Latest news with #LenaOberdorf
Scotsman
17 hours ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
Women's Euro 2025 Group C guide: Denmark, Germany, Poland, Sweden - fixtures, key players, predictions
Here is the complete guide to Group C at the Women's Euros 2025. Cr: Getty Images. | Getty Images Here is your complete lowdown to Group C of the Women's Euros 2025 – including Denmark, Germany, Poland and Sweden. Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Set to kick off next Tuesday, women's football fans are now counting down to the hours until the beginning of this summer's Women's Euros tournament in Switzerland. Set to begin on July 2 in St Gallen, the seventh edition of the tournament will see England Lionesses look to hold onto their crown following their success in the record breaking European Championships in England three years ago, with over half-a-million tickets already sold for the event. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad As part of our big tournament preview, today we assess in team in Group C of the competition. Featuring the Euro 2022 runners-up Germany and an extremely strong Sweden side, this group may look pretty straight forward, but with world class players in the ranks of both Denmark and Poland, nobody is counting their chickens just yet. If you're new to the women's game and want to pack in as much knowledge as possible before the tournament kicks-off, we've put together a handy guide to preview the tournament, group by group, which we will be releasing day-by-day in the run up to the tournament. Here isThe Scotsman's complete guide to Group C, including our predictions, player to watch, fixtures and each nation's current tournament odds: Giulia Gwinn will be a key player for Germany at this summer's Women's Euros. | Getty Images Germany A combination of injuries and international retirements means Germany 23-strong squad looks like a little different to what many are used to. However, based on their shock group stage exit at the World Cup two years ago, perhaps it is no bad thing to have a bit of freshness in the squad. That said, as evidenced by the their run to the final at the last Euros, Germany remain a footballing powerhouse. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The loss of key midfielder Lena Oberdorf is a huge blow, but there's still bundles of experience, with Bayern Munich duo Giulia Gwinn and Sydney Lohmann at the spine of the team, though it is their young talent that is likely to catch the eye. The trio of Jule Brand, Selina Cerci and Franziska Kett offering a youthful exuberance and emerging talent to Wück's new look squad. Head coach: Christian Wück Key player: Giulia Gwinn Fixtures: July 4 - Germany vs Poland (8:00 PM, Zurich) July 8 - Germany vs Denmark (5:00 PM, Bern) July 12 - Sweden vs Germany (8:00 PM, Sion) Best ever Euro's finish: Winners (1989 as West Germany), 1991, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2005, 2009, and 2013) Tournament odds: 9/2 with SkyBet Prediction: Runners-up Ex-Arsenal midfielder Kathrine Kühl is technically excellent and will provide creativity in the Denmark midfield. | Getty Images Denmark Beaten finalists in Euro 2017, the Danish women's national team have taken a downwards curve over the last few years, but are slowly turning the curve as the new crop of extremely exciting young talents come to the fore. Portland Thorns' young centre-back Isabella Obaze is waving the flag for the new generation, while AS Roma midfielder Kathrine Kühl is just 21 , but technically excellent in the centre of the park. However, if Denmark are to be successful at the tournament, it is more than likely to come via the talent of world-class midfielder Pernille Harder. Expect the Danes to push to the final game for a spot in the knockouts, although they may fall short landing an extremely tough group with two of Europe's strongest teams. Head coach: Andrée Jeglertz Key player: Pernille Harder Fixtures: July 4 - Denmark vs Sweden (5:00 PM, Geneva) July 8 - Germany vs Denmark (5:00 PM, Bern) July 12 - Poland vs Denmark (5:00 PM, Basel) Best ever Euro's finish: Runners-up (2017) Tournament odds: 18/1 with SkyBet Prediction: Group stage Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Poland have one of the world's best strikers in Ewa Pajor. | Getty Images Poland Taking part in it's first ever European Championships, it would be fair to say UEFA were not kind to them in the draw for Euro 2025. While they viewed as outsiders to qualify from the group, Poland do have a secret weapon in the shape of Barcelona striker Ewa Pajor. One of the world's most lethal centre-forwards, she is unlikely to waste any chances she gets, and her support cast of Kinga Kozak, Natalia Padilla and Tanja Pawollek aren't too bad either. Should Poland pull off a surprise in Group C, they'll need be disciplined at the back, and will need to ensure they create enough chances to exploit Pajor's goal-scoring prowess. Head coach: Nina Patalon Key player: Ewa Pajor Fixtures: July 4 - Germany vs Poland (8:00 PM, Zurich) July 8 - Sweden vs Poland (8:00 PM, Lucerne) July 12 - Poland vs Denmark (5:00 PM, Basel) Best ever Euro's finish: N/A Tournament odds: 80/1 with SkyBet Prediction: