Technical pair salute standard

Competitive spirit
"This is the tenth tournament in this competition and the standard of the game has improved a lot," Matikainen told uefa.com. "The margins are getting narrower and the question of who wins depends what happens on the day. The defensive organisation is better so matches are becoming more even and players' individual qualities have improved."

Individual quality
De Reus expanded on the theme of players possessing better technique now than a decade ago when the inaugural competition was held. "What has stood out is that the teams are very equal, defending well and it makes it difficult to score so the strikers are having to be more effective, taking their chances. Individual quality is moving on every year. The players train more, become more explosive so it's easier to put pressure on the ball, and the organisation is better so it makes things even more difficult for attacking play."

Defensive strength
De Reus was keen to highlight England's defensive play as a touchstone for this trend as Mo Marley's side have conceded just twice en route to today's final, the first in their history at this level. "England have, for me, the best defence because of the organisation," she said. "They are very compact and get a lot of players in front of their own goal. They're always pressurising the opponent, chasing them and making it hard to play."

Similar systems
It could make for a compelling final and the pair are looking forward to seeing what tactical nuances it throws up. "The teams in the final are always the best in the competition," said Matikainen. "And the basic structure of both finalists is similar - a 4-2-3-1 - but the individual players who can make a difference in attack are different positions. For England it is their two wide players, while Germany have strength elsewhere going forward. Indeed all teams at this tournament have had very, very good individual players."