The Chelsea Women star played the full game as Germany edged past Spain 1-0 in the bronze medal match in Lyon. Giulia Gwinn scored the only goal from the spot shortly after the hour, and former Blue Ann-Katrin Berger was the hero in the final seconds, saving a penalty from Alexia Putellas to secure bronze in dramatic fashion.

With Alexandra Popp healthy again, Nusken started in central midfield for Germany but had a license to get forward and join attacks when the time was right.

Nusken set up Klara Buhl for the game’s first effort, well saved. Spain responded when Teresa Abelleira’s speculative long-range free-kick looped over Berger and hit the top of the crossbar.

Nusken took a blow to the head on the half-hour. Happily, she was okay to continue. On a hot and dry afternoon in Lyon, the pace of the contest was affected but there was a flurry of activity on the stroke of half-time. First Aitana Bonmati curled a shot against the crossbar, and from the rebound Jenni Hermoso’s goalbound effort was deflected just over.

In the early exchanges of the second half, Nusken wasn’t far away from turning in a low shot from one of her teammates, while Gwinn glanced a near-post header over.

It was a run in behind from Gwinn that gave Germany a golden chance to take the lead. She reached a long ball forward ahead of onrushing Spain keeper Cata Coll, who could only wipe her out.

Gwinn dusted herself down to take it and calmly send Coll the wrong way for Germany’s first goal in the knockout stages at the Olympics. They had half-an-hour to see out their lead.

Sub Lea Schuller had a golden opportunity to double Germany’s lead on 70 minutes in a one-on-one situation, but Coll redeemed herself with a fine save.

At the other end, Berger stayed tall to produce a super stop of her own, clawing out Hermoso’s close-range header.

Germany sat deeper and deeper, content to get players behind the ball and counter when they could. Nusken more than played her part in repelling Spain’s attacks, and credit too to Berger who was a calm head amid the frenzy.

The seven minutes of stoppage time were almost up when Spain were awarded a dubious penalty, but Berger did what all Chelsea fans know she can and predicted correctly to keep out Putellas, backing up her heroics in the quarter-final shoot-out win over Canada.

So after that late drama, Nusken joins her current Chelsea teammates Kadeisha Buchanan, Ashley Lawrence, Catarina Macario and Nathalie Bjorn as an Olympic medallist.

Congratulations, Sjoeke!