England women clinch spot to defend Euro title

England Women Secure Spot To Defend Euro Title

On July 16, 2024, at 8:26 PM

England, the reigning champions of Europe, held off a strong offensive effort from Sweden in the second half to secure a 0-0 tie. This result was enough for England to qualify for Euro 2025, while Sweden will now move on to the playoffs after finishing third in their group.

England came second in the group with 11 points, just one point behind the top team, France, who surprisingly lost 3-1 to Ireland, earning their first points of the season. Sweden ended the campaign with eight points.

England only had to secure a tie to move forward, so they kept Sweden in check during the first half. However, they faced a lot of pressure in the second half.

Sweden's Filippa Angeldahl came close to scoring with a powerful late shot, but goalkeeper Hannah Hampton managed to make a save and keep her goal clean. This helped England secure a spot in next year's finals in Switzerland.

France, who had already secured their spot in the next round after beating Sweden in Dijon on Friday, found themselves trailing by two goals against Ireland in Cork. They managed to score one goal to narrow the gap, but a last-minute goal by Anna Patten sealed the win for the home team.

Since Switzerland is automatically qualified as the host country, the top two teams from each of the four League A groups will advance directly to the tournament. The third and fourth-place teams will compete in a playoff round to determine the final seven spots in the 16-team competition.

Italy easily defeated Finland 4-0, securing their place at the top of Group A1 with nine points. Meanwhile, the Netherlands, who drew 1-1 against Norway in Bergen, also qualified for the next round without any issues.

In the Group A2, Spain and Denmark had already guaranteed their spots in the next round. The World Cup champions finished the group stage with a 2-0 victory against Belgium, while the Danes also won 2-0 against Czechia.

Germany finished on top of Group A4 with 15 points from their six games, but their victory over Austria was marred by an injury to midfielder Lena Oberdorf. Iceland clinched the second spot, trailing Germany by just two points after a 1-0 win against Poland on the road.