That’s without taking into account the historic attendance expected at Wembley Stadium for Sunday’s final. Around 87,000 fans are set to be at the home of English football, which would break the current record attendance for a Euro final — men’s or women’s — of 79,115, set at the 1964 final between Spain and the Soviet Union at Madrid’s Bernabeu . UEFA, European football’s governing body, says nearly 100,000 children have attended matches so far at Euro 2022, while 47% of all fans were female. Of course, it certainly helps that the home fans were lucky enough to watch arguably the most talented England Women’s team of all time. An 8-0 demolition of a dangerous Norway side, just two places below England, and a 4-0 drubbing of Sweden, the second-best team in the world and a team England had previously beaten just three times, will go down as some of the most impressive in Lionesses history. But the road to the final was not always simple. England struggled to find their rhythm in a hard-fought opening win against Austria before being pushed all the way in the quarter-final victory over Spain. READ: ‘That was on’ — Alessia Russo’s stunning back-heel goal has fans gushing as England reach Euro 2022 final England, however, will surely be glad to have been tested ahead of their toughest match yet. Germany boast an amazing record at the European Championship, winning eight of the 12 editions contested and dominated the Euro crown for 22 years until losing in the quarter-finals to the Netherlands five years ago. Coach Sarina Wiegman, who led the Netherlands to victory at Euro 2017, is well aware of how important an England victory on Sunday could be for women’s football in the country. “I think we have already been an inspiration to the country,” he told reporters on Friday, according to Reuters. “You know when you win a big tournament, it really makes a difference and that would make me very proud. But I don’t think about it any more. Most of the time you don’t realize the impact until probably 15 years later. “We’re approaching this game just like any other game we’ve played. We are not talking about the rivalry between England and Germany, we want to show how good we are and play our best game. “There is so much desire in this team to win and so much stamina. We want so much to show again that we are the best and play our best game. That’s what we’ve been trying to do the whole time and then hopefully. that’s what will bring us the win.” .
“There’s nothing left to lose”
Alexandra Popp, who has become Germany’s star with six goals in five games at these Euros, is one of the best stories of the summer. The 31-year-old missed the Euros in 2013 and 2017 through injury and briefly looked set to miss this one after injuring her knee last year, but Popp finally managed to compete when the tournament was postponed for a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic . She has certainly made up for lost time and was visibly emotional after scoring in the opening win against Denmark, sinking to her knees and covering her face with her hands. Pop’s six goals at Euro 2022, matched only by England’s Beth Meade, equal the previous best in a single Euro, which was scored by compatriot Inka Grings in Finland in 2009. “I think the pressure is more on the English side, precisely because it’s taking place in their country,” Pope told a press conference on Friday. “We have known this since 2011 [when Germany hosted the World Cup]suddenly everyone expects something from you. “We have nothing left to lose. With this attitude we can go into the game completely free.” There certainly appear to be no nerves in the German camp ahead of the final, with Pop appearing at the press conference sporting a mustache hidden under her mask. “Hello,” he said, greeting the reporters in a heavy voice. After her winning performance against France in the semi-finals, German magazines FUMS and Der Postillon made satirical posts saying that men’s national team coach Hansi Flick had called up a new striker for Qatar, accompanied by a photo of Popp sporting a nickname Alexander Bopp and Alexander Papp. The forward will undoubtedly be the biggest threat England face at Wembley on Sunday and it is possible that a moment of instinct from Pop or Meade could decide the game. These two teams have a brilliant defensive record in this tournament, having conceded just one goal each, and their stingy back lines are likely to be difficult to breach in the final.
‘Exceptional’
The quality on display at Euro 2022 only underlines the accelerated growth of the women’s game across the continent in recent years, as football associations have finally begun to seriously invest in their squads. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who says he is keeping a close eye on Germany’s progress, said women’s football has “exploded” in recent years. “I really have to say I love women’s football, it’s excellent,” Klopp told a press conference on Thursday. “The quality of the tournament is crazy. England are doing great. I saw three of Germany’s games, they did really well too. It’s a really good final — two intense teams against each other. “As much as I love England, in this particular case my heart is in the German side, but the best team can win and I’m absolutely fine with that. In a sold out Wembley with an English crowd, it will be a huge challenge for Germany. “The most important thing is the face that women’s football has shown, it’s a fantastic game. Women’s football, in recent years, has exploded in its development. They are tactically and technically at an incredibly high level. The intensity of the games — physically it’s really , very good and I like to see it. “England are slight favorites playing at home, but Germany have a chance.” After losing the men’s Euro final last summer, England fans will be desperate to avoid double heartbreak. But against a Germany team desperate to reclaim their European crown, that is a very likely possibility.
