‘Absolute machine’ Alexandra Popp trained with Mesut Ozil and is relishing her Women’s Euros redemption after injury hell as record-breaking zookeeper looks to tame Lionesses

Alexandra Popp has endured enough years of hurt of her own to worry about ending England's fairytale story of bringing football home.

The Germany captain has been spearheading Die Nationalelf's charge to secure Wembley glory after her semi-final brace downed France.

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Popp's two strikes, either side of an own-goal from her keeper Merle Frohms, secured a 2-1 win and levelled England's Beth Mead tally of six in the race for the Golden Boot.

Popp has now bagged in all five of Germany's games at the Euros, overtaking compatriot Heidi Mohr's record of goals scored in consecutive games.

One more in Sunday's final would see her beat another of her countrywoman's record of most goals scored in a single tournament which was set by Inka Grings in 2009.

And Popp would be heavy favourite to do that, having already spoiled England's Wembley party once before after her goal in a 2-1 win in 2019 was played in front of a record-breaking crowd of 77,768.

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Eni Aluko, who has came up against Wolfsburg star Popp while playing for Chelsea, has tipped her to be the main threat again.

Aluko told talkSPORT: “She is an absolute machine of a footballer, amazing in the air.

"I don’t think England have faced a player like Alexandra Popp yet in this tournament.

"She’s just so powerful and really dominant, obviously scoring goals, really confident and Germany will play to that so I think that’s going to be a big one.

"She could be the difference between winning and losing for Germany and she could be the difference between winning and losing for England."

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Popp's dominance at Euro 2022 is all the more impressive considering she has never featured at a European Championships in her career.

The 31-year-old missed the 2013 and 2017 editions through injury - her absence in the latter proving a huge blow for Germany.

Just a year before Popp had guided her country to Olympic gold at Rio 2016 but a knee issue meant Germany surrendered their stranglehold of six consecutive Women's Euro titles last time out.

Die Nationalelf exited the quarter-final stage for the first time following a shock defeat to Denmark while then-hosts Netherlands went on to win under now-England boss Sarina Wiegman.

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Ahead of this year's Euros, Popp was asked if she's dwelled on what might have been had she been fit to play in either tournament.

She told German broadcaster Deutsche Welle: "Not now, to be honest. At the time, I did of course.

"In 2013, we became European champions, so maybe I would have had that on my CV already. That would have been nice.

"It's no use thinking about it for years, dwelling on it, so to speak. I have to accept things as they are.

"I have also met it head on with a fighting spirit by standing right here and being able to play in this European Championship. I'm very proud of this at the moment."

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Popp, nicknamed 'Poppi' by her teammates, has been exhibiting the same fighting spirit ever since she first kicked a ball.

She started honing her craft at a small club called FC Schwarz-Weiß Silschede, playing in mixed-gender teams until she was a teenager.

By 17, Popp, who grew up a Borussia Dortmund fan, joined rivals Schalke's elite school at Berger Feld as the only female pupil.

The now-fearsome forward trained alongside future alumni stars Mesut Ozil, Manuel Neuer and Julian Draxler which she claimed stood her in good stead for when she returned to the women's game.

Popp said: "I had been playing football with boys for about ten years, and that left its mark on me.

"I go into every challenge even if it might hurt or seems to be hopeless, and that's what I learned from the boys: to be tough. When I came to Schalke, I developed further. I got faster.

"Then I switched to the women's team, and it was easier for me to adapt to the speed of play. I saw Benedikt Höwedes, Mesut Özil and Manuel Neuer, and how they developed further.

"You also heard a lot about them from the coaches - how they managed to succeed and how they dealt with things. It helps you to find your way."

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Popp snubbed interest from French giants Lyon to sign a contract with Bundesliga outfit FCR 2001 Duisburg and won the double - the 2009 UEFA Women's Cup and the German Cup in her first season.

A switch to Wolfsburg followed in 2012, where Popp has since racked up 13 major honours alongside her exploits with her national side.

But the 117-capped international is also as dedicated off the pitch as on it, having completed a three-year apprenticeship as a zookeeper at Tierpark Essehof.

Seven years ago, Popp was forced to put her final exams on hold in order to help Germany unsuccessfully challenge for the World Cup in Canada.

“It was very physical work (in the zoo), and I suffered in terms of recuperation,” Popp told Worldfootball in 2015.

"The animals are a great counterweight to football. I can sit in front of the monkey cage for two hours, and it just calms me down."

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Popp's next challenge will see her attempt to tame the Lionesses who are yet to taste defeat since Wiegman took charge.

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Speaking after Germany's win over France, Popp said: "We're in the final at Wembley against England - it doesn't get any better than that."

The Lionesses will be desperate to ensure on Sunday that it really doesn't get any better than that...