After 56 years, football has finally come home. England once again claimed a major championship at Wembley as the Three Lionesses edged out Germany 2-1 in extra-time to win the Women’s Euro 2022 final.
Despite the Germans losing skipper and star striker Alexandra Popp after a pre-match injury, it was anything but easy for England as the Germans showed why they were eight-time European champions.
However, the Lionesses displayed both physical and mental toughness, and with the help of more shrewd moves from manager Sarina Wiegman, they eventually defeated Die Nationalelf.
Read on as SBOTOP shares three key takeaways from the thrilling Women’s Euro 2022 final between England and Germany.
Lionesses show their toughness
England were every bit as impressive as Germany in their run-up to the final. After a closer-than-expected 1-0 win over what turned out to be an excellent Austria side in the opener, they smashed Norway and Northern Ireland by an aggregate score of 13-0.
The hosts were finally given their first real challenge of the tournament by Spain, but they showed their resilience with a comeback win. They then completely smashed Sweden in the semis to book their place in the final.
But despite the Lionesses’ dominance, not even the most optimistic England fan was under the illusion that the final against Germany would be easy – and it wasn’t. Fans hoping for a fun football match were instead witness to a war of attrition between the two sides.
The Germans had the clear advantage coming in as they’d been in their fair share of battles over the years. However, there were more question marks as to how the young Lionesses would respond to such a match, especially with the added pressure from their home crowd.
But the Lionesses passed this final test with flying colours as they scratched and clawed with the Germans in what was a very physical affair. Midfielder Keira Walsh typified this battling mentality as she set the tone for the rest of the team.
Weigman’s super subs for the win once again
Sarina Wiegman’s appointment as England boss in 2020 came with a lot of expectations. The Dutchwoman led her home country to the Euro 2017 championship, but taking over as the first non-British permanent manager of the Lionesses came with a different sort of pressure.
However, Wiegman would more than live up to all the hype in the Women’s Euro 2022. She pushed all the right buttons, particularly with her substitutes, which proved to be a massive reason for the Lionesses’ success throughout the tournament.
Alessia Russo was England’s unsung hero as she scored four times in the tournament – all after coming on as a sub – including one of the memorable Women’s Euro 2022 highlights, her backheel goal against Sweden.
Meanwhile, Ella Toone scored two of the most important goals in England’s entire Euro campaign. She got the equaliser in their come-from-behind win over Spain in the quarter-finals. She then proved to be Wiegman’s pivotal super sub once again in the final as she scored the opener just six minutes after coming on with a stunning lob. And in extra time, it was Chloe Kelly’s turn to deliver the decisive goal 10 minutes from time.
Of course, Wiegman also deserves credit for how instilling a championship mentality within the side, which manifested itself in the final. Her fingerprints were all over England’s historic first European championship as she cemented her status as one of the best ever coaches in the women’s game.
Germany played like champions even without Popp
It’s hard to feel too sorry for Germany, who are far and away the most successful side in the history of the European Championships. Die Nationalelf came into their matchup with England a perfect eight-of-eight in Euro finals, which was a truly remarkable record.
However, their Women’s Euro 2022 betting odds were dealt a drastic blow after Alexandra Popp pulled out due to a muscle injury she suffered during warm-ups. Not only did the Germans lose their leader and captain, but they also lost their star striker who had scored in every single match at the tournament.
But despite that massive loss, the Germans still went out and competed like the champions they were. They battled tooth and nail against the Lionesses, even though Popp’s absence left them a bit toothless up front.
In the end, Popp’s loss was too much to overcome. Nevertheless, Die Nationalelf deserve all the credit in the world for fighting till the bitter end.
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