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DFB captain Alexandra Popp has six goals in five games in her first European Championship
Photo: Harriet Lander/Getty Images
Germany has reached the final of the European Women's Football Championship in England.
In the semi-finals in Milton Keynes, the Germans beat France 2-1 (1-1).
Captain Alexandra Popp scored both goals (40th and 75th minute), the interim equalizer for France came from an own goal by DFB goalkeeper Merle Frohms (45th).
National coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg had to replace the corona-positive winger Klara Bühl.
The 19-year-old Jule Brand made her first start at this tournament for the Bayern player.
Otherwise, Voss-Tecklenburg made no changes.
In an initially sluggish first half, Brand initiated the first dangerous situation with a strong dribbling right up to the penalty area.
France's Sandie Toletti fouled the Neu-Wolfsburg player and Popp took the free kick.
The captain aimed halfway up at the goalkeeper's corner with her left hand, and the ball became dangerous when deflected slightly, but French goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin was able to deflect the ball past the goal (21').
post, back, goal
Popp managed to score, however, around 20 minutes later.
A rare cross from Svenja Huth from the right side saw France centre-back tied at the first post by Lina Magull.
Behind them, Popp got the ball in front of right-back Eve Perisset and scored from close range (40').
However, the German team conceded the equalizer before the break, albeit unluckily.
Kadidiatou Diani fired a low shot from the edge of the box, which initially only hit the post.
From there, however, the ball bounced off the backs of the Frohms, who were lying on the ground after a dive - and from there into the goal (45th).
For Germany it was the first goal conceded in the competition.
After the restart, the game changed little compared to the first round: Both teams made many technical mistakes, due to strong duels on both sides there were rarely good individual actions.
You can rely on Popp
Up until the 63rd minute, Diani got past Kathrin Hendrich with a strong one-on-one attack and hung up for substitute Selma Bacha.
However, Hendrich was able to deflect their shot with his head into the goal.
France's 1.87-metre-tall captain Wendie Renard headed the following corner, and Frohms prevented a deficit.
Popp was more successful with a header on the other side: again after a cross from Huth, as with her first goal, Popp jumped into the aerial duel with Mbock Mbathy and headed her team into the lead (75th).
It was Popp's sixth goal in the fifth game - and the winning goal for the DFB women, who meet the English women on Sunday (6 p.m., TV: ARD, Stream: Dazn) at London's Wembley Stadium.
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