Two time winners Norway are the pick to win Group A of the Women’s Euros 2022.
Checking out the top sportsbook sites (see our online sportsbook reviews here) we can see that England will start Group A as strong favorites. They rated as -250 top-ranked in the Group, ahead of Norway who are on +250. Austria look like underdogs at +1400 while Northern Ireland are rated as +5000 and are not expected to get beyond the Group stage.
The 13th edition of the Women’s Euro Cup will be the second to feature an expanded number of 16 teams and the second to be held in England.
After defeating Denmark in the championship match on their home turf in 2017, the Netherlands enter the contest as the cup’s current holders. Germany, though, has dominated the tournament’s history, with eight wins, while the t he next most frequent winner, Norway, are some distance behind, on two wins.
The competition is structured in the same way as the 2017 edition, around four Groups of four teams each, from which the champions and runners-up advance to the knockout stages, with the final taking place on July 31 at Wembley.
When England hosted this competition previously, a lone draw with Finland served as the highlight of their efforts. This time around, however, considerably more is expected, and they are top-rated to win the Group. They have a game plan that is built on possession and the midfield partnership of Leah Williamson and Keira Walsh is essential to their success.
Walsh had an outstanding passing accuracy percentage of 88 percent at the end of the 2021–22 WSL season. Williamson’s long passing is also a huge asset, and there are many forward alternatives, including Ellen White and Beth Mead, who can offer the finishing touch. Although their real battle will begin in the knockout rounds, getting out of the Group shouldn’t be an issue for England. However, Norway are a threat, so there isn’t much value in backing England at a short price.
Norway is the clear danger in Group A, mostly because of their abundance of offensive and goal-scoring prowess. Ada Hegerberg’s comeback to international football has bolstered Norway’s forward line, and the Barcelona star, who owns the Champions League goalscoring record, will be a reliable attacking danger throughout the competition, with the support of Guro Reiten and Caroline Graham Hansen
Reiten scored seven goals and provided five assists last season despite playing as a left wing-back for Chelsea, while Hansen ranked first for chance generation and expected assists in the Champions League this year. The possibility of her teaming up with Hegerberg in attack is exciting, and Norway looks like a good bet in the Group A Winners market.
The wildcard in this section is Austria, the third-ranked team of the four. They will be dependent on their main star player Sarah Zadrazil, who plays in the center of midfield and possesses the ability to score long-range goals and to disrupt and instigate passing plays. As well as being Bayern Munich’s primary playmaker last season, she finished first in the Champions League for tackles per 90 minutes.
Zadrazil will be at the center of the team, but Austria’s goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger will also be essential if they hope to upset the odds here. With an 80 percent save rate and the Golden Glove award, she enjoyed a fantastic season for Arsenal, but she will need to remain vigilant throughout the tournament due to Austria’s sometimes-risky strategy of playing out from the back.
Austria’s ability to score enough goals to advance farther in the competition remains to be seen, but at this price, they appear undervalued in the market to win Group A.
The distinction of being the lowest-ranked team to ever reach this event belongs to Northern Ireland. They are currently 48th in the world, 19 places behind Portugal, who originally missed out on qualifying but earned a slot when Russia was disqualified.
After defeating Wales on away goals and beating Ukraine in a play-off that was obviously overshadowed by Russia’s invasion of that country, they advanced to the tournament, but their 0-12 aggregate score in two qualifying games against Norway is an indication of the gap in class they have to overcome, and avoiding three losses would be an accomplishment this summer for a squad that is likely to prove to be out of their depth.
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About the Author
Noelle Matthews is a highly experienced professional in the betting industry, with over 15 years of expertise. She has made significant contributions to leading organizations in the field, including Betfair, ESPN, and Sporting Life. With her deep understanding of sports betting, you can find her insightful and informative reviews, articles, and previews on this platform. Pandora's extensive knowledge and years of experience make her a valuable resource for anyone interested in sports betting.
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