Alexandra Popp’s tenacity in front of goal leads Germany to Euro final

In front of goal, Alexandra Popp was a lion on the hunt. She wanted it, she got it, and she pumped her fists and let out a war cry in celebration that would send shivers down any defender’s back. That was the level of intensity felt throughout a game that could have easily been a finals match-up.

A helter-skelter opening to the match saw both France and Germany losing possession frequently. Both sides attacked with urgency but lacked the planning and final third execution to make anything of their attempts. Pass after pass went haywire.

Despite the chaos, excitement levels as a spectator remained high. The caliber of talent on both squads was never in question, and you felt as though either side could strike at any moment.

France played with a fire that kept them in the game until the end and Germany as a whole was a dominant force, but there was one name on everybody’s lips, and that name was Alexandra Popp.

Alexandra Popp is unstoppable

With 6 goals in five matches, Popp is now tied with England’s Beth Mead in the race for the Golden Boot which adds another layer of competition to Sunday’s final.

Alexandra Popp is a talented, skilled athlete but her intensity, determination, and sheer power are equally impressive. She took down a defender and her own teammate to head home goal number two of the night. She stops for no one. It’s her and the ball and the back of the net.

Given her record-breaking performances this month, many would be surprised to know this is Popp’s first time at the European Championships, having been kept out of the last two due to injury. Despite not even starting the first match, it didn’t take long for the veteran forward to etch her name into the tournament’s history books for good.

Her strikes on Wednesday were fatal to France who bow out of the tournament despite a performance that on another day might have been enough to see them through. Germany now heads to their 9th Euro final.

History says they have a habit of winning the finals in which they appear. If history repeats itself, Alexandra Popp’s roars of victory will ring through Wembley.