Germany’s ‘card-gang’ strikes again as Sjoeke Nüsken and Elisa Senß shine against Australia

Germany’s ‘card-gang’ strikes again as Sjoeke Nüsken and Elisa Senß shine against Australia Germany internationals Sjoeke Nüsken and Elisa Senß are continuing to strengthen their midfield partnership ahead of next summer’s Women’s World Cup in Brazil. The two players impressed in Friday evening’s 4-2 friendly victory over Australia in Karlsruhe, with Senß subsequently revealing that their understanding extends well beyond the football pitch. The two German midfielders apparently enjoy playing cards together in their spare time. This is hardly a new development. Back in July 2025, Germany international Linda Dallmann revealed that Nüsken was a member of the national team’s so-called “card gang” . “They like to play cards all day long,” Dallmann remarked at the time. “Elisa [Senß] is also part of it. It’s a more relaxed bunch; the ones that like to play cards.” Fifteen months later, it appears that the card-playing partnership is still going strong. Speaking to reporters after Friday’s victory, Senß offered another insight into her friendship with Nüsken. “We get along very well off the pitch too,” Senß explained. “We always have fun together, have the same interests, enjoy playing cards and going for walks. It works very well.” Germany’s card-playing midfield duo continue to develop their understanding The two internationals have become increasingly indispensable to Christian Wück’s national team. Both started against Australia and played important roles in a dominant opening half-hour that saw Germany establish a two-goal lead. Senß supplied the assist for Melissa Kössler’s second goal in the 30th minute, releasing the striker with a well-weighted through ball. Nüsken, meanwhile, produced another commanding performance in midfield, demonstrating the physical presence, technical ability and leadership qualities that have made her one of Germany’s most important players. The Chelsea midfielder also sealed the victory in Karlsruhe, scoring Germany’s fourth goal in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time. The 25-year-old battled through traffic following a corner and fired home from close range to complete the 4-2 victory. For Senß, the understanding developed through countless minutes together has become increasingly evident on the pitch. “I feel very comfortable playing alongside Sjoeke in defensive midfield,” the 29-year-old explained. “We’re very well coordinated and had very good control of the game. We increasingly know where the other is positioned. Our movements are becoming increasingly instinctive. I think we did quite well.” The partnership has been developing for some time. During last summer’s European Championship, Nüsken was promoted to Germany’s vice-captaincy following Giulia Gwinn’s injury . The Chelsea professional subsequently earned praise from Wück for taking responsibility and converting an important penalty against Denmark . Her leadership credentials were reinforced during Germany’s extraordinary European Championship quarter-final victory over France , in which she scored the equaliser and later converted in the decisive penalty shootout. Both players have since continued their development abroad. Nüsken remains an established figure at Chelsea, while Senß joined Real Madrid from Eintracht Frankfurt during the summer. Christian Wück demands greater discipline from Germany’s midfield leaders Despite the impressive individual performances, Germany’s coach was not entirely satisfied with his team’s midfield organisation against Australia. Wück criticised the decision to press aggressively in the closing stages of the first half while Germany were leading 2-0. The unnecessary advance left the hosts exposed and contributed to Sam Kerr reducing Australia’s deficit immediately before the interval. “I don’t like avoidable mistakes,” Wück explained after the match. “At 2-0, I saw Sjoeke Nüsken in the opposition penalty area. She didn’t win the challenge, and against opponents of that quality, it becomes difficult to defend your own goal.” Senß also acknowledged her responsibility after being taken aside by Wück following the final whistle. “Because I want to take responsibility,” the midfielder explained when asked why the coach had spoken to her individually. Nüsken agreed that Germany must demonstrate greater tactical discipline in Tuesday’s friendly against Japan in Bremen. “We definitely want to be more compact against Japan,” the Chelsea midfielder said. “Especially with the first goal we conceded, it was really unfortunate. We wanted to press high, but weren’t sure about it and were then played through at the back. We have to do that better in the next match.” For Germany’s card-playing midfield duo, the challenge now is to ensure that their increasingly impressive understanding translates into better decisions when the stakes are higher. GGFN  |  Peter Weis