A very predictable result. Thank you very much for joining me. Have a lovely night.
Full-time: Finland 0-3 Germany
It was all pretty easy for Germany. There were lots of crosses and three resulted in goals. They will play Austria in the quarter finals next week.
90 mins: Three minutes added on.
88 mins: Think both teams would be happy to hear the whistle now. All pretty slow stuff but Dabritz does sting the goalkeeper’s hands.
86 mins: Freigang moves across her marker to reach a Popp cross but she sees her shot tipped over.
84 mins: They have shown Bastian Schweinsteiger in the stands, which is nice.
82 mins: The whole game has quickly become subdued. Maybe Germany will not get another ...
80 mins: Even the crowd seems a touch quiet now. Maybe they are tired from watching Germany run.
78 mins: Germany are just desperate for more goals here and will probably get another soon enough. Finland look a touch tired which is not surprising since they have spent the evening chasing the ball.
76 mins: Freigang is readying herself. Everyone is getting a good few minutes tonight.
74 mins: Frohms decides to dribble round a Finnish attacker but struggles to do so and puts her team under pressure but it all works out in the end.
72 mins: Finland have made four subs already, they only have two more outfield players on the bench due to illness in the camp.
70 mins: Whenever Finland get hold of the ball in the Germany half, they struggle to hold onto it for any period of time.
67 mins: Finland will just be determined to avoid considering a couple more but that will be a serious challenge.
65 mins: Summanen is booked for bundling over Dabritz.
GOAL! Finland 0-3 Germany (Anyomi, 63)
As I was saying ... the forward gets her first goal for Germany. The ball comes from the left and the Finns failed to clear, it falls to Anyomi, she takes a good touch and finishes into the bottom corner.
Updated
62 mins: It is still all Germany. We can expect more goals here. It is just a collection of crosses and corners for Finland to defend.
60 mins: Buhl gets to the byline and pulls it back for Popp who flicks a shot at goal but it is too weak and the goalkeeper smothers.
58 mins: Huth is down on the deck holding her stomach. Must be a touch winded after being clattered.
There is a Mexican wave ... should we abandon the match?
56 mins: Dallmann pings a shot from the edge of the box but it is blocked and the follow-up cross goes straight out for a goal kick.
54 mins: Dabritz gets down the right-hand side but her cross from the byline goes straight into the goalkeeper’s hands.
52 mins: Finland slowly work the ball into the box but it comes to nothing. It’s a sign of intent, at least.
50 mins: I think we an expect a lot more cross this half. I think we are already in double figures.
GOAL! Finland 0-2 Germany (Popp, 48)
Another cross, another header, another goal. A neat ball from Anyomi plays in Hendrich on the right, she picks out Popp with a cross and the forward does the rest.
Updated
47 mins: Looks like Germany are keen to give a few of their players some minutes on the pitch going into the knockout stages.
Kleinherne is on the floor is a lot of pain.
Second half
Here we go again!
Hendrich and Anyomi on for Germany. Hegering and Gwinn off. Auvinen is on for Koivisto for the Finns.
Peter Oh is discussing Popp Tarts, I believe: “Did the first two words of your 28 min. update remind anyone else of a certain toaster pastry brand?
“In any case, Germany are completely dominating here but have only had a meaningful Popp or two in a crowded Finnish shop.”
Half-time: Finland 0-1 Germany
An utterly dominant performance from Germany but only one goal to show for their efforts thus far.
45 mins: One minute added on.
44 mins: Finland’s midfield is providing very little to this match. I am not sure they have found a teammate with a pass yet.
42 mins: I am not sure if Finland can get back into this but you never know.
GOAL! Finland 0-1 Germany (Kleinherne, 40)
In the most predictable news of the night, Germany are ahead. Gwinn dinks a cross from the right into the centre where Kleinherne is unmarked making it easy to nod home from two yards for her first international goal.
Updated
38 mins: Buhl gets away down the left but she shot/cross goes straight into the goalkeeper’s arms.
Moments later Talaslahti has the ball in her hands again but this time in more fortuitous circumstances after some pinball in front of her.
