🔎 Women's EURO Group D: three favourites for two quarter-final spots
⭐ A Player from Each Team to Watch
📸 VALENTINE CHAPUIS - AFP or licensors
Advertisement
🇫🇷 Kadidiatou Diani (France). With the departure of key players like Wendie Renard, Eugénie Le Sommer, and Amandine Henry, Diani takes on the offensive leadership of Les Bleues. The Lyon forward, with over a hundred international matches, combines speed, dribbling, and scoring ability. Her role will be crucial for France to maintain its ambition of reaching a first continental final under the guidance of Laurent Bonadei.
🏴 Beth Mead (England). The Arsenal attacker is redefining the English attack. She was the top assister and co-scorer of Euro 2022, where she shone with six goals and four assists. Mead brings imbalance on the wing and opportunism in the area, making her the main offensive threat for England. After a tough recovery from injury, she arrives in top form to try to repeat the title.
🇳🇱 Vivianne Miedema (Netherlands) The Dutch star returns to a major tournament after overcoming a serious knee injury. Her scoring ability and vision make her an indispensable piece in a team that needs her best version to compete against elite rivals. If Miedema reaches her usual level, she can change the course of the group and lead the Netherlands to the top.
🐉 Jess Fishlock (Wales) The 38-year-old midfielder is the heart of Wales. With an impeccable career and leadership on and off the field, she was instrumental in the team's qualification with goals, assists, and character. Fishlock will be key to guiding a debutant team in the tournament that will seek to compete bravely against three giants.
❌ The Most Notable Absences
France has surprised by leaving out some of its most iconic figures, such as Wendie Renard, Amandine Henry, or Eugénie Le Sommer. The coach is betting on a renewal that has sparked debate among fans. England, on the other hand, faces the Euro without its star goalkeeper, Mary Earps, and without Millie Bright, pillars in the defense of the European title. In their place, players like Hannah Hampton or Lotte Wubben-Moy take center stage.
Advertisement
In the Netherlands, all eyes are on the physical condition of Miedema. Although she has made the list, she arrives with few minutes accumulated this season. Wales maintains its backbone, but several veteran players have not been called up due to technical decisions or physical issues, leaving Fishlock as the only undisputed leader of the group.
🗓️ The Most Important Match of This Group
France – England (July 5, Zurich)
The clash between the French and the English will be one of the great duels of the entire group stage. The current European champions want to start strong in a tournament that demands from the first minute, while France seeks to prove that the renewal has not diminished competitiveness. Beyond the symbolic, the winner of the match could secure their passage to the quarterfinals and also avoid a strong opponent in the next phase. A clash with the scent of an early final.
📊 Who Are the Favorites to Advance to the Quarterfinals?
England starts with a slight advantage. Its experienced squad, reinforced by young players with hunger, gives continuity to the success achieved in 2022. Although the renewal in defense and goalkeeping may raise some doubts, its offensive talent remains top-notch. France, despite the absence of some veterans, maintains a very competitive lineup with players like Diani, Geyoro, or Katoto, and has the arguments to fight for the top spot.
Advertisement
Netherlands is an enigma. If Miedema is physically well, the team can compete for everything, but the wear and tear of several important figures and the recent inconsistency of the team raise doubts. Wales, as a debutant, starts from behind. Even so, it has a generation that has grown together, a solid coach like Gemma Grainger, and an emotional leader like Fishlock. Their goal will be to compete and, if possible, fight for third place.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.
