Germany’s Dominant 4-0 Victory Over India: Highlights from the FIH Hockey Pro League 2024/25

Bhubaneswar: Germany celebrated their first victory of the season by defeating the Indian women’s team 4-0 in the FIH Hockey Pro League at Kalinga Stadium on February 21. Sophia Schwabe was the standout player, scoring two goals. Amelie Wortmann and Johanna Hachenberg also found the net, helping Germany move up to seventh place in the standings.

The match started strong for Germany. In just the third minute, Amelie Wortmann scored after being perfectly positioned to receive a cross from Aina Kresken. From there, Germany kept the pressure on India with multiple attacks and several penalty corners.

Despite the pressure, Indian goalkeeper Savita Punia delivered an impressive performance, keeping her team in the game. India had a promising chance in the ninth minute when Deepika attempted a great pass, but Mumtaz Khan couldn’t connect. They came close again in the 15th minute during a 2-on-1 situation, but the opportunity slipped away.

Germany’s second goal came in the 18th minute, thanks to a remarkable individual effort from Schwabe. She made an electrifying run into the circle, dodged three defenders, and scored with a powerful shot into the bottom corner. Facing a 2-0 deficit, India needed to respond quickly, but the rain-soaked pitch made it difficult. They almost scored in the 27th minute when Navneet set up Sharmila Devi, but her attempt was saved.

India came out strong in the third quarter, with Beauty Dungdung earning a penalty corner early on. Deepika took the shot, but it went wide. Following the coach’s half-time talk, the Indian team seemed revitalized and created more attacking opportunities, yet they couldn’t convert those chances.

As the match progressed, Germany’s dominance grew. In the 46th minute, Schwabe scored her second goal with a powerful shot from close range, making it 3-0. India thought they had scored when Mumtaz found the back of the net in the 57th minute, but the goal was disallowed for dangerous play. With only seconds left in the game, Johanna Hachenberg added one more goal for Germany, wrapping up a convincing 4-0 win.