An Introduction to the UEFA Women’s Euros

The Group Stage:

Group A:             England (8), Norway (11), Austria (21), Northern Ireland (46)

Group B:              Germany (4), Spain (7), Denmark (15), Finland (28)

Group C:              Sweden (2), Netherlands (5), Switzerland (19), Russia (25 and suspended)

Group D:             France (3), Italy (14), Iceland (18), Belgium (20)

The opening game will involve England v Austria and it will take place at Old Trafford Manchester on 6 July 20:00 (BST). The group stage fixture list is below:

Group A:

England v Austria:                           Wednesday 6 July 20:00 (Old Trafford)

Norway v Northern Ireland:         Thursday 7 July 20:00 (Southampton)

Austria v Northern Ireland:          Monday 11 July 18:00 (Southampton)

England v Norway:                         Monday 11 July 21:00 (Brighton & Hove)

Northern Ireland v England:         Friday 15 July 21:00 (Southampton)

Norway v Austria:                           Friday 15 July 21:00 (Brighton & Hove)

Group B:

Spain v Finland:                                Friday 8 July 18:00 (Milton Keynes)

Germany v Denmark:                     Friday 8 July 21:00 (Brentford)

Denmark v Finland:                         Tuesday 12 July 18:00 (Milton Keynes)

Germany v Spain:                            Tuesday 12 July 21:00 (Brentford)

Finland v Germany:                         Saturday 16 July 21:00 (Milton Keynes)

Denmark v Spain:                            Saturday 16 July 21:00 (Brentford)

Group C:

Russia v Switzerland:                      Match suspended

Netherlands v Sweden:                 Saturday 9 July 21:00 (Sheffield)

Sweden v Switzerland:                   Wednesday 13 July 18:00 (Sheffield)

Russia v Netherlands:                     Match suspended

Russia v Sweden:                             Match suspended

Netherlands v Switzerland:           Sunday 17 July 21:00 (Sheffield)

Group D:

Belgium v Iceland:                          Sunday 10 July 18:00 (Manchester)

France v Italy:                                  Sunday 10 July 21:00 (Rotherham)

Italy v Iceland:                                 Thursday 14 July 18:00 (Manchester)

France v Belgium:                           Thursday 14 July 21:00 (Rotherham)

Iceland v France:                             Monday 18 July 21:00 (Rotherham)

Italy v Belgium:                                Monday 18 July 21:00 (Manchester)

Quarter-Finals:

Wednesday 20 July to Saturday 23 July (21:00)

Semi-Finals:

Tuesday and Wednesday 26 to 27 July (21:00)

Final:

Sunday 31 July (18:00)

So now you have the fixture list let’s take a look into the tournament history and some of the teams and players to look out for.

Spain:

With a ranking of 7, Spain’s best finish in the Euros came in 1997 when they reached the semi-finals and ultimately finished fourth place. In the last two tournaments they have reached the quarter-finals. They have remained unbeaten for their past 15 competitive matches and 21 including friendlies. In Alexia Putellas, Spain has probably the best female player in the world and she has almost 100 caps for her country scoring 26 goals. Her goals and assists from midfield can contribute to a successful tournament. Spain also has Jenni Hermoso who has 91 caps registering 45 goals proving Spain has plenty of firepower.

Netherlands:

The current holders of the UEFA woman’s Euro championship when they won on home soil in 2017, Netherlands have plenty of experience to try and win the trophy for a second time. Their prior best in the Euros was a semi-final and third place finish in 2009. They boast the current top scorer in the history of the woman’s super league in Vivianne Miedema. At the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 she scored an amazing 10 goals in four games to help her team reach the quarter-finals. She is not doing badly for her country either, with 91 goals from 107 international appearances. Expect her goals to help the Netherlands do well in the tournament.

Norway:

Currently Norway has a world ranking of 11 and in Caroline Graham Hanon they have an explosive player with excellent creativity who can score goals. Her international record speaks for itself with 92 caps and 42 goals. Norway are no strangers to the big competitions with a super track record in the Euros. They have been crowned champions on two occasions in 1987 and 1993 and have been runner-up four times. Last time out in the 2019 world cup they reached the quarter finals.

Denmark:

Denmark may be deemed an underdog and hold a world ranking of 15. There recent form in the UEFA Euros has been excellent with a semi-final appearance in 2013 and they were runner-up in the last tournament in 2017. They have a prolific striker in Pernille Harder who has scored 67 times in 131 appearances for her country. With their recent fantastic Euro pedigree, Denmark could be an underdog to look out for.

England:

We all know England football teams perform well on home soil and the pressure will be on the woman’s team to put on a strong display in front of their supporters. Currently England are on an eleven-game unbeaten run that included a 20 – 0 victory over Latvia in a world cup qualifier November 2021. In the world cup of 2019 England claimed fourth place after losing in the semi-final. In the 2017 Euros they reached the semi-final and have twice been runners-up. Fran Kirby a golden boot winner has ingenuity and excellent footwork that will help England be creative. She has 54 international caps and 15 goals to date. Will home advantage see England win their first major trophy? They recently won the 2022 Arnold Clark Cup in a round robin tournament by goal difference with one win and two draws in a competition that included Spain, Germany and Canada.

Sweden:

Sweden boasts a strong record in the Euros and won the inaugural tournament in 1984. Having not managed to win it since, they are a three-time runner up and reached the quarter-final in 2017. Third in the world cup of 2019 they have also won the silver medal at the last two Olympics. In fact, their last loss came at the Olympics of Tokyo in 2021 where they were beaten on penalties by Canada. That means they have an unbeaten run of eleven games since. A cool customer in defence, Magdalena Eriksson provides a formidable solid defence and is always keen to play the ball out from the back. She now has 83 caps and has an impressive ten goals to her credit. Not a bad strike rate for a defender.

France:

Is it time for France to step up and win their first major trophy? In Marie-Antoinette Katoto they have a real gem. Aged only 23 she has 24 goals in 28 international appearances. This maybe what France have been lacking and her strike rate may contribute to a successful tournament. France is on an unbeaten 12 game run but their record in competitions is not as good as their opponents. In the 2019 World Cup they made the quarter-finals and have reached the quarter-finals of the last three UEFA Euro tournaments.

Germany:

The German team has an amazing record at the Euros and have won the tournament a record eight times. Last time out in 2017, they were knocked out in the quarter-finals. They also made the quarter-finals in the 2019 world cup. Their star player is midfielder Lena Magull and her creativity will be important if Germany are to have a successful tournament. She has 59 caps to her credit and has scored 18 goals.

We hope you have enjoyed our overview in the run up to what is going to be an exciting woman’s Euro championship. At mr.play you will find all you need to bet on the tournament. However, it is important to always gamble responsibly. If you are worried that you may have a problem with gambling then contact gambleaware.co.uk for free help and support.