Everything is on the line this Sunday as England take on Germany in the Euro 2022 final at a sold-out Wembley.
England will be looking to win their first ever major international honour whilst Germany will be looking to win a record ninth European Championship, having lifted their last one back in 2013.
The two teams have been standouts at the tournament, with both winning every single one of their matches and each only conceding only one goal throughout the competition. It is a true heavyweight clash.
Because the two finalists are so closely matched in terms of skill level, the result may come down to the individual brilliance of the two sides’ most important players.
Here are four key battles in which the final could be won or lost.
Millie Bright & Leah Williamson v Alexandra Popp
The German captain Popp has missed the last two Euros due to untimely injuries. This time, the 31-year-old has seemingly made it a personal mission to make up for it.
She has scored in every one of Germany’s matches this campaign, taking her goal tally up to six, a Euros record.
Popp is a traditional No.9. She’s got the speed, the instinct in the penalty area, and the tenacity. Her six goals have come from chances with an xG (expected goals) of just 2.8, meaning that her shooting and finishing ability is well above average.
She is also highly versatile in the types of goals she scores. Four of her goals in the tournament have been headers, three from open play and one from a corner. Her other two goals in the knockout rounds were with her deadly left foot, the ball zipping by both keepers.
The good news for Bright and Williamson is that all six of Popp’s goals have been scored from in and around the six-yard box, the area in which the VfL Wolfsburg predator predominantly likes to operate.
The two centre-backs will have their work cut out for them when they go up against her, but knowing that she favours that specific part of the pitch will help ensure that they can limit her opportunities.
However, the two should still back themselves when they come up against Popp one-on-one. Bright is joint first for the most cleared attempts in the tournament with 27 (tied with France’s Wendie Renard), and Willaimson has the most ball recoveries with 46.
England will surely start by attempting to restrict the chances that Popp receives, but when you have a striker that has the ability to make something out of next to nothing, that is much easier said than done.
Popp…
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