📸 Mike Hewitt - 2025 Getty Images
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
13 minutes ago
- New York Times
Deossa and Arias
Serhou Guirassy's first-half brace was enough to send his side through to an all-European quarter-final Getty Images Stats Perform / Getty Images Two minutes of first-half stoppage time pass without much incident. Dortmund hit the break leading by two goals thanks to Serhou Guirassy's brace. Getty Images On the occasions that Monterrey do get forward and create some good opportunities, they just don't have enough bodies forward to provide a credible threat. There are too many yellow shirts in the way and the promising attacks have tended to fizzle out. 44' Borussia Dortmund 2-0 Monterrey Corona leads a swift counter-attack from the halfway line. He won't win the footrace to goal so he checks back, only managing to win a corner in the end which Dortmund deal with comfortably. 41' Borussia Dortmund 2-0 Monterrey Corona breaks free down the left wing and makes a lovely move to skip past his nearest defender. He advances into the box and looks to beat Kobel from point-blank range, but the goalkeeper makes the stop. Corona had an opportunity to go down in the box under contact, which may have won him a penalty, but he stayed on his feet instead. Getty Images Former La Liga wonder kid Oliver Torres has found a home in Monterrey. Tonight, however, he has been unimpressive in central midfield. Hurried and anxious on the ball, the 30-year-old baby-faced Spaniard has underwhelmed. Nelson Deossa, on the other hand, has had a wonderful tournament. The left-footed Colombian playmaker has put himself in the European shop window during this competition. Not the 2013 Champions League semi-final, Mario? Too soon? Getty Images When all the media were preparing their stories about the Bellingham brothers facing off in case there was a Madrid-Dortmund match-up in the quarter-final, Jobe's unexpected absence could lead to more talk about, mmm, the Champions League 2024 final maybe? 31' Borussia Dortmund 2-0 Monterrey Bellingham sets up Guirassy in front of goal, but as he slides Guirassy is just barely unable to make strong-enough contact to direct the ball into the open corner of the net. That would have been a first-half hat-trick. Getty Images For those who needed a reminder of just how clinical of a goalscorer Serhou Guirassy is, his rate of 0.73 league goals per 90 minutes this past season were better than Manchester City's Erling Haaland, Barcelona's Raphinha and…Nottingham Forest's Chris Wood. 28' Borussia Dortmund 2-0 Monterrey Bellingham scythes down Deossa near the corner flag and is shown a deserved yellow card. That means, if Dortmund advance here, he's suspended for the quarter-final meeting with his brother, Jude, and Real Madrid! Getty Images Monterrey had reacted well but, and forgive the typical phrase, at the highest level mistakes are very damaging. The Mexicans failed in the opponent's area and were weak defending, once again unable to stop the Adeyemi-Guirassy duo. Karim Adeyemi's pace has been on full display so far in Atlanta. What a player he is. Monterrey's defenders are on their heels anytime the German attacker is on the ball. 2-0 for Dortmund and they can smell blood just 27 minutes into this match. It's exactly the same link-up — Adeyemi and Guirassy — to put Dortmund 2-0 up. Whereas the first goal was all about clever play in tight spaces, this one showcased the speed of Adeyemi, stretching the Monterrey defence on the right and then taking his time to play a perfectly weighted pass into the path of Guirassy, who again finished superbly. Getty Images 24' Borussia Dortmund 2-0 Monterrey Adeyemi breaks free down the right wing and draws the attention of two defenders before rolling the box into the centre for Guirassy, who finishes at the near post again! Getty Images Guirassy's strike was a beautifully taken goal that underlined what an excellent centre-forward he has become. A shame for Monterrey that Corona couldn't show quite the same composure at the other end a few minutes later, going fractionally too early with his run, getting flagged offside, and unable to find a way past Kobel anyway. Going back to Dortmund's goal, it was a smart move by Adeyemi to find that space inside, Rodriguez has been unable to read the play and Guirassy was in a very good position to score. That's the earliest goal Dortmund have scored in this tournament, but it doesn't look like Monterrey will give up so soon. 19' Borussia Dortmund 1-0 Monterrey Corona breaks free on goal but can't manage to beat Kobel one-on-one. The offside flag goes up immediately afterward to spare his blushes. Ryerson had done well to step up and put Corona offside. Getty Images Argentine referee Facundo Tello is well-respected in CONMEBOL circles and globally, as well. Facundo refereed three matches at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. He also featured at Euro 2024 as the the first non-UEFA official to referee a match at a major European tournament.
