The Ultimate Women’s Euros Qualifiers Review – League A
After six game weeks packed into three windows of opportunity in the season, the 2025 UEFA Women’s European Championship qualifiers are finally over. With some unexpected results, crazy games, and shocking performances, it has been an entertaining six rounds of competition, and here, let’s review it based on the groups!
Group A1
Italy (W2, D3, L1, Pts: 9)
Netherlands (W2, D3, L1, Pts: 9)
Norway (W1, D4, L1, Pts: 7)
Finland (W1, D2, L3, Pts: 5)
This group turned out to be the tightest of them all but to be honest, this was quite expected. With the Netherlands declining due to the overall form and injuries of their players, it was ample time for the others to catch up. However, the biggest winner of this was Italy. While they are not considered traditional powerhouses in women’s football, they have quietly improved their performances in every international competition. However, there are questions to be asked about the performances of both the Netherlands and Norway. The 2017 champions were, to put it frankly, quite disappointing. Even though they were defensively quite sound, only scoring four goals was a terrible return in six games of play. Norway finishing third in this group is quite unexpected, especially with the attacking talents that they have. Unfortunately, both Ada Hegerberg and Caroline Graham Hansen were plagued by minor injuries in different phases of the competition. I did not have Finland finishing any higher than last place, so their finishing there was completely par for the course.
Group A2
Spain (W5, D0, L1, Pts: 15)
Denmark (W4, D0, L2, Pts: 12)
Belgium (W1, D1, L4, Pts: 4)
Czech Republic (W1, D1, L4, Pts: 4)
This group went exactly to plan, yet Spain losing to the Czech Republic on match day 5 was quite a massive upset. Averaging three goals scored per game, the reigning World Cup winners were in fine scoring form for this qualifiers, but defensively, there were shaky moments, such as the 3-2 encounter against Denmark. The Danes were also commanding in this group, winning every single game except for the two games against Spain, with forward Amalie Vangsgaard showcasing her excellence in front of goal. As for Belgium and the Czech Republic, the fight for the wooden spoon proved to be quite equal, even though a slight edge should be given to the Belgians when it comes to the players at their disposal. All in all, Spain should still be considered favorites coming into the tournament, especially with the return of Patri Guijarro into the lineup after the Las 15 scandal. With the Barcelona trio of Guijarro, Aitana Bonmati, and Alexia Putellas playing in that midfield for the first time since before the previous Euros, it would be interesting to see if their chemistry for the club can translate into the international stage.
Group A3
France (W4, D0, L2, Pts: 12)
England (W3, D2, L1, Pts: 11)
Sweden (W2, D2, L2, Pts: 8)
Republic of Ireland (W1, D0, L5, Pts: 3)
Now, this group is very interesting. The so-called group of death that had three of the four semi-finalists of the previous Euros, was always going to be a tough affair going into the qualifying round. France finished first in this group, but they did not look convincing in most of their games. Other than PSG striker Marie-Antoinette Katoto, no other French player scored more than one goal. But, this might be a testament to the defensive qualities of the other teams in their group. As for England, the reigning European champions also looked quite lackluster upfront, this time Alessia Russo grabbing most of the goals with three. They secured qualification with a 0-0 draw against Sweden, which was quite a painful match to watch from a neutral perspective. Speaking of Sweden, it feels like they traded off attacking prowess for defensive stability. Only conceding four goals in six games is quite a good return, but six goals scored in six is underwhelming. To be fair, their star striker Stina Blackstenius has been out due to injury, but I honestly expected them to perform better. Still, they are probably favorites going into the playoff rounds of the competition and will easily secure a spot in the main tournament next summer. As for the Republic of Ireland, their last-place finish with three points did not flatter them at all. In many cases, they could have won or at least drawn, as they lost three of their five games by a solitary goal.
Group A4
Germany (W5, D0, L1, Pts: 15)
Iceland (W4, D1, L1, Pts: 13)
Austria (W2, D1, L3, Pts: 7)
Poland (W0, D0, L6, Pts: 0)
Even though it looks like Germany went through this group easily, they went behind in four of the games that they played (once against Austria, twice against Poland, and once against Iceland) and looked shaky at the back most of the time, which was duly exploited in the away game against Iceland. Thankfully, that dreadful evening was quickly forgotten thanks to a 4-0 thrashing of Austria on the final match day. Iceland was the surprise package of the group, beating Germany and Austria once apiece. VFL Wolfsburg forward Sveindis Jane Jonsdottir proved to be integral in the Icelandic machine as her pace, shooting, and throw-ins changed the game many times in favor of her national team. On the opposite side, I expected more from Austria. After having finished in the top 8 of the previous Euros, their finishing third and six points behind Iceland was quite unexpected. One silver lining taken from their performances has got to be the goals scored, as they scored ten goals, which is the fifth-highest among all League A teams, with Eileen Campbell scoring five en route to this finish. As for Poland, there is just no hope. Passing to Ewa Pajor and Inshallah just doesn’t work, but one season in League B would do them a world of good.
Team Awards
Most surprising team: Iceland
Most disappointing team: Poland
Best game: Spain vs Denmark (MD 4)
Worst game: Sweden vs England (MD 6)
