Mandy Islacker and Lina Magull have made the DFB women’s national selection for the first time. Manager Silvia Neid called up both the 1. FFC Frankfurt striker and the SC Freiburg midfielder for the European Championship qualifiers on the 22nd October against Russia in Wiesbaden (16:00 CEST) and on the 25th October against Turkey in Sandhausen (15:00 CET).
Silvia Neid said: "Both have made a positive impression in the Bundesliga, they’ve developed well and are now being given the chance to prove themselves for us." Magull led the U20 women’s team as captain to their 2014 World Cup title in Canada. While Wolfsburg player Alexandra Popp was ruled out of the squad with a calf injury, Babett Peter has returned to the team after recovering from a groin injury.
Neid: "Russia are the toughest opponents in our group"
After beating both Hungary and Croatia in the opening two Euro qualifiers, the DFB-Team now want to collect the next points on their journey to the Championship in the Netherlands 2017. Neid explains: "We see Russia as the toughest opponents in our group, especially in terms of goalscorers; they’ve got Elvira Todua who is an outstanding player. I always expect my team to give 100 percent, and that’s what I expect against Turkey."
Alongside Germany, Russia and Turkey, the other teams in Group 5 are Croatia and Hungary. The eight group winners as well as the six best second placed teams will qualify automatically for the finals in 2017, the two remaining group runners up will fight for the remaining place in a two-legged playoff on the 17th and 25th October 2016.
The squad
Keepers: Almut Schult, Laura Benkarth, Lisa Weiß.
Defenders: Bianca Schmidt, Saskia Bartusiak, Leonie Maier, Annike Krahn, Babett Peter, Kristin Demann, Tabea Kemme.
Midfielders: Simone Laudehr, Melanie Behringer, Anna Blässe, Melanie Leupolz, Lina Magull, Lena Goeßling, Sara Däbritz.
Forwards: Pauline Bremer, Mandy Islacker, Anja Mittag, Lena Petermann.