CNN
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In terms of challenges that two-time cancer survivor Ann-Katrin Berger has overcome, making a string of saves in Germany’s Euro 2025 quarterfinal victory over France on Saturday night is relatively low down on the list.
That’s not to say it wasn’t a huge night for the goalkeeper and her country – she put in one of the tournament’s all-time great goalkeeping performances as Germany beat France 6-5 in a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw after extra time.
Berger made nine saves in open play, more than any other player has managed in a knockout stage match at the European Women’s Championship since 2013, per the BBC.
Her 102nd-minute save to prevent an own goal by teammate Janina Minge was the pick of the bunch, as she acrobatically dived backwards and clawed away the captain’s looping header when it looked destined for the back of the net.
But the 34-year-old did not stop there. In the penalty shootout, she kept out the very first spot kick from France’s Amel Majri, scored her team’s fourth penalty, and then dived to her left to keep out Alice Sombath’s effort – France’s seventh penalty attempt – and win the game for Germany.
In apparent disbelief, Berger simply sank to her knees, her arms outstretched and a huge grin on her face, and watched as her jubilant teammates sprinted towards her to celebrate.
Progressing to the semifinals of Euro 2025 will have particular meaning to Berger, as it was at this tournament three years ago that she discovered her thyroid cancer had returned after she had previously been diagnosed in 2017.
In both instances, the German returned to soccer within months of starting her treatment, citing her need to take her mind off the situation.
“You have to focus on something else, to hold onto something. For me, that was the Euros,” she told Sky Sports in 2022. “Football saved my brain and saved my mental health because I had something to hold on to.”
Having made a full recovery again, the only visible sign of what Berger has been through is on her neck, where a tattoo reading “All we have is now” covers up scars from her treatment.
On the pitch on Saturday, Berger and Germany’s hopes of making it past the quarterfinals took a huge dent in the 13th minute when Kathrin Hendrich was sent off for pulling Griedge Mbock by her hair in the penalty area.
Grace Geyoro converted the resulting spot kick, and suddenly Germany found itself a goal and a player down.
But Die Nationalelf responded quickly when Sjoeke Nüsken headed Klara Bühl’s corner in at the near post in the 25th minute.
France’s Delphine Cascarino and Geyoro each had goals disallowed for offside either side of halftime, before Nüsken passed up a golden opportunity to give Germany an unlikely lead in the 69th minute when her poor penalty was saved by Pauline Peyraud-Magnin after Selma Bacha had fouled Jule Brand.
But Berger’s heroics were enough to take Germany to the semifinals, where it will face world champion Spain on Wednesday.
