Popp double fires Germany past France to set up Wembley final with England

England against Germany in a European Championship final at a sold-out Wembley. Loved, hated, it is a tie that draws the attention of the host nation like no other, in any sport, in any arena.

Despite an at times scintillating display from France, who came from behind for the first time at the Euros, two goals from Alex Popp earned Germany a semi-final win over the French to pit England against the eight-time champions on Sunday night and confirm a narrative that felt inevitable from the moment England and Germany topped their respective groups unbeaten.

The Germans were without influential forward Klara Bühl at the Stadium MK, who had tested positive for Covid in the buildup to the semi-final, but a patient performance from the not infallible looking Germany denied France a taste of victory in the team’s maiden Euros semi-final.

The Germany manager Martina Voss-Tecklenburg promised a footballing spectacle and had warned of the threat posed by semi-final debutants France and the ability of the team’s players to “find good solutions to get out of pressure”. They are “really really good,” she added, almost as if to temper the expectations of German fans and the German media. In the buildup to the semi-final, newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung ran with the headline ‘Eight-nil’ in reference to Germany’s eight European titles to France’s none.

“They focus on their play in transition because they have a lot of pace in their team and direct a lot of their attacking play down the wings,” insisted Voss-Tecklenburg.

“I had said before the tournament already that France, if they managed to live up to their potential, would be among the favourites to win this tournament.”

That was the narrative of many prior to the tournament’s kick-off