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England have been tipped to cap their stunning Euro 2022 campaign with a final victory at Wembley by Jamie Carragher, who declared: “I think it’s finally coming home”.
Sarina Wiegman’s magnificent Lionesses cruised to a 4-0 semi-final win over Sweden – the tournament’s top-ranked team – at Bramall Lane on Tuesday, reaching their first Women’s Euros final since 2009.
That victory represented the largest ever recorded in the last four of a Women’s Euros, while England have now scored a remarkable 104 goals in 19 outings under Wiegman.
England will have to defeat either Germany or France – who meet in Milton Keynes on Wednesday – to end 56 years of major tournament hurt on Sunday, with the Lionesses having lost European finals in both 1984 and 2009.
As the side prepare for a trip to Wembley, the ground on which Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions suffered Euro 2020 final heartache last year against Italy, former England international Carragher expressed his confidence they would go on to lift the trophy.
Asked by Sky Sports whether he believed the Lionesses were set for glory, Carragher said: “Finally, it’s coming home, yes, after so long.
“We’ve built it up so often in major tournaments, we’ve come pretty close, [such as] with Gareth and the boys a year or so ago.
“I think it’s finally coming home, we’ll be able to sing that song hopefully on Sunday night with a trophy in our arms.”
Wiegman, a Euro 2017 champion with the Netherlands, became the first coach to guide two different nations to a Women’s European Championship final with the victory over Sweden, and Carragher recognised her nous as a key reason for the Lionesses’ success.
“We’ve got a top coach who belongs at this level and has done this before, so that will give great confidence to the squad going into the game,” the former defender continued.
“Obviously we’ve got home advantage as well, sometimes that can go for you or go against you, as long as the pressure doesn’t become too big.
“But I think how the England team have coped with home advantage – they’ve maximised it in this tournament.
“The fact we’ve got a serial winner in the coach on the sidelines should give us huge confidence.”
