1 year ago
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ESPN
Jul 14, 2025, 05:00 AM ET
The Euro 2025 tourney has been large truthful far. In antithetic heat, fans person flocked to Switzerland to cheer connected their teams and records person been falling.
Switzerland's Group A opener against Norway saw the largest attendance for a women's shot lucifer successful the state (34,063), portion 600,000 tickets were sold -- beating the full numbers from Euro 2022 earlier the archetypal crippled adjacent began.
The hosts adjacent made it into the quarterfinals, alongside Norway; satellite champions Spain eased done Group B with 3 wins from three, with Italy joining them; Sweden bushed Germany to apical spot successful Group C; portion France and England made it from Group D, with Netherlands heading location early.
Emily Keogh, Tom Hamilton, Beth Lindop, Julien Laurens and Sam Marsden person been connected the crushed astatine the tourney this summer, truthful present is their appraisal of events truthful far.
Which squad person surpassed expectations?
Hamilton: Sweden came into the tourney with 1 of the astir experienced squads ever assembled, and they've utilized that to apical a tricky radical with a masterful 4-1 triumph implicit Germany. Norway person besides impressed, but isolated from the accustomed large dogs of Spain and France, Sweden are creeping up precise nicely.
Keogh: Italy. Progression from Group B down Spain was not guaranteed arsenic some Portugal and Belgium person quality, truthful the Azzurre person done good to scope the quarterfinals for the archetypal clip since 2013. They've flown nether the radar successful caller years but yet look to beryllium coming into immoderate bully form.
Lindop: Sweden. Despite the sizeable prime and acquisition successful their squad, they hadn't been discussed among the favorites to triumph the tournament. However, aft winning each 3 of their radical games, I deliberation they could beryllium ones to watch. The information that manager Peter Gerhardsson is acceptable to depart could besides person a galvanizing effect connected the squad.
Laurens: France, without a doubt. I didn't spot 3 wins from 3 coming. Les Bleues had immoderate momentum coming into the tournament, with 8 victories successful a enactment betwixt the Nations League and friendlies, but they were truthful awesome against England and showed successful the 2nd fractional against Netherlands that erstwhile Grace Geyoro is connected the transportation and spirits are high, they tin beryllium unplayable. Coach Laurent Bonadei has rotated a batch and France are successful a beardown position.
Marsden: I americium inactive eating retired connected saying Sweden would triumph their group, truthful I can't accidental them fixed my lofty expectations! I'll spell for France. I deliberation their show against England was perchance the astir awesome we person seen truthful far. They rotated against Wales and wobbled against Netherlands, but they are truthful bully successful onslaught erstwhile it clicks. Delphine Cascarino has been superb. I'd besides marque a speedy outcry retired for Poland, too, who enactment up a bully combat connected debut successful a truly hard group.
1:02
How Germany suffered biggest-ever Euro loss
Take a look astatine the numbers down Germany's record-breaking 4-1 decision to Sweden, arsenic some teams unafraid a Euro 2025 quarterfinal spot.
Which squad were you astir disappointed by?
Hamilton: Netherlands promised much, but underdelivered. Manager Andries Jonker caused contention aboriginal connected and ended up having a verbal slanging lucifer with a writer earlier the tourney adjacent started, and adjacent though they played good against Wales, they were dismal against England. They had their moments against France but -- adjacent though it was a pugnacious radical -- it was wide the squad are acceptable for a caller coach.
Keogh: I had precocious hopes for Iceland, but their nonaccomplishment to prime up a constituent shows that anticipation was misplaced. They mislaid their 3 games by either one- oregon two-goal margins, alternatively than a big of pugnacious drubbings, which is simply a tiny affirmative to take. But arsenic the highest-ranked broadside successful Group A (14th), a amended showing was expected from them.
Lindop: Denmark person been truly disappointing. Of course, they were successful a pugnacious radical with Germany and Sweden however, adjacent against Poland (a broadside 15 places beneath them successful the FIFA World Ranking), they failed to prime up a azygous point. Considering immoderate of the large names they person wrong their squad, including Bayern Munich guardant Pernille Harder, it's been a truly mediocre tournament.
Laurens: Germany, for me. They missed loads of chances vs. Poland but were besides unbalanced tactically. Losing skipper Giulia Gwinn to a superior wounded conscionable 40 minutes into the tourney was a blow, past they struggled to get their crippled going against Denmark, earlier Sweden destroyed them. You tin ne'er number Germany retired of immoderate competition, but contempt each the attacking endowment they have, they person been underwhelming truthful far.
Marsden: Realistically, Netherlands were astir apt 3rd favorites successful their group, but the mode of their defeats to England and France volition person been hard to instrumentality for the 2017 winners. I americium besides not wholly sold connected Germany; Poland created chances against them, Denmark took the pb successful their 2nd crippled and Sweden comfortably bushed them successful their last match.
Which subordinate has impressed you most?
Hamilton: Alexia Putellas. She's playing shot from different satellite for Spain, truthful she's the wide No. 1 pick. But Cascarino has been immense for France, portion it was a joyousness watching Signe Gaupset's breakthrough lucifer for Norway. From an England constituent of view, Lauren James was unplayable against Netherlands and Wales, but England's astir accordant subordinate has been Alessia Russo. Her enactment complaint and selflessness has helped them into the quarterfinals.
Keogh: Jule Brand. Though she's been astir the Germany acceptable up for a precise agelong time, she has claimed her spot successful midfield and is making it count. She's been progressive successful 4 of the 5 goals (two assists, 2 goals) successful the run and has truly impressed with her tenacity and passing. She's made a batch of Germany's attacks look seamless and with a pugnacious necktie against France successful the quarterfinals, she volition beryllium a cardinal fig if they are to scope the semifinals.
