UEFA Women's EURO: Five reasons why England will win EURO final on Sunday

Topics: 2022 UEFA Women's EURO

The Lionesses roared into the finals thanks to a stunning 4-0 win over Sweden in the semi-finals, and are theoretically 90 minutes away from winning their first major title.

Last summer saw the English national team come painfully close to ending their decades long wait for a major international title, only to come undone during a penalty shoot-out against Italy.

12 months later, many eyes will now be on the women's side, who are into the EURO finals after cruising to a 4-0 win over Sweden.

"It's coming home" has been a mantra among English fans for decades, who last saw the men's side win a major title back in 1966. Ironically, that year's World Cup final was played at Wembley (albeit the old one) while the Three Lions took on West Germany, winning 4-2 in extra time thanks to a brilliant hat-trick from Geoff Hurst.

But could it be the women's team to finally end that long wait? Perhaps. And here are five reasons why England could finally end the country's hoodoo in finals and make sure it really comes home this summer.

1. Revenge is a dish best served cold

England will be featuring in the final for the first time since 2009, when they were beaten 6-2 by Germany. This time around, the Lionesses will be playing on home turf, with Wembley expected to have a massive turn-out on Sunday. As such, it is safe to say that revenge will be firmly on their minds as they aim to avenge their painful 6-2 defeat 13 years ago.

2. Is third time the charm?

Sunday will be England's third appearance in a UEFA final. Their first was in 1984, when they lost in the inaugural edition to Sweden on spot-kicks. Interestingly, England have already thrashed Sweden, and now will be hoping to do the same when they meet Germany on Sunday. Some will certainly be wondering if maybe, just maybe, third time could truly be the charm for the Lionesses, especially considering who they currently have on the tactician's bench.

3. A shrewd tactician in charge

England are currently under the guidance of none other than Sarina Wiegman, who led the Netherlands to victory in the 2017 UEFA Women's EURO final. Interestingly, the Oranje were also hosting that tournament. This time around, Wiegman has now moved on to England, who, like her nation of birth, are hosting this summer's competition. No coach has ever won back to back EURO titles with two different nations, but watching how the Lionesses are truly roaring this summer, Wiegman just may become the first.

4. A very impressive defensive front

Esther Gonzalez may have scored just one goal for Spain during this competition, but the Real Madrid-based striker currently has done something that no other player has been able to do against England. To date, the Lionesses have conceded just that one solitary goal, during their quarter-finals meeting with Spain that forced them to have fight their way back into the match after falling behind for the first time. Of course, Germany will test that resolve, as no team have been able to shut out die Nationalelf so far, but England certainly will be confident that they have the defensive tools to try to keep the all-time EURO winners at bay on Sunday. Goalkeeper Mary Earps, who has been outstanding so far, will need to pull off another brilliant showing to ensure her team get over the finish line.

5. Everyone getting involved in attack

England's 8-0 demolition of Norway set a Women's EURO record for the most goals scored in one match, and the Lionesses have not stopped scoring since. Save for a 1-0 win over Austria on matchday one, the hosts have scored at least two goals in all of their matches for a total of 20 so far. While Beth Mead, with six goals and five assists, is looking like a clear front-runner for the Golden Boot, England have shown that goals can really come from everywhere.

An example of this is Alessia Russo, who has been deployed as a substitute by Wiegman this summer. The 23-year-old striker, who plays her club football for Manchester United, has netted four goals, including a back-heeled effort during her team's 4-0 win over Sweden in the semi-finals. England's all-time top goal-scorer, Ellen White, has had a relatively quiet tournament by her high standards, but has still chipped in with two, alongside Fran Kirby and Georgia Stanway, while Lucy Bronze, Ella Toone, and Lauren Hemp all have one goal each.

With eight goal-scorers so far, this indeed shows that, again, England have a variety of options who can provide the goals. No team have as many different goal-scorers as England, and that is something their supporters will hope the Lionesses can use to their full advantage against Germany on Sunday.

Make sure you do not miss out on Sunday's crunch final featuring England and Germany. Here's how you can catch the 2022 UEFA Women's EURO final from wherever you are based: