Germany internationals Melissa Kössler and Camilla Küver celebrated their first senior international goals in Friday evening's 4-2 friendly victory over Australia in Karlsruhe. Kössler scored twice in the opening half-hour before Küver added a crucial third goal late in the second half. The two Germans made significant contributions in front of 26,352 spectators at Karlsruhe's BBBank Wildpark, helping Christian Wück's national team begin preparations for the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil with a victory.
Kössler, who had been identified as a possible replacement for the unavailable Lea Schüller ahead of the international break , made the most of her opportunity to lead the German attack. The 26-year-old Denver Summit FC striker opened the scoring in the 23rd minute, converting from close range after Australian goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold could only get her fingertips to Franziska Kett's header.
Kössler added her second seven minutes later, collecting an excellent through ball from Elisa Senß before cutting inside and finishing low from 17 metres. Speaking to reporters after the match, Kössler expressed satisfaction with her performance and joked that she might have deprived Kett of a goal.
"I felt a bit bad about the first goal," Kössler remarked. "I hope I didn't steal it off Franziska [Kett]. I'm glad I managed to get the second one as well. I'm very happy with my performance."
Kössler's international breakthrough has been a long time coming. The Potsdam native first represented Germany at youth level in 2016 and was part of the German squad that won the 2017 European Under-17 Championship. After developing at Turbine Potsdam, Kössler spent a year playing college socce3r in the United States before returning to the Bundesliga. She eventually joined TSG Hoffenheim in 2022, where her performances earned her opportunities with the senior national team.
Her senior Germany debut arrived in June 2023, but injuries subsequently disrupted her progress. A serious syndesmotic ligament injury sustained during the 2023/24 season kept her sidelined for approximately four and a half months, just as she was establishing herself as one of Hoffenheim's most dangerous attacking players.
Kössler returned to the national team picture under Horst Hrubesch in 2024, but regular international appearances remained elusive. She endured further injury interruptions before receiving another opportunity from Christian Wück in June 2026, ending a lengthy absence from the senior squad.
A January 2026 move to newly established NWSL outfit Denver Summit FC has since provided another important chapter in her career. Kössler has enjoyed regular playing time in the United States and believes the experience has helped her grow both professionally and personally.
Wolfsburg defender Camilla Küver also had reason to celebrate. The 23-year-old central defender headed home Linda Dallmann's corner in the 83rd minute to restore Germany's two-goal advantage. Australia captain Sam Kerr had reduced the deficit just before half-time, and the visitors threatened to equalise on several occasions after the restart.
Speaking to ARDfollowing the match, Küver described the occasion as "a moment you've always dreamed of."
The defender's header proved particularly valuable as Australia substitute Holly McNamara struck in the third minute of second-half stoppage time. Chelsea midfielder Sjoeke Nüsken responded almost immediately, however, powering home Germany's fourth goal following another corner.
Both Kössler and Küver made compelling cases for further opportunities in a German national team currently experiencing significant competition for starting places. Injuries and squad withdrawals had forced Wück to make several changes ahead of Friday's fixture, while the coach also handed Arsenal's Lisa Baum her senior international debut at half-time. Wück was pleased with the contributions of his young players, though he acknowledged that defensive mistakes had prevented a more comfortable victory.
"The average age of the team today was 24," Wück told reporters after the match. "You can see how hungry the girls are, and we can bring so much quality off the bench as well."
Kössler's performance also takes on additional significance following confirmation that Schüller will miss Tuesday's friendly against Japan. The 28-year-old Manchester United striker, who was unavailable against Australia because of an infection, is departing the national team camp on Saturday. Wück has responded by calling up Tottenham Hotspur forward Shekiera Martinez, who is expected to join the squad in Bremen later in the day.
Kössler nevertheless appears well-positioned to retain her place in the starting XI when Germany face Japan at Bremen's Weserstadion on Tuesday evening.
