Chelsea goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger was on the bench for the Germans. As in their earlier games in the tournament, Merle Frohms who has recently returned to Wolfsburg was selected between the posts. She had the misfortune to score an inadvertent own goal after her side had taken the lead but they found a winner with quarter of an hour to go.

Chelsea’s summer signing Eve Perisset was at right-back for France. It was the 27-year-old’s extra-time penalty against the Netherlands that had brought her nation to this stage of the Euros for the first time.

France were asked to defend German set-pieces and there were occasional glimpses of the French team’s ability to stretch opponents on the counter-attack, but there was little to choose between the two sides in a first half that ended 1-1.

Midway through it, France goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin made a full-stretch save to push a direct free-kick from Germany skipper Alexandra Popp past the post but five minutes before the break, Popp did score the opener.

Despite being under pressure from Perisset, the centre-forward volleyed high into the net after a move and cross from the German right.

The lead did not quite make it until the half-time whistle. A hopeful and well-hit strike from outside the penalty area by PSG’s Kadidiatou Diani struck the post and ricocheted back into the net off the diving Frohms. It was the first goal Germany had conceded in these Euros.

If there had been a question mark over France’s defence for the Germany goal, they were solid as their team took the initiative in the second half. They attacked fluidly with both a goalbound shot and then an on-target header blocked.

A later effort by Diani was saved at the near post but Germany found the killer blow. After a series of charged-down attempts, a cross came back in and Popp in amongst a crowd headed home her second of the game, making her joint tournament topscorer.

Substitute Selma Bacha came close to a second equaliser for France but instead, it is the eight-time winners who on Sunday take on England for whom our Fran Kirby and Millie Bright have been regular starters and Jess Carter and Bethany England are in the squad.

Download the latest version of The 5th Stand

For the latest features and the best user experience on The 5th Stand app, download the latest version from the App Store or Google Play