MANCHESTER:
The most aggressive women’s European Championship to date is anticipated when England kick off Euro 2022 on Wednesday in opposition to Austria at Aged Trafford in entrance of a offered-out stadium.
AFP Activity appears to be like at what to count on from the group phase:
The hosts will have to stress the anticipations of a country to earn a women’s tournament for the very first time soon after reaching the semi-finals of their last a few important competitions.
Hopes are high as England have hit new heights since Sarina Wiegman took demand just less than a calendar year ago.
The Lionesses are unbeaten in 14 games underneath the Dutch coach, who led her native country to Euro glory on house soil five decades ago.
That consists of plundering 68 ambitions with out reply in eight World Cup qualifiers in a team that also functions Austria and Northern Ireland, both of those of whom they will satisfy in Group A.
England will also have a wave of group help guiding them with all 3 team game titles, which include the match opener against Austria at Previous Trafford, marketed out.
Two-time winners Norway pose the most important danger with former Ballon d’Or winner Ada Hegerberg restored up front just after a self-imposed 5-year exile from worldwide responsibility.
Austria were being a penalty shootout absent from reaching the final five a long time back and only narrowly dropped out 1- to England when they satisfied in Entire world Cup qualifying in November.
Northern Eire are the only match debutants and Kenny Shiels’ facet confront a complicated activity if they are even to choose a point from their 3 game titles in Southampton.
The toughest of the 4 groups sees match favourites Spain, 8-time winners Germany and 2017 finalists Denmark battling for two sites in the final eight.
Spain are but to shine at a main match, but are blessed with the core of the Barcelona facet that experienced swept all before them in modern seasons until eventually losing the Champions League ultimate to Lyon in Could.
The decline of all-time top goalscorer Jennifer Hermoso to injury is a important blow to La Roja’s likelihood, but all eyes will be on Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas to leave her mark on the event.
Germany are considerably from the force they when were being in the women’s recreation.
Martina Voss-Tecklenburg’s facet shed an away Entire world Cup qualifier for the initially time since 1998 in likely down 3-2 to Serbia in April and concluded bottom of the four-workforce Arnold Clark Cup behind England, Spain and Canada two months earlier.
Denmark boast 1 of the world’s deadliest strikers in Chelsea’s Pernille More challenging and scored an impressive 2-1 acquire more than Brazil before this month in preparing for the tournament.
One of the blockbuster clashes of the group phase will see defending champions the Netherlands take on Olympic silver medallists Sweden in a repeat of the 2019 Entire world Cup semi-last received by the Dutch.
The holders’ preparations were being rocked by a 5-1 thrashing at the palms of England in a warm-up pleasant, but they are blessed with arguably the ideal array of attacking expertise in the match led by Arsenal’s Vivianne Miedema and Lieke Martens of Paris Saint-Germain.
Sweden are the optimum-ranked workforce in the event and have strength in depth all over the squad with Chelsea’s Magdalena Eriksson, Kosovare Asllani of AC Milan and Barcelona’s Fridolina Rolfo forming a robust backbone of the group.
Portugal would not even be at the Euro experienced Russia not been thrown out because of to the invasion of Ukraine, and they and the Swiss will have to trigger an upset to arrive at the previous 8.
Lyon are back again on major of the European club recreation right after dethroning Barcelona as Champions League winners, but results has been tougher to appear for France at the intercontinental stage.
Les Bleues are but to even make the final 4 of a Euro, but will start off what really should be a competitive team as favourites.
Italian women’s soccer is on the rise as they look to back again up a operate to the quarter-finals of the 2019 Planet Cup, but Iceland could verify to be match dim horses.
They are severely challenging the Netherlands in Environment Cup qualifying and concluded runners-up to earth champions the Usa in the prestigious SheBelieves Cup before this calendar year.
