With the weight of history heavily against England's women going into tomorrow night's European Championships Final in Helsinki, head coach Hope Powell's strategy for victory is simple: "To score more goals than them."

The coach who has been at the helm of the women's game for 11 years is well aware of the task in hand against a Germany side that have won all 18 of their encounters against the Three Lions, but Powell believes there is no better place to put that right than in England's first major final in 25 years.

England skipper John Terry and Under 21s boss Stuart Pearce offered their support to the squad in Finland after their heroic 2-1 extra-time win over Holland in the semi-final.

Powell said: "Stuart Pearce gave me a call on Monday and it was great to hear from him. John Terry sent a message to the girls through a weblink. It has all been very much appreciated.

"We are really pleased to have got here. When you go into any major tournament, it is everybody's dream to get to the final - and now we are there, the dream is to go out and win it."

And Powell says the route to the title is easy: "For us to score more goals than them. It's as simple as that, though we know it will be tough."

The England boss concedes that the Germans - who secured their place in the final with a convincing 3-1 win over Norway - are way out in front of most other European countries.

She said: "Their average number of caps is far greater than ours. They play more international matches, though I'm not entirely sure why. Their domestic league is very competitive. They have contracted their players to stay in Germany until they host the World Cup in 2011 and none of their players have gone off to America.

"Their youth system is very good and they have more registered players. They employ a lot of ex-international players as coaches, which puts that experience back into their system. They are a little further down the line than we are - but this is our chance.

"For the girls, the staff, the families and friends of the England team, this is huge. I'm not sure words can express what it would mean. The most important thing is to prepare as best we can and give ourselves the best chance."

But Powell's England squad is as strong as it has ever been and should they play to their potential, she believes her girls are more than capable of causing an upset.

"We have a lot of depth," she said. "This tournament has been about the squad effort from both the staff and the players. It is quite competitive for the players. It is good to know we can bring players on that can make a difference and make an impact on the game.

"We are tactically more astute and appreciate the demands of tournament play. We have been together for quite a long time and the girls understand my philosophy and how I want to play."

Should the dreaded penalty shoot-out be needed to separate the great rivals, Powell is taking no chances given the Germans' track record from the spot in the men's game.

"We have been practising penalties," she explained. "They have been a part of our preparations in all our sessions and we have had a lot of practice. But nothing can prepare you for the real penalty shoot-out."

Skipper Faye White is in contention for a remarkable return despite fracturing her cheekbone in the quarter final last week. White, who has had surgery and is desperate to lead her side out, will be forced to wear a facemask for protection.