Host nation England are the favorite to win Group A of the Women’s Euros 2022.
Who do Bettors Favor?
The host nation England has been drawn in Group A and according to the best betting sites (check out our online sportsbook reviews here) they are strong favorites. England are rated as -250 favorites to win the Group, ahead of Norway who are on +250. Austria are considered to be underdogs at +1400 while Wales are rated as +5000 and not expected to qualify for the knockout stages.
Women’s Euro 2022 History and Schedule
This will be the 13th Women’s Euro Cup, although it is the second to feature an expanded number of teams (16) and the second to be hosted in England.
The Netherlands go into the competition as cup holders after their home-soil victory in 2017, when they overcame Denmark in the final. But the history of the tournament has been dominated by Germany. Eight-time winners, Germany have never failed to win when they reach the final, and their record is well clear of the next most regular winners, Norway, who have won it twice.
As in 2017, the tournament is based around four Groups of four teams each, from which the winners and runners-up progress to the knockout stages, with the final staged at Wembley on July 31.
England Favorites in Group A
The last time England hosted this tournament, a solitary draw with Finland was the high point of their efforts, but much more is expected this time and they are strong favorites to win the Group. Under Sarina Wiegman, they are a settled team, with a gameplan centered on possession, with the midfield duo of Leah Williamson and Keira Walsh pivotal to their success.
Walsh finished the 2021-22 WSL season with an impressive passing accuracy rate of 88% while Williamson’s long-passing is a major asset, with plenty of forward options, such as Ellen White and Beth Mead to provide the finishing power. Getting out of the Group should be no problem, though their real challenge will start in the knockout stages, Norway are a danger and so there isn’t much value to be had in backing England at a short price.
Norway Are A Threat in Group A
The main threat to England and a nation that has twice won this tournament, Norway are the obvious danger in Group A, thanks mainly to their array of goalscoring and attacking potential.
Norway’s forward line has been strengthened by the return of Ada Hegerberg to international football, and the Barcelona star – who holds the Champions League goalscoring record – will be a consistent attacking threat throughout the tournament. She will be joined by Guro Reiten and Caroline Graham Hansen.
Hansen topped the rankings for chance creation and Expected Assists in the Champions League this season, while Reiten scored seven goals and registered five assists last season, despite playing as a left-wing-back with Chelsea. The prospect of her link-up play with Hegerberg is an exciting one and Norway are an obvious pick at the current odds to top Group A.
Austria Hoping to Cause a Surprise
The third-ranked team in Group A, Austria are the wildcard here. Sarah Zadrazil, who plays in the center of midfield is one of their key stars, as she combines the ability to fire in long-range goals with a skill in both disrupting and creating passing moves. In fact, she finished top of the Champions League rankings for Tackles Per 90 minutes last season for Bayern Munich as well as being their main playmaker.
The team will be built around Zadrazil, but goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger will be another key player for Austria if they are to cause a surprise. She had an excellent season for Arsenal, winning the Golden Glove and finishing with an 80% save percentage. Given Austria’s method of playing out from the back, Zinsberger will have to be alert throughout.
The question for Austria is whether they can score enough goals to go deeper in the competition, but they look undervalued in the market at this price.
Northern Ireland Face a Gulf in Class
Northern Ireland hold the distinction of being the lowest-ranked team ever to qualify for this tournament. Ranked 48th in the world, they are 19 places lower than the next lowest, Portugal, who failed to qualify originally, but were handed a spot when Russia were disqualified.
They reached the tournament after edging out Wales on away goals and then overcoming Ukraine in a play-off that was understandably overshadowed by the Russian invasion of that nation. Forward Simone Magill is a useful goalscorer, who also holds the record for the fastest international goal by a woman footballer, but their 0-12 aggregate score in two qualifying games against Norway is an indication of the gulf in class they have to overcome and avoiding three defeats would be an achievement this summer.
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