UEFA Women's EURO: Players to watch in the England-Germany final

England and Germany face off in Sunday's UEFA Women's EURO 2022 final at Wembley.

We pick out two players from each team who could decide which side leaves with the trophy.

Millie Bright (England)

Almost a metaphor for the development of the England team itself, Bright has been a strong performer at centre-back for the Lionesses and Chelsea over several years, but it is in recent months that her world-class status has become unarguable. Her positioning, decision-making and physical presence show few flaws and she dovetails excellently with Leah Williamson, who contributes pace to a formidable partnership.

In this last year, Bright has added a significant attacking threat to her game. She did not score in her first 39 England appearances up to September 2021, but since then she has hit five goals, including in February's 3-1 defeat of Germany, when Bright gave England the lead with six minutes left after being moved up front by Sarina Wiegman. She captained England twice this season in the absence of Williamson.

Fran Kirby (England)

Such has been the level of other England attackers like Beth Mead, Kirby was slightly overlooked in the Lionesses' run before she chipped Hedvig Lindahl to make it 4-0 in the semi-final against Sweden (a neat echo, having also scored in a 4-0 home victory over Sweden on her international debut in 2014). Deployed in a playmaking role by Wiegman, Kirby has shown her versatility as well as exploiting her pace and guile, and has scored more than one goal in a major tournament for the first time after also registering against Northern Ireland.

Her resurgence has been all the more remarkable as Kirby has suffered a series of health issues in recent years, a fatigue problem ending her Chelsea season in February. She had an oxygen tent installed in her home to aid recovery. Like Bright, Kirby scored against Germany in February.

Svenja Huth (Germany)

An unused squad member when Germany won Women's EURO 2013, and ruled out of the 2017 finals by an injury in the first half of their opening game, 2022 has been Huth's opportunity to shine at a EURO. Her performances have come as no surprise for anyone who has seen Huth play for Wolfsburg of late (just ask Bright and Kirby; she struck twice in her side's decisive 4-0 UEFA Women's Champions League defeat of Chelsea in December).

A winger equally comfortable pinging in crosses for Alex Popp to turn in or moving into the middle to provide her own goal threat, Huth will look to give the same problems to England left-back Rachel Daly that Spain's Athenea del Castillo did in their quarter-final. Keeping England's full-backs from overlapping will be crucial for Germany and Huth's menace might just make that possible.

Lena Oberdorf (Germany)

Oberdorf only turned 20 three days after that Wolfsburg win against Chelsea in December, but having been part of the Germany set-up since the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, she is already well established. Able to play in defence, with Germany she does the unglamorous work in midfield that allows the likes of Huth and Popp to capture the headlines further forward.

England, of course, have an Oberdorf of their own in Keira Walsh, and which of the two is best able to disrupt the opposing strike force, and supply balls to their own, could well decide who leaves Wembley with the trophy. If it is Oberdorf, that success would likely become one of many of what is shaping up to be a career that puts her in the apostolic succession of Germany women greats.