The women’s European Championship 2022 is quickly coming to an end. Only four teams – England, Sweden, Germany, France – now remain. As we head into the semi-finals, here are the things you need to know before the semi showdowns.
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This is it: the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 is down to its final four teams.
The football has been exciting, roof-raising, and heartbreaking at times too.
But only four can play for a chance to play at Wembley in the final on July 31, and it comes down to: England, Germany, France, and Sweden.
Two of these sides have never won a major women’s tournament (England and France), one last won the Euros in 1984 (Sweden), and another is the most successful nation to ever compete in the European Championships (Germany).
Will experience prevail or is this historic tournament fated for a new name on the trophy?
As a place in the final beckons, here are the top things to know about the upcoming semi-finals. https://d-39293948922284073845.ampproject.net/2207071723000/frame.html
UEFA Women’s Euro Semi-Final Preview: England v Sweden
This tie is rolling back the clocks to the FIFA 2019 Women’s World Cup third-placed match.
But this time, there is far more at stake.
Sweden ran out winners three years ago, but England have been the most in-form team of the tournament so far – who will prevail this time round?
The Swedes may have lifted this trophy once before, but it’s the Lionesses who have been playing like champions so far.
Sarina Wiegman’s side have won all their games leading up to this point, and the only goal they conceded came against Spain in their quarter-final win.
England’s strength in depth played a key role in advancing through to the semi-finals. Down 1-0 until the last 10 minutes in the quarters, substitute Ella Toone scored the equaliser that kept their hopes alive.
Their resilient forward line against the tired legs of Spain’s defence would ultimately pave the way for Georgia Stanway to bag the winning goal extra-time.
Wiegman may be stubborn with changes to her starting XI, but she has proven that she is ready to be ruthless in making her changes when she feels as though the hosts might need them.
And with an abundance of quality players on the bench ready to enter the fray, it could once again play a pivotal part in securing a spot in the final two.
READ MORE: Five reasons why England may be ready to lift their first European trophy
Super sub: Ella Toone makes the difference for England in QF clash against Spain
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While a similar kind of depth can be afforded to Sweden, positive Covid-19 tests have thrown a spanner into the works.
Three of their four full-back options were out of their quarter-final tie against Belgium, where a stoppage time winner clinched the victory.
But even with players missing, the Swedes have struggled to hit the kind of form that saw them reach the final at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in 2021.
The first glimpse of their usual free-flowing football we’ve seen at the tournament came in their 5-0 thumping of Portugal in the final group game.
Other than that, it has been a difficult road for them up to this point.
But looking ahead to their final four clash, it is clear that when it comes to football fine margins matter.
A stoppage time winner against Belgium in the quarter-finals could therefore turn out to be a key difference maker, with Sweden avoiding playing the extra 30 minutes that England had to in order to beat Spain.
With less recovery time than their opponents, those extra minutes saved may count.
Players to watch: England v Sweden
Ella Toone could well have played her way into England’s starting XI with her performance against Spain.
On as a substitute, Toone completely changed the dynamic of the game and scored the equalising goal in the latter stages of the game.
The 22-year-old is yet to start a game in the tournament but offers Wiegman’s hosts something different going forward by dropping into pockets of space along the opposition backline.
In keeping with the attacking midfielder theme, Sweden’s Kosovare Asllani could be their key player in the semi-finals.
She has been a standout in spite of some lackluster team performances, leading the team on the pitch with her spirited approach.
Asllani tries to be everywhere on the pitch all at once, whether she is winning the ball back or pushing her team up the pitch to mount an attack, and is currently sitting on the joint-most assists in the tournament so far (3).
And, as seen in the Belgium clash, her excellent dead-ball delivery from set-pieces acts as yet another threat on goal.
For the first time ever, France reach the SFs of the UEFA Women’s Euros
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UEFA Women’s Euro Semi-Final Preview: Germany v France
When it comes to these two sides, not a great deal separates them.
Over the years results have either gone the way of a hard-fought narrow win, or a multiple goal thumping victories on either side.
The semi-finals at these Euros will likely be another close call as two of the pre-tournament favourites go head-to-head in a bid to reach the final.
But this is Germany’s competition.
Eight-time winners, they know what it takes to lift the trophy.
Knocked out in the quarter-finals in 2017, they returned this year with a point to prove and quickly emerged as heavyweight favourites to go all the way.
The Germans have the best defence in the tournament so far, being the only team to not concede a single goal yet.
And even though Austria could have scored a handful against them in the first round of the knockouts, a mix of resolute defending and luck off the woodwork saw them maintain their 100% record.
They were largely dominated by the Austrians but were still able to grind out a 2-0 victory; wins like this are ultimately the making of champions.
READ MORE: Germany book their place in the semis – are they fated for an historic ninth title?
Germany’s midfield anchor: Lena Oberdorf is one to watch in the clash against France
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Where Germany have dominated, for France it has been a tale of being the ‘almost’ team.
They have always been the team with an abundance of talent and potential but have never really reached their full potential.
Could this be the year that changes?
They knocked out reigning champions the Netherlands in extra-time to reach the semi-finals, a stage they have only managed twice before in any major tournament.
The French team create plenty of opportunities in front of goal, as we saw against the Dutch, but they may need to be far more clinical in order to give them an edge against Germany.
With Marie-Antoinette Katoto out, they could rely on goals to come from all over the pitch if they want to go all the way.
Read more about France’s journey to the semi-final so far here.
Players to watch: Germany v France
One of the key players to watch in this tie is Germany’s midfield anchor: Lena Oberdorf.
Against Austria, Oberdorf comfortably dropped one of the best performances of the tournament so far.
She was everywhere for her team and protected her backline effectively by pushing the opposition down the wings to limit their goal threat centrally.
Just 20-years-old, she is already staking her claim as one of the best midfielders on the planet right now.
But the way in which the Germans defend could play into the hands of the French.
And especially Delphine Cascarino, who is electric down the wing.
Quick and tricky with the ball at her feet, the 25-year-old loves to cut inside and shoot or switch play to the opposite flank.
She has already delivered multiple ‘player of the match’ performances and could be the catalyst in France’s potential road to glory.
Schedule and how to watch the Euro 2022 semi-finals
England will take on Sweden on Wednesday 26 July, with Germany going up against France on Wednesday 27 July.
Both fixtures will kick-off at 20:00 BST (19:00 GMT/UTC)
Action for hosts England will be shown across the BBC in Great Britain, and on SVT in Sweden.
For the second semi-final tie, ARD hold the rights to show the game in Germany, while TF1 will be showing it across France.
But no matter where you are in the world, the penultimate games of the women’s Euro 2022 will be available to watch and stream globally.
A full list of the broadcasters and digital platforms where you can watch the action is available here.