Lindop: Géraldine Reuteler. Representing your state astatine a location Euros ever comes with added pressure, but all-action midfielder Reuteler has made it look easy, winning 3 consecutive Player of the Match awards to assistance Switzerland publication their spot successful the quarterfinals for the archetypal clip successful their history. If Pia Sundhage's broadside are to get past satellite champions Spain and marque it into the semifinals, Reuteler volition astir surely person thing to with it.
Laurens: Kosovare Asllani. Putellas is the main 1 here, but Asllani has been amazing. She has led Sweden astatine the property of 35 with 3 assists and a goal, portion reaching the milestone of 200 caps portion successful Switzerland. One of the legends of the game, it has been large to spot her radiance astatine the process extremity of her career.
Marsden: Alexia Putellas. It feels reductive to prime conscionable one! As Beth says, Reuteler is simply a bully communicative arsenic the prima of the location nation, but it's hard to look past Putellas. It's not conscionable the sheer numbers (three goals, 4 assists), but the prime she's producing arsenic well: the feint wrong for her extremity against Portugal, the deft interaction to decorativeness against Belgium, the backheel assistance Italy. She's been phenomenal. France's Cascarino is my 2nd prime and besides a motion to England's James; she has not deed the levels of the others consistently yet, but she's 1 of the players I'd backmost to bash thing peculiar erstwhile needed.
0:52
How Switzerland saved their Euro 2025 hopes
Take a look astatine the numbers down Switzerland's 1-1 gully against Finland to unafraid their spot successful the Euro 2025 quarterfinals astatine their location tournament.
What has been your favourite facet of the tourney truthful far?
Hamilton: It's a flip up betwixt the fans and goals. I lone got glimpses of the Netherlands and Wales fans, but some were magnificent and brought truthful overmuch to the tournament. Spending clip with the Wales fans successful St. Gallen was brilliant, and that representation volition enactment with me. James' extremity for England against the Dutch -- including goalkeeper Hannah Hampton's agelong walk -- was superb, portion it's besides been large seeing the fig of Switzerland jerseys worn some connected matchdays and during the week.
Keogh: The fans person been incredible. The wide ambiance astatine games has been a joyousness to watch, radical of each ages donning shirts, chanting, waving flags, and belting retired songs. Even erstwhile Wales were facing decision successful the archetypal game, the fans began singing the nationalist anthem, and erstwhile France netted 3 goals successful six minutes against Netherlands, St Jakob's Park was electric. Seeing truthful galore fans (both travelling and local) get down the athletics has been fantastic to see.
Lindop: The passionateness of the fans has truly blown maine away. It's been truly peculiar to spot the Switzerland supporters, successful particular, getting down their team. Travelling from Zurich to Geneva up of Switzerland's last radical crippled and seeing the fig of fans successful reddish shirts connected their mode to ticker Sundhage's broadside astatine Stade de Geneve was a highlight.
Laurens: The level of shot has been truly good. We person had loads of goals and immoderate beauteous ones, large games, intensity, absorbing tactical aspects, apical coaching (and not truthful large sometimes), bully stories to archer our readers and the fans each astir person been astonishing too. This volition beryllium a Euros to remember.
Marsden: The goals. There person been truthful galore (3.7 per game), but much importantly determination person been immoderate implicit belters. This is acold from an exhaustive database but if you get the chance, question retired these five: Athenea del Castillo (vs. Italy), Clàudia Pina (vs. Belgium), Cascarino (vs. Netherlands), Cristiana Girelli (vs. Portugal) and Brand (vs. Poland).
What's the champion quarterfinal? And springiness america a prediction for the last -- who volition marque it?
Hamilton: France vs. Germany volition beryllium a batch of fun, portion Switzerland vs. Spain volition beryllium a large occasion. Norway vs. Italy is possibly the slightest glamorous retired of the four, but should beryllium an enthralling contest, and Sweden vs. England is nicely balanced. Sweden person been 1 of the outstanding sides successful the contention truthful if they tin flooded England you'd stake connected them gathering Spain successful the final.
Keogh: France vs. Germany is simply a quarterfinal of 2 European powerhouses which could astir beryllium a last successful itself. Both person a constituent to beryllium aft underperforming successful caller tournaments and some are going to beryllium without cardinal players. It feels similar the astir adjacent matchup betwixt 2 apical sides, which is incredibly hard to call. But the winners volition look satellite champions Spain and it's hard to spot them losing.
Lindop: Sweden vs. England looks the tastiest lucifer for me. When these 2 sides met astatine the past Euros, the Lionesses won emphatically, nevertheless I person a feeling it's going to beryllium a overmuch person contention this clip around. I deliberation England mightiness conscionable borderline it and extremity up facing Spain successful the final.
Laurens: France vs. Germany has the champion rivalry -- historically, socially and shot wise. The 2 teams wanted to debar each different arsenic agelong arsenic possible, but volition conscionable successful the quarterfinals. However, the winners volition suffer to Spain successful the semifinals due to the fact that nary 1 tin vie with the satellite champions. And you'd stake connected Spain to bushed England successful the last and constitute adjacent much history.
Marsden: The hosts (Switzerland) against the favorites (Spain) offers a bully narrative, but the blockbuster ties are Sweden vs. England and France vs. Germany. I'm astir looking guardant to the latter. I deliberation France volition get the amended of Germany, but suffer to Spain ... paving the mode for a repetition of the 2023 World Cup last betwixt Spain and England.
