by 
17:05
4 minutes: England 0 Germany 0
Oberdorf with what looked like a mistake on Daly, to me. Ref sees it in a different way.
17:03
2 minutes: England 0 Germany 0
Powerful run from Hemp. England look energized and ready for it. They’d have to be absolutely nuts to see Popp, Germany’s main goal threat, out.
17:01
1 min: England 0 Germany 0
A big setback for the Germans to miss their talismanic goalscorer. We kick off.
16:59
The Germans
has suffered a huge late setback: Alex Popp is unable to start. She has injured herself in the warm-up.
A flyover of some RAF aircraft before kick-off. Seems a bit insensitive.
16:58
Here’s how England will play
16:57
Now of course
God save the queen. Sung with some gusto by the England players.
16:55
The Magnificent German
anthem first, one of the best, best anthems IMHO.
16:54
Here come the teams
Fantastic atmosphere, fantastic. Time for the national anthem.
16:52
boss
16:51
Sorry to report
that Becky’s pants seem to have fallen off.
16:49
Hoopla before the game
cuts to a performance by (checking notes) Becky Hill.
16:45
writes Paul Hayward
“A thought for Steph Houghton, a 121-cap England captain who missed Euro 2022 through injury. And her husband, Stephen Darby, who has motor neurone disease.”
16:44
Inspiration
16:43
Millie Bright is the subject
of a nice preview. She has one of England’s most important jobs today: marking the formidable Alex Popp.
16:41
20 minutes until the start of the match
Where’s your money?
16:29
The last time England was involved
the final of this, 2009, they were pumped by Germany. “We got to the final but we knew they were past us. I was training in my local park,” says Alex Scott.
Eight European titles for the Germans.
16:26
It’s the cute little boy who was cheering for a game the other day
Invited by Gabby.
16:21
Father Williams
got the semi-final result in place, predicting that England would beat Sweden 4-0. – It is important that we stop the supply from out to Popp, she says. “If we can do that, we’ve got this game in the box.”
“Today I go 3-1 to England,” she says.
16:18
Status Quo
“England are out warming up on the Wembley turf now, with kick-off just 45 minutes away. The stands are about half full at the moment as the England supporters continue to make their way to their seats. You can almost feel the anticipation in the air, as well as the nerves, but there’s also a party vibe about it. The fans have just been treated to ‘Rockin’ all over the world’ on the PA,” writes Tom Garry.
16:17
Oliver Brown
“With 45 minutes to go here at Wembley, it’s hard not to be struck by the contrast between this spectacle and the hellscape of the men’s European Championship final last summer. At this stage of the prelude 385 days ago, the hooligans were prized by the traffic. the lights on Wembley Way, as ticketless, cocaine-fueled hordes stormed past stunned stewards and climbed over every fan in the disabled section. This time? Not a trace of trouble, and German supporters mingled indiscriminately with the hosts. It’s a belated manifestation of how it should feel to reach a grand final.”
16:14
Natalie Portman only has an extra camera
video package about women’s soccer!
She’s one of the co-owners of the Angel City Football Club, along with Eva Longoria, Mia Hamm, Serena Williams and someone I’ve never heard of named Becky G. Sorry about that, Becky.
Angel FC plays in America’s National Women’s Soccer League
16:12
BBC analysis before the match
Takes in the German press, how well organized and efficient they are. TV as familiar as an old sweater.
16:10
Northern uproar
How the north of England became the football factory behind the Lionesses’ roar
16:05
Here’s the coach!
Wiegman says: “Very important that we start well. It’s going to be a very close game. I think they’re going to play a lot more physical. We know everything. Our plan is very clear. I’m not sure what I’m saying in the end. will be to the players yet.”
4:04 p.m
Wrighty
“When you see how much these players give to the fans, and thank them for coming, it means so much.”
16:01
Ellen White
“I got some sleep. It’s amazing to be here with this group. This group is ready, we’ve been on an incredible journey and we’re growing.”
15:59
Alex Scott on the BBC
“There’s no fear factor with Germany anymore – we’ve beaten them recently.”
15:56
Tom Garry and more about the team news
“England stick to the formula that has taken them so far, but will also know they have a host of impactful substitutes available on the bench, including Alessia Russo, Ella Toone and Alex Greenwood. Germany, as expected, are without just one player: Bayern Munich winger Klara Buhl has struggled with Covid.”
15:56
Ian Wright
“King gets a little emotional. The journey these girls have been on, this is the dream. It’s hard not to feel emotional, and very nervous.”
15:54
BBC coverage begins with
Joy Crookes performs her song Feet Don’t Fail Me Now; and it is a montage of the great and the good wishing England’s players well. Ed Sheeran, Richard E Grant, David Beckham, Prince William.