Group stage Swedish superstar Fridolina Rolfo will be desperate to win her first major international tournament. | Getty Images Sweden A powerhouse of women's football, Sweden are tournament pros. Winners of the tournament in previous years, they made the semi-final at Euro 2022, were runners-up on the Olympics in 2016 and 2022, and took third place at the World Cup in 2023. However, without a winner's medal since the mid-1980s, they are desperate to go one step further in Switzerland this summer. In Barcelona's Fridolina Rolfö and Arsenal's Champions League hero Stina Blackstenius, the Swedes have two of the world's most sought after attackers, while experienced defenders Magdalena Eriksson and Amanda Ilestedt are a formidable force in the defence. Currently sixth in the FIFA Rankings, expect Sweden to go far in the competition. Head coach: Nina Patalon Key player: Fridolina Rolfö Fixtures: July 4 - Denmark vs Sweden (5:00 PM, Geneva) July 8 - Sweden vs Poland (8:00 PM, Lucerne) July 12 - Sweden vs Germany (8:00 PM, Sion) Best ever Euro's finish: Winners (1984) Tournament odds: 14/1 with SkyBet
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Women's Euros 2025: Guide to Group C – historic heavyweights and Pajor's Lewandowski likeness
Group C pits two historic heavyweights against each other as Germany and Sweden — two teams England beat in their run to victory at Euro 2022 — meet. They are joined by 2017 finalists Denmark and European Championship debutants Poland. On the face of it, this might look like quite a straightforward group but Germany and Sweden have shown in recent months they both have a wobble in them. This might be the one to keep your eye on for surprises. The favourites are… Between 1995 and 2013, Germany won the European Championship on six consecutive occasions but an embarrassing group-stage exit from the 2023 World Cup showed how far they had fallen from their time at the very top of the women's game. That spelled the end of Martina Voss-Tecklenburg's four-year reign as head coach, with Horst Hrubesch guiding them to a bronze medal at last summer's Olympics. Now Christian Wuck will lead them into Euro 2025, having been appointed with over a decade's worth of experience managing Germany's boys' teams. Advertisement Some of the familiar faces from their run to the final in 2022 have moved on, with Alexandra Popp announcing her international retirement last September and Svenja Huth also having decided to stop playing internationally. The result is a younger, more diverse Germany squad — we are a long way removed from the days when almost everyone in it would play for Wolfsburg or Bayern Munich. For nearly a year the issue was whether the influential Lena Oberdorf would be fit for these Euros. The imposing defensive midfielder tore her anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments last July in a qualifier against Austria. A return to full fitness would have been a big boost for Germany but Wuck has decided to leave her out of the squad given her lack of preparation time. 'She's on the right track, but the European Championship is coming too soon for her,' he told Sky Germany. The standout match will be… Germany vs Sweden A rematch of the 2003 World Cup final (which was won by Germany), this will likely be the game that determines who tops the group. If Germany are fallen giants in the process of refreshing themselves, Sweden are perhaps a year or two behind them. This tournament will be the curtain call for Peter Gerhardsson, who has managed them since 2017, leading them to two third-placed finishes at World Cups. His replacement will be the man he beat in the third-place play-off in 2023, former Australia manager Tony Gustavsson. Advertisement Sweden's squad definitely still leans into its experience, with legendary players like Kosovare Asllani, Sofia Jakobsson and Linda Sembrant all still featuring despite being over 35. However, you cannot ignore their experience and Sweden have made at least the semi-finals of the past four international tournaments they have participated in. The group's galatico is… Pernille Harder (Denmark) A return to the Frauen-Bundesliga has pushed Harder back to her best. Now in her second season at Bayern Munich, she appears to have overcome the injury issues that limited her playing time at Chelsea and has scored more goals this season than she did in any of her seasons in England. Now 32, Denmark's record goalscorer and captain is still the lynchpin of her side. At Euro 2022, they ended up in a tough group with Germany and Spain, and while they will not be favourites to progress here, Harder will hope she can inspire an upset. The player who could make a name for themselves Ellen Wangerheim (Sweden) Despite Sweden's penchant for slightly older players, there is no shortage of young talent coming through. Forward Wangerheim, 20, has impressed over the past couple of seasons for Hammarby, with this season's Champions League performances against Manchester City demonstrating she can excel against high-level opposition. Able to play in any of the forward positions, Wangerheim has an eye for goal and while she is unlikely to start, she could make an impression off the bench. A story to look out for Poland