England versus Germany at Wembley. Nobody could have scripted a better final. Euro 2022 has been excellent and, after two great semi-finals, the best teams have made it to Sunday’s showdown in front of a sell-out 90,000 crowd.
The Lionesses comfortably dispatched world number two side Sweden, 4-0 on Tuesday. It was the best England have played to date and you finally got a sense that they not only have the talent to win the competition, but also the psychology and mindset.
In manager Sarina Wiegman, they have an ace card. The Dutch coach led the Netherlands to victory at the 2017 Euros as the host nation. She also guided them to runners-up in the 2019 World Cup and saw them qualified for this tournament before leaving her post to take on the England job.
It was an astute appointment by the English Football Association as we can clearly see the side’s new mettle under Wiegman. They are openly celebrating success on this Euro journey and have so far managed the pressure of being hosts astonishingly well.
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There is consistency in the team selection, with the same 11 starting every game and the impact of players coming off the bench has been significant, most notably Alessia Russo, who has scored four goals as a substitute, including her stunning back heel strike against Sweden.
England have depth to their panel and a real sense of purpose and understanding of their roles for the team. Much has been made in the media as to whether Russo should start ahead Ellen White, and if Alex Greenwood should play instead of Rachel Daly but there are no such rumblings inside the camp.
One of Wiegman’s greatest achievements is the ability to get the group to whole-heartedly buy in to the processes of a what makes up a team, and to take ownership of their own roles and just doing them. It’s a fundamental requirement for any collective success but so often is missing.
With the home crowd and the nation behind them, England are genuine contenders to lift the trophy on Sunday. But to do that, they must overcome the most successful nation in European football history.
Germany have won eight of the 12 Euros since the first edition of the competition in 1984 which was won by Sweden. From 1989 to 2013, they won eight of the nine tournaments in a period of sensational dominance.
In 2017, they relinquished their crown, exiting at the quarter-final stage to eventual runners-up, Denmark and were dubbed a team in transition as they suffered a similar fate in the 2019 Fifa Women’s World Cup, losing to Sweden in the last eight.
Coming into this tournament the narrative of ‘favourites’ centred on Spain, England, France, Netherlands and Sweden, with an, “Oh, and you can’t rule out the Germans” footnote. German coach Martina Voss Tecklenberg has mentioned this a few times and it is clearly a source of bemusement for the Deutschlanders.
Their form en route to the final proves their surprise at not being seen as contenders to be well founded. They have quietly gone about their business, under the radar in a ruthless and efficient way, scoring 11 goals and conceding one.
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Wednesday‘s clash with France was the game of the tournament. A tactical, physical, mental showcase, that was brilliant to watch. In the end, Germany stifled the tournament’s most attacking team and, despite conceding an own goal, they progressed to the final courtesy of two superbly executed finishes from captain Alexandra Popp.
Germany are a nightmare to play against with their uber efficient press and counter-press, mixing controlled aggression and cohesion. But they can also attack, cutting through the lines of opposition defensive structures from carefully-constructed and executed plays whilst also posing a real threat off set plays.
They will test England in a way the hosts haven’t been tested thus far, but at the same time must cope with England’s unpredictable attack.
It’s going to be a brilliant game master-minded by two of the best coaches in the game. Wiegman and Voss-Tecklenberg have plotted paths to the final with intense detail, producing two teams that can win in different ways.
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Only six of the 16 head coaches at this year’s tournament are female with three of them making the semi-finals. And 2022 is the first time that female head coaches will contest the final since 2009, when England under Hope Powell lost 6-2 to Germany under Silvia Neid.
England’s Jill Scott is the only player still involved with her national team in a playing capacity from that final. Jill remembers how different things were for women in football back then and will know how much of a game-changer this tournament will be going forward.
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After so many years of hurt, could this England team finally alleviate their nation’s football pain? It’s going to be a spectacular final, that could easily go all the way to penalties.
