England beat Norway 3-0 in the 2019 World Cup quarter-finals but we’re expecting their Euro 2022 Group A clash to be much closer. The Scandinavians got off to a smooth start by brushing aside Northern Ireland and the Lionesses looked a touch nervous in beating Austria.
Holders Netherlands take on perennial powerhouses Sweden in the pick of the first round of group-stage fixtures at the Euro 2022 tournament. The Dutch prevailed when they met in the quarter-finals five years ago and shaded a 2019 World Cup semis clash after extra time.
Switzerland go into their Women’s Euro 2022 opener as uneasy favourites to beat Portugal following a worrying run of results. Die Nati have failed to register a win in six outings this year and lost warm-up friendlies versus Germany and England by a combined score of 11-0.
Vancouver will look to continue their impressive home form when entertaining Minnesota this weekend. The Whitecaps have lost only once at BC Place this season and face a United side that are generally proving vulnerable on their travels.
Montreal will be looking to bounce back to top form when they welcome Sporting Kansas City to the Saputo Stadium this weekend. The Impact were hammered 4-0 by Los Angeles Galaxy on Monday night, ending a run of back-to-back wins.
Two struggling sides go head to head when Toronto host San Jose this weekend. Bob Bradley’s side have lost eight of their last 11 MLS games, while the Earthquakes have emerged victorious from only one of their past five matches.
Germany have had some mixed results this year but are still fancied to prove just too strong for Denmark in their Women’s Euro 2022 opener. Die Nationalelf may not have things all their own way, though, as the Red and White always play in a positive manner going forward.
Spain’s Group B clash with Finland is rated the biggest mismatch in the opening round of Euro 2022 fixtures. La Roja, 4.0 favourites to lift the trophy, are unbeaten in 22 matches since losing to the USA at the 2020 SheBelieves Cup and look set for a smooth start.
Norway are hot favourites to begin their quest for a third UEFA Women’s Championship triumph by brushing aside Northern Ireland. These teams were in the same qualifying group for this event and the Scandinavians romped to 6-0 victories in both of their encounters.
England kick off Euro 2022 by entertaining Austria at Old Trafford and the hosts are expected to get off to a flying start in Group A. The Lionesses outplayed their opponents in November’s World Cup qualifier, when only prevailing 1-0 but enjoying 72 per cent of the possession.
Montreal have been involved in a number of entertaining encounters of late and another open contest looks on the cards when they visit LA Galaxy. The hosts finish off a five-match homestand which has brought mixed fortunes but plenty of goals, with 15 scored in the previous four.
Excitement is growing about the impact Lorenzo Insigne can make for Toronto but his debut will be next week. His new team suffered a ninth defeat of the season in midweek despite being the better team for long periods and are languishing in 12th in the Eastern Conference.
Vancouver face a tough test when entertaining high-flying Los Angeles but could benefit from having sat out the midweek round of fixtures. The Whitecaps have been very solid at home this season and are currently on a five-match unbeaten run in front of their own fans.
Toronto surrendered an early lead when beaten 2-1 at Columbus in March but the omens look good for them to gain revenge in front of their own fans. The Reds have won the last three renewals of this fixture at BMO Field and have picked up 15 of this season’s 18 points here.