Germany on Wednesday qualified for the final of the European Championship by winning 2-1 against France. Alexandra Popp was the star of the German women with two goals, who can prepare for the final against the England coach Sarina Wiegman.
Before the break, Germany was the better team against the French, who had been too strong for the Netherlands in the quarterfinals. In the 41st minute, the Germans deservedly scored 1-0 via captain and star player Popp.
The fact that it was equal at half time was thanks to attacker Kadidiatou Diani, who made it 1-1 on behalf of France with a nice shot from distance. After the break it was Popp again who scored and gave her team a ticket for the final with a header.
Germany has not yet lost a game in this tournament and only conceded one goal: that of Diani in the semi-final. It beat Denmark (4-0), Spain (2-0) and Finland (0-3) in the group stage, before beating Austria (2-0) in the quarter-finals.
The German women have already won the European Championship eight times, but were last in the final in 2013. The final against Wiegman’s England is on Sunday at 6 p.m. and will be played in a sold-out Wembley.
Germany celebrates Popp’s winning goal.
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Germany on the basis of Popp to Wembley
Germany got off to an excellent start and had the first chances of the game. In the 21st minute, captain Popp was close to scoring for the first time, but her free kick was thrashed out of the goal by goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin with an extreme effort.
The French were not involved in the entire first half and suffered a lot of ball loss in the build-up. In the fortieth minute, Germany found the breakthrough via Popp, who finished convincingly after a tight cross. With that goal, she became the first player in history to score five European Championship matches in a row.
Although France had little to nothing to say in the first half, both teams went to rest with a tie. Diani lashed out from a distance and the ball unfortunately disappeared into the goal via keeper Merle Frohms.
After the break, France played more offensively and created opportunities more easily. In the 62nd minute Bacha missed a great chance to make it 1-2. Captain Wendie Renard – as always strong at dead ends – also failed to score despite several opportunities.
In the end it was again Popp who did it for Germany. She pulled the trigger in the 77th minute with her head for the redeeming goal. After this, France insisted several times, but the well-keeping Frohms kept her team upright. Although substitute Linda Dallmann failed to make the 3-1 just before time, it was Germany that crossed the line.
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