Die Nationalelf’s run to the semi-finals was flawless – without conceding a single goal – and although they were tested by a dynamic France front line, they were unlikely to ever surrender their chance to claim a ninth Euro final. France coach Corinne Diacre promised her side would “save” every moment of their first semi-final appearance, but that sentiment was soon dented when Popp rounded off a comfortable team move to fire home Svenja’s cross from close range Huth. range (40). Image: Jule Brand of Germany is challenged by Griedge Mbock Bathy and Sandie Toletti of France The captain’s strike was his 90th of the competition, while it also represented Germany’s 100th at the European Championships – an all-time high. France hit back on the stroke of half-time as Germany were first fouled with a fierce shot from Candidiato Diani which ricocheted off the post and onto disqualified keeper Merle Fromms (45). The rebound was harsh, but the strike was executed emphatically by France’s brightest attacking threat of the night. The Germans then mounted a sustained wave of pressure which saw efforts from Selma Bacha, Wendie Renard and Diani thwarted by Frohms, who held her side to a draw before being settled by the competition’s joint top scorer Popp. Image: Pop scored the winner to take her side to the final The same formula that provided the first opener set up the second as Huth picked out Popp’s late run which put an impressive header past Pauline Peyraud-Magnin (76). A nervous wait ensued as the VAR checked the validity of the goal, which was soon disallowed. Before this game, Germany had scored in all 23 knockout stage matches at European finals. Make it 24. They meet England at Wembley on Sunday in a repeat of the 2009 final.
Pop makes the difference (again)
Image: Germany’s Alexandra Popp celebrates after scoring her team’s second goal against France
The story was somewhat against France tonight, with no team having won a semi-final debut since West Germany in 1989, and their uphill task was made that much more difficult when Pop’s volley found the target from a well-timed Hutt cross. in the first half. . Four nations – Spain, Finland, Netherlands and Austria – tried and failed to go further than the final four at their first attempt, with France now adding a fifth name to that list. The French, who put in a spirited second-half display, will feel aggrieved not to see the scoreline fall further as they missed a number of chances. Renard’s back-post header went wide, while Diani was denied by Frohms’ brilliance at her near post moments later – atoning for her earlier misfortune. Germany’s efficiency in front of goal finally made the difference as Pop’s talismanic captain, who has scored six of her side’s 13 goals (46 per cent) at this summer’s tournament, rose to another important chance in front of 27,445 people in Milton Keynes. . “I felt like a lot of people had already written me off. I can show I’m still a force to be reckoned with,” the 31-year-old said after scoring against Austria in their close quarter-final. And you can bet, with the Lionesses waiting, it’s not over yet.
Pop: It doesn’t get any better than England at Wembley
Germany captain Alexandra Popp: “I can’t put it into words. We played an amazing game and threw everything into it. We’re incredibly happy, nobody expected us. We’re in the final at Wembley against England – it doesn’t get any better than that. “We gained our confidence in all the games. The team is just great, they have my back and they are happy with me after all my struggle story. Now it’s time for me to regenerate quickly. “The [the Golden Boot] it’s not my priority – my priority is to win the Euro. If I get the chance to crown the title with that achievement, it would be nice – but if it doesn’t happen, then I’ll still be happy.”
Voss-Tecklenburg: Pure pride for a well-deserved win
Germany coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg: “I feel pure pride in this achievement and these players from number one to 23,” he said. “We’ve worked so hard and become such a tight-knit bunch that support each other on the field. We absolutely deserved the win. “France made a change for the second half after only having one shot on goal before the break. We knew they could be more aggressive and hurt us. It was a great team effort and that’s what we wanted. It worked at the end but it was super- exciting and super-exhausting. “It’s going to be a great celebration of football, it’s a classic game and England have been unbelievable in this tournament, every game full of energy, loads and lots of goals, but the first 30 minutes against Sweden showed you can hurt them. “We will play at Wembley in front of 80,000 most probably for England, very few for us, but we accept the challenge. “I’m very proud. I’m really looking forward to this game, it’s going to be an incredible final.”
Diacre questions shorter recovery time
Image: Corinne Diacre comforts her players after France’s Euro 2022 exit
France coach Corinne Diacre: “We saw that some of the French players were maybe not at their normal level of fitness, but we didn’t give up, we didn’t throw in the towel,” he said. “Maybe if we had 48 hours more [rest] it would be different. I don’t know what the players would look like, but I don’t think we should take this win away from Germany. “Obviously disappointment is the dominant emotion at the moment because we lost this match, but we have a foundation to build on and we need some time.”
What’s next?
France exit the tournament in the semi-finals but have gone further than any previous Euro finals appearance, while Germany will play Sarina Wiegman’s England in Sunday’s final at Wembley Stadium.
The knockout phase…
Quarterfinals Wednesday, July 20 Quarter Final 1: England 2-1 Spain (AET) Thursday, July 21 Quarter-finals 2: Germany 2-0 Austria Friday, July 22 3rd quarter-final: Sweden 1-0 Belgium Saturday July 23rd Quarter-finals 4: France 1-0 Netherlands (AET) Semifinals Tuesday, July 26 Semi-final 1: England 4-0 Sweden Wednesday July 27th Semi-final 2: Germany 2-1 France Final Sunday, July 31 England-Germany – kick-off 17:00, Wembley
Follow Euro 2022 on Sky Sports
Sky Sports News and Sky Sports digital platforms will follow every step of England’s Euro 2022 journey ahead of Sunday’s championship final at Wembley Stadium. On the road, the Sky Sports News Mobile Presentation bus will continue to bring you all the best guests and analysis from the likes of Karen Carney, Sue Smith, Courtney Sweetman-Kirk and Laura Bassett, offering their expertise. The bus will be in the heart of Sheffield ahead of England’s final four games, before heading to Wembley for the final. On SkySports.com, the Sky Sports app and on social media, we’ll have all the big moments covered with our previews, features, reports, analysis and the Sky Sports Women’s Euros podcast with top football Sky Sports reporter Charlotte Marsh and Sky Sports News reporter Anton Toloui. And if you’re new to the England team, don’t worry – here’s our guide to meeting the Lionesses. As well as England, Sky Sports News and Sky Sports digital will also be covering all the knockout matches as we head towards the showpiece final on 31 July.