36 mins: German camp inside the Finland box but cannot find the space to produce a cross and the ball is eventually cleared.
34 mins: There are not one but two German players down in the Finland penalty area. Gwinn seems to be worse off but she is fine after some treatment.
32 mins: A superb counter from Finland catches Germany cold but Sällström takes a poor first touch in the box, allowing the Germans to recover and clear.
30 mins: The camera operator should just leave it fixed on the Finland penalty area because that’s where all the action it. The latest attacks ends with Huth shooting straight at the goalkeeper.
28 mins: Popp darts across two defenders at the front post to reach a Däbritz cross but she toe pokes it wide.
26 mins: A long ball is pinned over the top for Kemppi to chase, she reaches it but Hegering sticks close to her and blocks her shot from 20 yards.
24 mins: A cracking move from German ends with a wayward shot from Gwinn on the overlap.
22 mins: Frohms sprints 25 yards out of her goal to clear. I assume just so she has something to do.
20 mins: Popp pings a free-kick against Kollanen who is stood a yard away and then moans at the Venezuelan referee.
18 mins: There are more crosses here than on my GCSEs. The Finland defenders will end up with a headache if the keep having to head them away all night.
16 mins: Finland are not really in this match currently, spending most of their time defending against sharp breaks.
14 mins: Talaslahti comes out to punch a corner but ends up on the ground 12 yards from her own goal after falling over. Germany work it back into the penalty area but Finland clear after some light-hearted pinball.
12 mins: Germany break at speed and a through ball is played through to Buhl who lines up a shot but Koivisto gets back to turn it behind for a corner.
10 mins: Gwinn goes down injured after being caught on her foot. Finland kick the ball out but then the full-back immediately gets up. What a waste of time.
8 mins: A well-worked free-kick reaches Buhl on the edge of the box but her shot is deflected wide. Germany on top.
Kári Tulinius emails: “When Finland scored right at the start of their first game, I thought of Jonathan Wilson’s idea that it can be bad to score too early, that getting that emotional high right at the off makes it hard to play to the end with intensity. Finland scored too early in their tournament. That said, if they’d had a tiny bit of luck against Denmark, they’d still be in this tournament.”
Scoring early just angers opponents.
6 mins: Finland are showing their hand early, which is basically ping the ball into the channels and let the forwards chase.
4 mins: Germany are looking very dangerous down the right-hand side and have put in a couple of vicious crosses. That could be their main threat tonight.
2 mins: An early attack from Germany sees a perfectly measured cross towards the six-yard box finding Popp but she heads over.
Kick-off
Peep! Peep! Peep! Here we go!
It is a lovely evening for football in Milton Keynes.
The match is on BBC Four tonight, in case you were wondering.
What a tournament Beth Mead is having.
I’ve been to a few games in the tournament this far. They have all had a cracking atmosphere in small stadiums (Leigh and mini Etihad). Hopefully we will get the same backing tonight in a bigger ground.
England won again last night. Could Phil Neville have been onto something with the idea of Lucy Bronze in midfield?
Starting lineups
Finland: Talaslahti; Heroum, Kuikka, Pikkujämsä, Koivisto; Engman, Alanen, Summanen, Kollanen; Sällström, Kemppi
Germany: Frohms; Gwinn, Hegering, Doorsoun, Kleinherne; Dallmann, Däbritz, Lattwein; Huth, Popp, Bühl.
Good evening
Thank you very much for taking the time to read this because we need to be honest: this is the lesser of the two games this evening.
It is, barring the odd bit of shouting, a dead rubber and Germany are still firm favourites to win this match without much fuss. They could - and probably should - make a few changes with a quarter final to come next week. They have scored six and conceded none in their opening two group games and sit atop with a perfect record they wish to maintain.
Finland have gone down to Spain and Denmark, which is to be expected from a team of their standing. They put up a decent fight against the Danes, only losing by a single goal. They might be out of the tournament they will want to leave with their pride intact.
Let’s see how it goes.
Kick-off: 8pm
