England vs Germany: Players to watch in the Women’s EURO 2022 final

Race for the golden boot: Mead vs Popp

With the two goals against France, Alexandra Popp joined England’s Beth Mead as the competition’s top scorer with six goals.

We focus on Mead, who has arguably been the player of the tournament. The Arsenal player seems to have the natural instinct of being in the right place at the right time.

This is reflected in the data as Mead’s offensive positioning was the best in the WSL over the past season. You can see this below, in reference to her teammate Lauren Hemp.

The Performance module within our women’s recruitment application provides insights on the strengths and weaknesses of a player compared to players playing in the same position in the same league for over 50+ metrics.

We can also see a high performance in dribbling and finishing from Mead which makes it clear that she will go into the game with the great chance of winning the golden boot and breaking the tournament scoring record.

One to watch: Jule Brand

The Germans would have been disappointed to see their key player Klara Bühl miss out on the semi-finals due to Covid. However, her absence was not too noticeable as teenager Jule Brand came in and impressed with her power and versatility.

Our player profile page gives in-depth insight on key areas of a player’s qualities. It is evident that Brand can trouble the English defence with her speed and individual attacking qualities.

We can also see that she has had a significant development to her SciSkill in the last 6 months, so she comes into the Euros with great confidence on the back of a successful domestic season.

Brand is not only one of the most in-demand talents in Germany, but also in the world. She recently transferred to German Champions VfLWolfsburg, our model predicts that she has the potential to become a key player there.

Despite all the talk being about Popp and Huth, she will definitely be one to watch for in the final.

Midfield battle: Oberdorf vs Walsh

Despite her young age, 20-year-old Lena Oberdorf will be right up there as one of the most crucial players for the Germans in the final. The way she reads the game, breaks down attacks and protects the defence is beyond her years.

On Sunday she will come up against Keira Walsh, who has also gone under the radar but has been equally impressive in helping her team get to this stage.

We can see how they differ in their roles through our playing style comparison. Walsh aligns more with a player-maker, while Oberdorf is an all-round midfielder who excels as a ball winner.

Their contrasting styles will see them go head-to-head in a battle that will be crucial in determining the outcome of the game.

It will be interesting to see if Oberdorf can unsettle Walsh and win possession high up the pitch. Or if Walsh can evade her challenges and exploit the space in behind.

Russo the super sub

Tournament football is a squad game, and the role of the players on the bench is crucial.

This has been especially clear looking at the contributions made from England’s substitutes, especially Alessia Russo.

Russo’s impact on the team has led to calls for her to start, but it seems unlikely that the England’s record goal scorer White will be dropped for the final.

Russo and White have similarities in their playing style, with both typically behaving as a mobile striker and poacher.

However, our performance comparison tool shows that they both have different strengths.

While White was the best performing finisher in the WSL last season, Russo was the highest performer in terms of her passing and crossing.

This contrast in skill sets coming off the bench will come in handy in the latter stages of the game as Sarina Wiegman’s side try to go all the way.

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