are one of two countries making their debut at a European Championship, along with Wales in Group D. The Poles beat Austria 2-0 over two legs to make it to the competition, no mean feat given they lost 3-1 to them twice in their actual qualifying group. Their key threat is Barcelona striker Ewa Pajor, who has scored 43 goals this year in 46 matches, her best single-season tally ever. Inevitably, she draws comparisons with compatriot Robert Lewandowski, the superb striker on the men's side. You might not know this Germany goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger has twice battled thyroid cancer and returned to the very top of the game. The 34-year-old was first diagnosed in 2017 while playing for Birmingham City and then again in 2022 during her time at Chelsea. Berger took a circuitous route to the top of the women's game and did not make her Germany debut until 2020 but has been a staple of the side in recent years. Advertisement Now playing at Gotham FC in the NWSL, she is well known as a penalty specialist, most notably saving two and scoring the winning spot-kick in the quarter-final shootout at last summer's Olympics. She also saved Alexia Putellas' penalty in the final minute of extra time in the bronze-medal match to help Germany win. Fixtures in full 4 July: Denmark vs Sweden, 17:00 BST, 12:00 ET 4 July: Germany vs Poland, 20:00 BST, 15:00 ET 8 July: Germany vs Denmark, 17:00 BST, 12:00 ET 8 July: Poland vs Sweden, 20:00 BST, 15:00 ET 12 July: Sweden vs Germany, 20:00 BST, 15:00 ET 12 July: Poland vs Denmark, 20:00 BST, 15:00 ET This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Germany, Denmark, Poland, Sweden, Women's Soccer, Women's Euros 2025 The Athletic Media Company
New York Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Women's Euros 2025: Guide to Group C – historic heavyweights and Pajor's Lewandowski likeness
Group C pits two historic heavyweights against each other as Germany and Sweden — two teams England beat in their run to victory at Euro 2022 — meet. They are joined by 2017 finalists Denmark and European Championship debutants Poland. On the face of it, this might look like quite a straightforward group but Germany and Sweden have shown in recent months they both have a wobble in them. This might be the one to keep your eye on for surprises. Between 1995 and 2013, Germany won the European Championship on six consecutive occasions but an embarrassing group-stage exit from the 2023 World Cup showed how far they had fallen from their time at the very top of the women's game. That spelled the end of Martina Voss-Tecklenburg's four-year reign as head coach, with Horst Hrubesch guiding them to a bronze medal at last summer's Olympics. Now Christian Wuck will lead them into Euro 2025, having been appointed with over a decade's worth of experience managing Germany's boys' teams. Advertisement Some of the familiar faces from their run to the final in 2022 have moved on, with Alexandra Popp announcing her international retirement last September and Svenja Huth also having decided to stop playing internationally. The result is a younger, more diverse Germany squad — we are a long way removed from the days when almost everyone in it would play for Wolfsburg or Bayern Munich. For nearly a year the issue was whether the influential Lena Oberdorf would be fit for these Euros. The imposing defensive midfielder tore her anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments last July in a qualifier against Austria. A return to full fitness would have been a big boost for Germany but Wuck has decided to leave her out of the squad given her lack of preparation time. 'She's on the right track, but the European Championship is coming too soon for her,' he told Sky Germany. Germany vs Sweden A rematch of the 2003 World Cup final (which was won by Germany), this will likely be the game that determines who tops the group. If Germany are fallen giants in the process of refreshing themselves, Sweden are perhaps a year or two behind them. This tournament will be the curtain call for Peter Gerhardsson, who has managed them since 2017, leading them to two third-placed finishes at World Cups. His replacement will be the man he beat in the third-place play-off in 2023, former Australia manager Tony Gustavsson. Sweden's squad definitely still leans into its experience, with legendary players like Kosovare Asllani, Sofia Jakobsson and Linda Sembrant all still featuring despite being over 35. However, you cannot ignore their experience and Sweden have made at least the semi-finals of the past four international tournaments they have participated in. Pernille Harder (Denmark) A return to the Frauen-Bundesliga has pushed Harder back to her best. Now in her second season at Bayern Munich, she appears to have overcome the injury issues that limited her playing time at Chelsea and has scored more goals this season than she did in any of her seasons in England. Now 32, Denmark's record goalscorer and captain is still the lynchpin of her side. At Euro 2022, they ended up in a tough group with Germany and Spain, and while they will not be favourites to progress here, Harder will hope she can inspire an upset. Ellen Wangerheim (Sweden) Despite