The teams heading to the final rounds are confirmed for the Women’s Euro, and the remaining competitors reflect the excitement that has unfolded this summer in Switzerland.
World Cup victors Spain and current European champions England advanced to the final phase, performing as anticipated and appearing as strong contenders to secure the title. They might encounter each other in the championship match, mirroring their World Cup final clash from a couple of years prior. Joining them are Italy and Germany, who navigated some challenging matches to reach this stage.
Germany, an eight-time Euro champion, has seen a mix of successes and failures in recent years, alternating between a final appearance in 2022 and an early group stage departure at the subsequent World Cup, before claiming a bronze medal at the 2024 Olympics. These inconsistencies have been apparent in Switzerland as well, but they have managed to progress to the Euro semifinals, fulfilling expectations that many held before the competition commenced.
Among the semifinalists, Italy emerges as a surprising contender. They haven’t achieved a knockout stage victory at the Euros since 1997 and haven’t gone beyond the quarterfinals in the World Cup. However, this summer, they’ve shown potential as a rising team. It’s already been a noteworthy tournament for Le Azzure, and the possibility of advancing further generates significant excitement. They’ll compete for their first Euro final appearance since 1997 and potentially their first major title.
The semifinals begin on Tuesday as England plays Italy, and Spain will clash with Germany on Wednesday. All teams will battle it out for a coveted spot in Sunday’s final match, set to take place at St. Jakob-Park in Basel.
Here’s an assessment of the final four teams still in contention at the Women’s Euro.
4. Italy
Italy is consistently improving its position in Europe, proving their worth in a group that included Portugal and Belgium. They demonstrated their potential in their 2-1 victory over Norway in the quarterfinals. Italy performed better against Norway, a past World Cup winner with regional significance. Cristiana Girelli’s two goals have boosted her chances of winning the golden boot. Facing England, considered one of the world’s top teams, could pose a significant challenge for the emerging Italians, who only managed to score three times during the group stage. Tuesday’s match against England will serve as an important evaluation for Le Azzure, especially after their performance against Norway’s defense and England’s somewhat inconsistent defensive play.
3. Germany
Historical achievements favor Germany, and going into the tournament, there were indications of promise for the eight-time European champions. Their performance this summer has been uneven, largely because of injuries to key players such as captain Giulia Gwinn and defenders Franziska Kett and Sarai Linder. Christian Wuck’s team will also be without center back Kathrin Hendrich for the semifinals due to her red card on Saturday, which leaves Germany with limited options against Spain. However, they still have impactful players like midfielder Jule Brand and goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger, who was instrumental in the penalty shootout win against France. Their determination to force a penalty shootout after being reduced to 10 players early in the game means Germany shouldn’t be underestimated.
2. England
England’s strengths are well-known, particularly their strong attack. They’ve scored 13 goals in the competition so far, with contributions from 10 different players, blending experienced players like Lauren James and rising talents like Michelle Agyemang. They are heavily favored against Italy and most other teams because of this attacking strength, but their defensive vulnerabilities prevent them from being on equal footing with Spain. A 2-1 defeat to France in the group stage and a 2-2 draw in the quarterfinals against Sweden showed that the Lionesses struggle against physicality and can be exposed in defense, which could be detrimental against skilled opponents.
1. Spain
Spain has been the frontrunner to win the title from the start, and that remains true nearly three weeks into the tournament. La Roja has comfortably reached the semifinals, scoring 16 goals while only conceding three. Esther Gonzalez has displayed excellent form with four goals, complementing her leading goalscorer status in the NWSL, and Alexia Putellas has contributed three goals. While it can be argued that they haven’t faced tough opponents yet, and it’s uncertain whether a depleted Germany will provide that challenge, Spain’s path to the semifinals supports the notion that they are the favorites. They possess a wealth of attacking talent, a group of players who can collectively and individually dominate, regardless of the opposition.
