Live – England look to make history in Euro 2022 final against Germany
Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses are aiming to win the European Championships for the first time while Germany are record eight-time winners.
1704 – Chance! Fran Kirby’s cross to the far post picks out Ellen White but her header is straight at Germany goalkeeper Merle Frohms. Good start from the hosts.
1700 – And we are under way in the Euro 2022 final.
1654 – Huge breaking news coming out of Wembley – Germany captain and leading scorer Popp is out of the final!
Germany have announced that the 31-year-old striker suffered a muscle problem in the warm-up and has been replaced by Lea Schuller in the starting line-up.
It is a massive blow for both Germany and Popp, who missed the last two Euros through injury.
1645 – Now just 15 minutes to go until kick-off at Wembley. Both teams will be making their final preparations as the crowd – fast approaching capacity – gears up for showtime.
1610 – Wiegman believes the final will be one to enjoy for the fans.
She told BBC One: “It’s going to be a very exciting game. I think it’s going to be really tight with two very, very good teams.
“I think they will play a little more physical and we hope to have the ball a little more and play our possession game, but it’s going to be really close.”
Asked what her final words would be to her players before kick-off, she replied: “I don’t know yet. We know everything. Our plan is really clear. Everyone is really, really prepared and the final words will come in the dressing room.”
1555 – Team news is in!
Unsurprisingly, England manager Wiegman has named an unchanged side for the sixth Euro 2022 match in a row.
Voss-Tecklenburg has also opted against making changes to her starting line-up from her side’s semi-final victory over France.
1543 – Better news for Germany forward Klara Buhl. She was ruled out of the final earlier this week after contracting Covid but she tested negative on Sunday which means the 21-year-old will at least be able to cheer her team-mates on from the stands at Wembley.
1530 – England go into the final having won all five of their matches at Euro 2022, scoring 20 goals and conceding just once.
Germany also boast a 100 per cent record at the finals, while scoring 13 goals and conceding one.
1520 – More messages of support for England.
1510 – The team coaches have arrived at Wembley Stadium, less than two hours to kick-off now.
1450 – England have never won the Women’s Euros before, with their best performances coming in 1984 and 2009 when they reached the final before losing to Sweden and Germany respectively.
Germany, in stark contrast, have a formidable record in the competition. They have won eight of the 12 editions to have been played, with the next-most successful nation being Norway with two wins.
The good news for England is that in Sarina Wiegman they have a coach who knows what it takes to win the Euros. The Dutchwoman led the Netherlands to victory five years ago on home soil, and her experience could prove invaluable to the Lionesses.
1420 – The Lionesses have received a “best of luck” message from the Duke of Cambridge while seven-year-old Princess Charlotte said: “I hope you win”. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and England men’s team captain Harry Kane are others who have sent their best wishes.
1415 – Support has been pouring in for the players ahead of the final.
1410 – An interesting sub-plot to the final will be the battle to win the Golden Boot as the tournament’s leading scorer.
England’s Beth Mead and Germany captain Alexandra Popp are currently both locked on six goals, with England super-sub Alessia Russo the next-best with four goals.
1405 – With the 88,100-capacity Wembley Stadium sold out for the clash, a number of attendance records are likely to be set today.
The all-time record for a European Championship final – men’s or women’s – was set in 1964 when 79,115 spectators saw Spain take on the Soviet Union at Real Madrid’s Bernabeu stadium, while the previous record attendance for a women’s international in Europe is the 80,203 that watched the 2012 Olympic final between USA and Japan at Wembley.
1400 – Good afternoon and welcome to the PA news agency’s Euro 2022 final blog. Stay here for all the build-up, key match action and post-game reaction as England and Germany clash at a sold-out Wembley Stadium.