Sweden's penchant for slightly older players, there is no shortage of young talent coming through. Forward Wangerheim, 20, has impressed over the past couple of seasons for Hammarby, with this season's Champions League performances against Manchester City demonstrating she can excel against high-level opposition. Able to play in any of the forward positions, Wangerheim has an eye for goal and while she is unlikely to start, she could make an impression off the bench. Poland are one of two countries making their debut at a European Championship, along with Wales in Group D. The Poles beat Austria 2-0 over two legs to make it to the competition, no mean feat given they lost 3-1 to them twice in their actual qualifying group. Their key threat is Barcelona striker Ewa Pajor, who has scored 43 goals this year in 46 matches, her best single-season tally ever. Inevitably, she draws comparisons with compatriot Robert Lewandowski, the superb striker on the men's side. Germany goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger has twice battled thyroid cancer and returned to the very top of the game. The 34-year-old was first diagnosed in 2017 while playing for Birmingham City and then again in 2022 during her time at Chelsea. Berger took a circuitous route to the top of the women's game and did not make her Germany debut until 2020 but has been a staple of the side in recent years. Advertisement Now playing at Gotham FC in the NWSL, she is well known as a penalty specialist, most notably saving two and scoring the winning spot-kick in the quarter-final shootout at last summer's Olympics. She also saved Alexia Putellas' penalty in the final minute of extra time in the bronze-medal match to help Germany win. (Top photos: Getty Images; design: Eamonn Dalton)
BBC News
4 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Which young players could light up Euro 2025?
In July 2022, as Sarina Wiegman's Lionesses were celebrating being crowned champions of Europe, Germany's Lena Oberdorf was named the inaugural young player of the years on and a new crop of players, from 16 countries, will arrive in Switzerland hoping to shine at this summer's Women's Sport has selected seven players under the age of 23 to look out for. Aggie Beever-Jones (England) Age: 21 Position: Forward Club: Chelsea Before England's penultimate Women's Nations League group game, all of the attention was on Mary Earps' retirement. After the match, a different name dominated the headlines: Aggie forward seized her opportunity in the absence of injured duo Alessia Russo and Ella Toone, scoring a 33-minute hat-trick against Portugal. Tipping her to make an impact at Euro 2025, former England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley praised her versatility, movement and goalscoring prowess. "She can play on the right, left, and in central areas. She's constantly on the move, hunting for the right opportunity to pounce on defenders," she told BBC Radio 5 Live."She is rarely offside. She is a true goalscorer, putting herself about, making a nuisance of herself."Beever-Jones, who joined Chelsea's academy aged nine, was the Blues' top goal-scorer in the WSL last season with nine and also claimed the winner in their FA Cup semi-final against Liverpool to keep them on track for a domestic treble. Carrie Jones (Wales) Age: 21 Position: Midfielder Club: IFK Norrkoping Wales will make history this summer by competing in their first major women's tournament and Carrie Jones, despite her tender years, is already well established in the has been an international footballer for six years having made her Wales debut at 15 - before she was eligible to play for club side Cardiff City - and spent four seasons in the WSL with Manchester United, Leicester City and Bristol City followed by a move to Swedish side IFK Norrkoping in 2024. A versatile forward player, she is commonly deployed on the left flank for Wales but can also play in central midfield or a lone striker. In 2019, former Wales international Gwennan Harries tipped Jones to be "one of Wales' best players, external over the next 10-20 years"."She's such a talent. So composed, got two great feet, but most importantly for me, her work ethic is outstanding, a real team player," she said. Salma Paralluelo (Spain) Age: 21 Position: Midfielder Club: Barcelona At 21, Salma Paralluelo already boasts a heavyweight CV.A member of the 2023 World Cup-winning squad, she started five of Spain's seven matches, came off the bench to score in the quarter and semi-finals, and earned young player of the tournament honours. That triumph meant she became the first player to hold world titles at Under-17, Under-20 and senior has also won the 2024 Nations League, while domestically she is a two-time Champions League winner with Barcelona. In 2024, she was the youngest player in the top 20 of The Guardian's 100 best female footballers in the world, external and finished third in the Ballon d'Or standings for the last two seasons. Paralluelo, who had to choose between football and athletics, is a physical winger who drives hard at defenders and possesses a prolific left foot. She will be a key attacking threat for Spain, although she took a break after last summer's Olympics - because of mental and physical exhaustion and an issue with her left knee - and she has found playing time harder to come by on her return. Wieke Kaptein (Netherlands) Age: 19 Position: Midfielder Club: Chelsea At 19, Wieke Kaptein has already won multiple domestic trophies, first with FC Twente and now with Chelsea. During the 2024-25 campaign, the central midfielder forced her way into Sonia Bompastor's star-studded XI, starting seven of their 10 Champions League games, and was identified by BBC Sport as one of the unsung heroes of the Blues' invincible WSL season thanks to her contributions in the middle of the has been full of praise for Kaptein's work rate, stating: "She brings a lot of quality out of possession. She is really confident but also works hard off the ball. She works so hard for the team." Team-mate Kadeisha Buchanan added: "She's a unique player. She's cool, laid back. She shows that on the field - she's very composed. She's a fun, young talent."Internationally, she has amassed 20 caps since making her debut in April 2023, typically playing on the right of a midfield three, and made history as the youngest player to represent the Netherlands at a Women's World Cup later that year. Franziska Kett (Germany) Age: 20 Position: Defender Club: Bayern Munich The second-youngest player in the Germany squad and set to play in her first major tournament, Franziska Kett has long been on the radar of national team head coach Christian Wuck, who described her as a dynamic defender. The left-back made her debut for Bayern Munich in 2022 - one month before her 18th birthday - and has gone on to feature for the German champions in both the Frauen-Bundesliga and Women's Champions League. A member of the Under-19s squad which finished as runners-up at the European Championships in 2023, she was handed her senior debut in April 2025. "We have been keeping tabs on Franziska Kett and her development for some time now," Wuck said. "She provides a great deal of dynamism with her explosive style of play. We believe that she can do a job for the national team." Sydney Schertenleib (Switzerland) Age: 18 Position: Midfielder Club: Barcelona In a Barcelona squad brimming with top talent, you could be forgiven for not knowing Sydney Schertenleib's name. However, since moving to Spain from Grasshopper Zurich last summer, the 18-year-old has quickly established herself as a first-team regular, starting all but two of Barcelona's league matches since the beginning of March and coming off the bench in both legs of their Champions League quarter-final against she typically plays on the left side of a midfield or forward three for Barcelona, Switzerland boss Pia Sundhage has preferred to use her as a right-sided striker, yielding two goals in her first 10 her first senior tournament, and playing on home soil, the setting is perfect for Schertenleib to make an impact. Alice Sombath (France) Age: 21 Position: Defender Club: Lyon Sombath is one of a number of promising young French defenders looking to capitalise on the omission of the previously immovable Wendie Renard from the squad for the in France to Thai parents, she joined Lyon aged 16 from rivals Paris St-Germain and 12 months later she made her senior debut alongside club legend Renard at centre-back in their opening game of the Lyon manager Joe Montemurro said: "I think she's going to become a special player. She has all the qualities to become a top defender. "At a big club like Lyon, there are more experienced players, so she needs a little patience. But in the future, I think she'll be a great player for the French national team."Comfortable at right-back or in central defence, Sombath made her France debut in November and was then paired alongside new captain Griedge Mbock in France's 4-0 win over Switzerland in May. She also got the nod ahead of Renard at centre-back for Lyon's Champions League semi-final first leg win over Arsenal.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Oberdorf won't be included in Germany squad for women's Euro 2025
Germany's Lena Oberdorf in action during the UEFA European Championship Women's qualifier soccer match between Germany and Poland at Ostseestadion. Sebastian Gollnow/dpa Bayern Munich midfielder Lena Oberdorf won't be included in the Germany squad for the women's Euro 2025 in Switzerland this summer, the German Football Federation (DFB) said on Wednesday. The player ruptured the cruciate ligament in her knee in July last year. Advertisement "She is on a good path, but the Euros are too early for her," coach Christian Wück said in a DFB statement. "We want to give her time to prepare fully and look forward to seeing her again in the new season," he added. Wück will name his squad for the tournament on June 12. The midfielder hasn't played a single match since her injury. However, she was included the Germany squad for the Nations League matches against the Netherlands last Friday and against Austria on Tuesday, and trained with the national team. It was important "that we have Obi here with us again so that we can fully assess her performance," Wück explained. The DFB officials had previously agreed with Bayern that Oberdorf would not play in the Nations League matches.
