OBERENTFELDEN, Switzerland (Reuters) -Germany may not be hosting the Women's Euros but they certainly felt like the home team in neighbouring Switzerland as their massive travelling support roared them on in a 2-1 win over Denmark that helped them progress to the knockout stage.
The St. Jakob-Park stadium in Basel was awash with German fans waving flags and wearing their white home shirts, and they responded to Denmark taking the lead by becoming even louder as Sjoeke Nuesken and Lea Schueller scored second-half goals to complete the turnaround.
"It was very, very tough for us. It felt like we struggled to find our way into the game, so we had to work very hard to get the win," said Nuesken, who took over as penalty-taker in the absence of the injured Giulia Gwinn and fired home the equaliser from the spot.
"(The crowd) was incredible; it felt like a home game. There were a lot of Germany fans, which made us very happy as they helped to push us on. We could really hear how loud they were."
For Tuesday's game, fans began flocking to Basel, which is located close to both the German and French borders, early in the day, ensuring the Germans enjoyed a majority in the stands.
"It was crazy, because it felt like a home game with a lot of Germany fans," midfielder Klara Buehl said. "It's so cool to see how many people are in the stands and support women's football, support us and celebrate with us. That's the most important thing, and we are really happy about that."
The win, and Sweden's subsequent 3-0 win over Poland later in the evening, mean the Germans are safely through to the knockout stage alongside the Swedes, and the two sides meet in Zurich on Saturday to decide who will top Group C.
(Reporting by Philip O'ConnorEditing by Christian Radnedge)