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Alcaraz faces amateur hour against young Brit at Wimbledon
Unheralded British amateur Oliver Tarvet is targeting arguably the biggest upset in Wimbledon history when he pits his wits against champion Carlos Alcaraz on Wednesday. Emma Raducanu is hoping to make home advantage count against 2023 winner Marketa Vondrousova, while Brazilian sensation Joao Fonseca is aiming to copy Roger Federer's grace on the grass. Advertisement AFP Sport looks at the matches to watch on day three of the tournament at the All England Club. Tarvet's tab World number 733 Oliver Tarvet has an unusual issue after his run through qualifying to reach round two and the sport's most hallowed turf. As a student of the University of San Diego he has to maintain amateur status to remain in the US collegiate tennis system. Despite earning £99,000 ($136,000) in prize money so far, he can only bank $10,000 profit during the calendar year after subtracting his expenses. The 21-year-old is already planning a more luxurious return trip to California but is also dreaming of ending Alcaraz's bid for a third straight title. Advertisement "I've got to find £60,000, £70,000 of expenses. Tennis is an expensive sport. So, hopefully, I can make that happen. Just pay my coaches a little bit extra. I don't know. We'll figure something out. Fly business class!" Tarvet said. The British player, playing his first Grand Slam, is not short of self-belief and will hope Alcaraz is jaded after his gruelling five-set opener. "I'm quietly confident that I can win against anyone," he said. "Alcaraz isn't an exception to that. Obviously, he's done an incredible amount in the tennis world. He's a difficult guy not to respect." Raducanu's big test Advertisement British number one Emma Raducanu played down her chances on the eve of the tournament, saying she "does not expect much" as she juggles inconsistent form with a niggling back problem. Last year's run to the fourth round at Wimbledon was the 22-year-old's best performance at a Grand Slam since she shot to fame by winning the US Open in 2021. Currently 40th in the world, Raducanu has hit her highest ranking this year (36th) since September 2022. Marketa Vondrousova may be 33 places further down the rankings, but the Czech is a grass-court specialist who is finding her feet again after a persistent shoulder injury. Advertisement The 26-year-old won her first title since winning Wimbledon just over a week ago at the Berlin Open and is a potential contender for the tournament now she is pain-free. "When you are playing with pain, it's crazy. You just think about it all the time. It's there all the time," said Vondrousova. "It's just the one thing you have on your mind all the time. Now I can focus on everything else, so it's great." Teenage dreamer Fonseca mirrors Federer Joao Fonseca said his Wimbledon debut felt like a "dream" as he swatted aside Jacob Fearnley in straight sets, thrashing 31 winners in the process. Advertisement The prodigiously talented Brazilian is one of the rising stars of the ATP Tour and has been studying Wimbledon's retired Swiss master Roger Federer for inspiration on how to adapt to the grass, a surface on which he has little experience. "It's inspiring because you can see him in a big match, in a final against (Novak) Djokovic, and he just makes it so smooth, so easy," Fonseca said, referring to watching video clips of Federer. "His style, his slice, coming to net, chip and charge. It was complete. That's what I want." Fonseca next faces Eastbourne finalist Jacob Brooksby and his draw does not hold many terrors after eighth-seed Holger Rune's early exit. kca/jw
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Bayern consider Rashford move - Wednesday's gossip
Bayern Munich consider move for Marcus Rashford, Arsenal close in on deal for Viktor Gyokeres, Crystal Palace agree £47m price for Ousmane Diomande. Bayern Munich are considering a shock move for Manchester United and England forward Marcus Rashford, 27, after being impressed by his form on loan at Aston Villa last season. (Sun) Advertisement Arsenal are moving closer to a deal for Sporting forward Viktor Gyokeres. The 27-year-old Swede has told his club he wants to join the Gunners. (L'Equipe - in French) Crystal Palace have reached a £47m agreement to sign Ousmane Diomande, 21, from Sporting with the Ivory Coast defender seen as a potential replacement for 24-year-old England international Marc Guehi. (A Bola - in Portuguese) Manchester United have approached Inter Milan about a deal to sign Italy midfielder Davide Frattesi, 25. (Caught Offside) Arsenal have already submitted an offer to England winger Noni Madueke, 23, who might leave Chelsea in the summer. (Sky Germany) Advertisement Juventus are closing in on a deal to sign Canada forward Jonathan David, 25, whose contract expired at Lille at the end of last season. (Fabrizio Romano) Colombia forward Jhon Duran, 22, is flying from his homeland to Turkey to complete a loan move from Al-Nassr to Fenerbahce. (Athletic - subscription required) Newcastle are exploring a move for Marseille and Argentina centre-back Leonardo Balerdi, 26, who is also interesting Juventus. (Mail - subscription required) Burnley are working on striker options for manager Scott Parker with Genk and Nigeria forward Tolu Arokodare, 24, under consideration. (Telegraph - subscription required) Advertisement AC Milan are hoping to sign Switzerland midfielder Ardon Jashari, 22, from Club Brugge in a deal worth about £30m. (La Gazzetta dello Sport - in Italian) Manchester City will sign 15-year-old Caelan-Kole Cadamarteri from Sheffield Wednesday in a £1.5m deal. The forward is the son of former Everton striker Danny. (Mail) West Ham face a battle to convince Slavia Prague to sell Senegal left-back El Hadji Malick Diouf, 20. (Guardian)
