Yet, in its own way, it was just as impressive: a Germany side, like England, infused with the exuberance of youth and a sprinkling of maturity prevailing over a French outfit that would have been almost as worthy of a place in the final, too. Almost. For while logic, form, bookmakers and even the final scoreline all hinted at there being little between the sides, Germany’s progression was inevitable throughout a semi-final which, fittingly, ran somewhere close to script.
