got their ticket to the 2023 World Cup early with a lackluster 3-0 (0-0) in Turkey.

After the success on Saturday in Bursa, the team of national coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg secured first place in group H with 24 points before the final qualifier against Bulgaria on Tuesday in Plovdiv. Felicitas Rauch with a hand penalty in the 57th minute, Klara Bühl (59th) and Lea Schüller (77th) scored after the break for the German team, which had struggled against a destructive opponent for a long time.

Before the kick-off, the DFB women, who were wearing the new uniform jersey for all national teams for the first time, sent a greeting to Ann-Katrin Berger, who was suffering from cancer again. Captain Popp held up the Chelsea goalkeeper’s jersey and with this gesture symbolized that the players are thinking of the 31-year-old.

When it started, it was immediately a one-goal game. “The attractiveness of your own game is absolutely paramount, even if most of the players are not yet in competitive mode,” Voss-Tecklenburg announced. The clearly superior DFB selection also created a few good chances against the low-lying Turks in the early stages, but were unable to take them. Linda Dallmann and Popp each missed twice in a promising position.

Although the DFB team launched one attack after the other, they often lacked precision in the dangerous zone. No wonder, with the exception of the Eintracht Frankfurt players, who were already in action in the Champions League qualifier in mid-August, it was the first competitive game of the new season for everyone.

As the season progressed, some helplessness spread among the German women. Only once in the first half did the European Championship runner-up make a dangerous move. Bühl failed from close range at the Turkish goalkeeper Selda Akgöz. Despite the overwhelming superiority of the DFB selection and 12:0 corners, the break went goalless.