Euros lowdown: Everything you need to know about England 2022
While the menβs game will have to wait, due to the World Cup in Qatar being played in the winter this year, at least we still have some top-level international football to enjoy during the summer. Anticipation’s building ahead of the Uefa Women’s Euros, which is set to take place at 10 venues in eight cities across England. Here’s your handy guide as we countdown to the glittering tournament that’s now less than two weeks away…
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The draw for the tournament finals took place last October, when the 16 qualified teams were drawn into four separate groups of four teams. Although they had qualified, Russia were later suspended by Fifa and Uefa in February, due to the invasion of Ukraine. They were subsequently replaced at the tournament by Portugal.
Host venues
Greater Manchester will enjoy plenty of action during Euro 2022, providing three of the host venues. The Old Trafford home of Manchester United will host the opening match of the tournament on Wednesday, July 6, as England take on Austria at 8pm. The Academy Stadium will host three matches in Group D, located within the Etihad Campus of Manchester City, while the Leigh Sports Village has Group C matches, plus another in the quarter-finals.
St Maryβs Stadium in Southampton will host three matches in Group A, alongside the Community Stadium in Brighton & Hove with two matches, plus one of the quarter-finals. Brentford Community Stadium in London hosts three matches in Group B, plus one of the quarter-finals, while the Stadium MK hosts three encounters plus one of the semi-finals.
The second location for Group C matches is Bramall Lane in Sheffield, which also hosts one of the semi-finals, while the New York Stadium in Rotherham is the second venue for Group D matches, along with one of the quarter-finals. The 10th and ultimate venue is, of course, Wembley Stadium in London, which will host the showpiece final on Sunday, July 31.
Group stage
Following the draw for the group stage for Uefa Womenβs Euro 2022, we can look forward to a highly competitive tournament. As the host nation, England feature in Group A and can expect a tough challenge from two-time champions Norway, 2017 semi-finalists Austria and newbies Northern Ireland, who’ll have nothing to fear in their hunt for a giantkilling. The full fixture list is available at the official tournament website, but the groups are as follows:
Group A: England (hosts), Norway, Austria, Northern Ireland
Group B: Germany, Spain, Denmark, Finland
Group C: Netherlands (holders), Sweden, Switzerland, Portugal
Group D: France, Italy, Belgium, Iceland
Knockout stage
Following the group stage, the top two teams from each of the four groups will qualify for the knockout phase of the tournament, as these eight teams compete in the quarter-finals. Fixtures for the quarter-finals will take place between Wednesday, July 20 and Saturday, July 23, with Brighton & Hove, Brentford, Leigh, and Rotherham as the host venues.
The final four teams will then compete in the semi-finals, beginning with the first game in Sheffield on Tuesday, July 26, followed by the second in Milton Keynes 24 hours later. Then comes the Euro 2022 final at Wembley on what will be a super Sunday as the last two teams battle to lift the trophy at this iconic venue.
Tournament favourites
Without any shadow of doubt, you can expect Euro 2022 to be highly competitive. There are several teams with a genuine chance of lifting the title, which is reflected by the slim gap in odds between the favourites. To find the most detailed coverage of this and other tournaments, the latest SBO guide for the best football betting sites has everything covered, reviewing trustworthy bookmakers and the most popular markets.
As the host nation, many of us might instantly assume that England will go into Euro 2022 as favourites, although they are currently priced just behind supremely talented Spain in the early betting stakes. Interestingly, La Roja have never won the tournament or even reached the final, although the quality of their football has improved significantly in recent years.
The powerful French team are considered to be amongst the top-four candidates, as are the current reigning champions the Netherlands, who are also expected to be one of the strongest contenders. Surprisingly, despite lifting the trophy at six consecutive tournaments between 1995 and 2013, Germany are considered outsiders this time around, although their odds could offer great value, given they should never be underestimated.
The Offside Rule 
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