At 34 years old, having triumphed over cancer twice, she lives by the motto "All we have is now," seizing her opportunity on Saturday, executing an astonishing save to avert a second-half own goal and propelling her team into the semi-finals, where they will face Spain in Zurich on Wednesday.

"I wasn't pleased that we had to go to penalties because I would have preferred to win the game in 90 minutes and have it settled," Berger told reporters while honoring her teammates.

"I believe the credit should go to the team, not me, because while my save may have been pivotal in the penalty shootout, we - everyone here - should discuss with him (coach Christian Wueck) the team's performance, which was remarkable and incredible."

Germany midfielder Sjoeke Nuesken had a penalty saved during regular time but converted in the shootout, expressing high praise for Berger's abilities.

"She's an outstanding goalkeeper. She's so composed and intelligent. I knew she would save the penalties. She's such an incredible goalkeeper, and we're very fortunate to have her on our team," Nuesken stated.

With defender Kathrin Hendrich sent off in the 13th minute for pulling an opponent's hair, the Germans had to fight for over 100 minutes with one player less than their French rivals. Despite their remarkable efforts, Berger refrained from guaranteeing a victory over Spain to reach the final.

"We take everything one step at a time - first, we celebrate, then we focus on Spain, which is a very challenging opponent we must confront. Everyone truly gave their utmost effort here, and we need to recover and ensure we are ready," Berger elaborated.

"We appreciate the stadium for the final match, and we will continue to strive towards that," she added.