Two giants of European football, nothing between them for 76 minutes, then a cross into the box, a towering header and Popp went France’s Wembley dream.
The last train out of Milton Keynes left the station well before kick-off here, but when the London line resumes service tomorrow morning it will be Germany heading towards the capital and a European Championship final meeting with England on Sunday.
Alexandra Popp’s first-half opener had already made her the first player ever to score in five successive matches at the Women’s Euros, fittingly matching the feat of France legend Michel Platini at the men’s equivalent in 1984 and not bad going for a player who had not even started the opening game. But it was her sixth of the tournament that mattered most, nodded in with extra-time looming to snatch a 2-1 victory and shatter French hopes of reaching a first ever major tournament final.
