Euro 2022: England’s backbone the key to containing Germany’s Popp star

Sarina Wiegman’s England Lionesses are on the brink of a milestone leading up to Sunday’s 2022 European Championship final against Germany.

A talented, very likeable squad has captured the heart of the nation and will have done immeasurable good for the women’s game, whatever the outcome for what promises to be a record number of people at Wembley.

Here Metro.co.uk offers the nadir for what promises to be a pulsating encounter…

It had to be them

Say it. Germany was the team we didn’t want to meet in the final. The old rivals, eight-time champions, fifth in the world – three above the Lionesses – are the team standing in the way of Sarina Wiegman’s side from being crowned European champions for the first time.

Spain and Sweden have taken several tests in the knockout stages for England so far, but the Germans remain a terrifying prospect, with their skipper Alexandra Popp red-hot in front of goal.

They will be the ultimate test of how good this Lionesses team is. The statistics confirm that. Germany is a very hardworking side – Giulia Gwinn has the most distance of any player in the tournament (51.6 kilometers), while Sara Doorsoun has the greatest passing accuracy (96 percent) and Lena Oberdorf the most tackles (20). But the icing on the cake for them is Popp and if they can keep her quiet, England have earned their moment of glory.

It’s about us

The crucial change of mindset under Wiegman was that the manager doesn’t worry too much about who’s playing her side.

What she cares about is what her team does and that has come down to a super confident group of players, epitomized by the spine – the rock Millie Bright being so dominant in the back, Keira Walsh pulling the strings in midfield and Ellen White the workhorse first.

Add to that some exciting young talents like Lauren Hemp and a top scorer in form in Beth Mead, and England look like they can beat anyone in front of them.

This poses the most serious threat to their astonishing growth, but they will be ready for anything Germany has to offer them. The Lionesses will play their own game and go for it as they always do.

Not below par

Wiegman’s consistency in team selection – no changes to her starting line-up so far, and none expected on Sunday – has made headlines, but her greatest weapon has been to use her replacements so astutely. Alessia Russo has appeared in all five games for White and has scored four goals from the bench. Ella Toone was also an asset. Wait for the hour sign and see what the Dutchman has in store.

Williamson is the epitome of a defense that conceded one goal – to Spain – in the final. Deployed by Wiegman mainly as a midfielder for the tournament, she recovered as a central defender alongside Bright when the European Championship started and the new skipper was sensational.

Her captaincy counterpart Popp said ‘it doesn’t get any better’ than host England in the final at Wembley and the 31-year-old will be key to avoiding the Lionesses getting their hands on the trophy for the first time.

The Wolfsburg midfielder has had seven shots on target at Euro 2022, six of which have gone in.