Euro 2025: Quarter-final previews

RTÉ News​

2 days ago

With the group stages done and dusted, half of the nations that started Euro 2025 still hold out hope of going all the way.
The quarter-finals, which will all be live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player between now and Saturday, kick off tonight with Norway and Italy's meeting in Geneva, before the favourites England, Spain and France are in action over the coming days.
On this week's RTÉ Soccer Podcast, Shelbourne midfielder and former Republic of Ireland international Rachel Graham cast an eye ahead to each of the last-eight fixtures, the majority of which appear finely poised on paper.
A Norway team full of talented individuals may have a 100% record at the tournament so far but their performances against Switzerland, Finland and Iceland weren't always convincing, which could open the door for Italy, who have not advanced from the group stage at a Euros in the two previous editions.
"They should have won all those games handy enough but they didn't," Graham said of a Norwegian side containing the likes of former Ballon d'Or winner Ada Hegerberg and Caroline Graham Hansen.
"I think Italy have shown good defensive qualities. It's going to be a really tough game for them. It will be their first knockout stage game since 2013, so it's kind of new territory for them.
"The momentum is maybe with Norway, they're off the back of three wins, but I just think Italy are probably flying high on confidence, getting out of the group first of all and how they've performed in their games and putting it up to Spain is a big achievement."
Graham expects Italy to sit back, soak up pressure and try to hit Norway on the counter-attack with the prize at stake being a semi-final against either Sweden or England.
Reigning European champions England have bounced back strongly since their opening defeat to fellow contenders France. But Sweden also have the wind in their sails after winning three from three in their group, capped by an impressive dismantling of Germany.
"I think you would read into it," said Graham of that latter result, pointing to Johanna Rytting Kaneryd as one who's been very impressive in the Swedish ranks.
"I think Germany are a top team so if they're scoring four goals against them, you need to read into it. It's not luck.
"They look really good when they're counter-attacking, they're really fast going forward and England do (have) Lucy Bronze who will go forward, so that could be space where they might look to get in behind.
"(Alex) Greenwood is playing left-back, who is more naturally a centre-back so that could also be somewhere they target.
"So I definitely would read into (the Germany result). I know it was ten players but still to get four goals against Germany is definitely something you would be worried about if you're playing them next."
And while England will be slight favourites, Graham expects it to be close run.
"I think it's going to be a really tight one. The last couple of games, they played have been draws," she said.
"They played each other in the semi-finals of the last Euros which England won 4-0 which I would say is still in the back of the minds of the Swedish players and there's still probably a bit of hurt left from that because that's a big defeat.
"So I think it's going to be a really tough game for both teams. England are maybe the favourites going in but I don't think it's going to be a 4-0 game, I think it'll be one goal that decides it."
Host nation Switzerland left it late to emerge from their group and passage to the knockout stages will be deemed as a success, according to Graham.
But this is where the journey is expected to end against the World Cup holders Spain who have already scored 14 goals at the tournament.
"I think their previous meetings, they're not going to be anything to be too hopeful for," Graham said of this quarter-final match-up.
"For Switzerland, they've (lost) 5-1, 5-0 and 7-1 in their last three games against each other, obviously in Spain's favour.
"Spain have won games comfortably. They've scored so many goals, buckets of goals, so I think for Switzerland it's going to be a case of just try and keep the score down as best they can."
However, the Spanish have shown some defensive vulnerabilities, failing to keep clean sheets against Belgium and Italy.
"Spain have shown some weaknesses. They do commit their back line very high and leave space in behind," Graham said.
"Possibly you might catch them out or even set pieces you might catch them out but I think it will take something from the gods coming down if Switzerland want to beat Spain with the form that they're in."
A mouth-watering semi-final awaits for Spain - provided France get past Germany of course.
The Germans, the powerhouse of European football once upon a time, have fallen off their pedestal to a degree, compounded by a 4-1 loss against Sweden last time out.
And for a side who have lost their captain Guilia Gwinn to injury and have stand-in right-back Carlotta Wamser suspended after her red card against the Swedes, the task does not get any easier against a French side that topped the proverbial group of death by beating England, the Netherlands and Wales.
"(Germany) have probably been the most underwhelming team," said Graham.
"They haven't had the best of luck but even still, they haven't wowed anyone like the other teams have. A couple of good wins, got out of the group but nothing that you'd be thinking that they're going to go and challenge Spain or challenge France.
"So the most underwhelming team I would say so far and then to play France, who have been one of the best teams, I don't really see past France."