15:48
Team News! via Tom Garry
Breaking: England are unchanged for a sixth game in a row at these European Championships. It’s no surprise because consistency has been one of Sarina Wiegman’s mantras. Here is their starting XI:
England (4-2-3-1): Ears; Bronze, Bright, Williamson, Daly; Stanway, Walsh; Mead, Kirby, Hemp; White
Germany are also unchanged from their semi-final win over France:
Germany (4-3-3): Frohm’s; Gwinn, Hendrich, Hegering, Rauch; Magull, Oberdorf, Dabritz; Huth, Pop, Brand
15:47
Gary Lineker has tweeted
“I wish the Lionesses all the best for the final. You have been absolutely superb in this tournament. One more win and you will have football immortality. Go make history.”
15:41
England players are acclimatising
Molly McElwee writes: “England players have just had a little walk around the pitch 90 minutes before kick-off. Looks like they are just taking in the size of this stadium, which England haven’t played in since October last year.
The crowd is slowly filtering in from Wembley Way and those already in place have given them a loud welcome.”
15:38
Roaring
15:36
And here are England’s players
Tom G: “Now, with exactly 90 minutes to kick-off, the England players take to the Wembley pitch, wearing their gray team kits. They take selfies, chat to each other and enjoy the applause of the fans who have taken their seats early.
15:25
Here’s Tom Garry: some people are on the field
“The German players are currently out on the pitch in front of us, taking in their surroundings. They look very relaxed. Meanwhile, England’s team bus, flanked by flag-waving fans, is just about to arrive outside the ground.
15:16
I loved this piece
on the England team by their friends, former teammates, etc.
Our heroic lionesses – by the people who know them best
15:09
Face painting
15:03
Judge Monzul
Interesting life by the sound of it. Has education in architecture and urban planning. Has rejected the women’s world cup final. Also made the men’s top flight game in her home country, first woman to do so. England men’s fans may remember that she became the first woman to take charge of an England men’s match (October 2021) – for their World Cup qualifier against Andorra.
Fleeed from his native Kharkiv this year for obvious reasons. Traveled by car with her two sisters and their three boys through Moldova, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic before arriving in Germany. “It was stressful and difficult,” she told Uefa’s website. “When we left Ukraine, we had no idea what the next step was for us.”
Via help from Uefa, she has moved to Italy and lives in Turin.
15:02
Tonight’s match officials
Let’s hope these don’t become too much of a focus!
Tom Garry write.
Here are tonight’s match officials, and a moment for Ukrainian referee Kateryna Monzul. And it should be said that her appointment is not just a symbolic gesture of solidarity in the midst of the war in her homeland. For many years now, she has been among the top-ranked female judges in Europe:
Judge – Kateryna Monzul (Ukraine)
Assistant Referee 1 – Maryna Striletska (Ukraine)
Assistant Referee 2 – Paulina Baranowska (Poland)
Fourth official – Stephanie Frappart (France)
OUR – Paolo Valeri (ITA)
Assistant VAR – Maurizio Mariani (Italy)
Assistant VAR 2 – Paul Van Boekel (Netherlands)
15:02
Wembley
Here’s Molly McElwee reporting from the ground.
Much more wholesome scenes at Wembley Way than last year’s men’s final – one artist even finds a quiet place to take in the scenes by the stadium.
A security officer from Wembley told me he was glad not to have a flare thrown his way today!
15:01
A sea of red and white at Wembley
Tyers here, looking forward to bringing you the buildup to this exciting occasion. Without further ado, here’s our women’s soccer guru Tom Garry:
The sea of red and white outside Wembley is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before in the women’s game and it’s no surprise because tonight’s attendance of around 87,500 will set a new record for any Euro, men’s or women’s.
There were thousands of people milling around outside even at 10am and 11am, but now the atmosphere has completely kicked up several notches. And the atmosphere is such a remarkable contrast compared to last year’s men’s final, with such a safe and happy feeling to the atmosphere outside this stadium.
Bands play music, families enjoy packed lunches and everywhere there are red and white shirts and flags.
There will be a flyover of RAF Typhoons over Wembley moments before kick-off and we gather the planes will be piloted and crewed entirely by women.
Luke Edwards, meanwhile, has been soaking up the atmosphere on his way down the hill.
On my journey from South West London to North London on public transport I have seen England shirts absolutely everywhere, many of them with the names of our Lionesses on them.
I’ve been saying since the start of the tournament that we needed a breakthrough moment to achieve true crossover success into the mainstream. We’ve already had that – I think it probably came with the semi-final win over Sweden and Alessia Russo’s back heel – but now we’ve got to win the tournament. Nothing will have a bigger impact than that.
As for the game itself, the Germans, who beat France 2-1 in the semi-final, have won the title an incredible eight times – including a 6-2 victory over England in the 2009 decider – and are looking to steal Wembley from under the English, according to Martina Voss -Tecklenburg, who said yesterday: “In the beginning Wembley will be English and I hope it will belong to us at the end.”
