Women's Euros 2025: Guide to Group C – historic heavyweights and Pajor's Lewandowski likeness

New York Times

19 hours ago

Group C pits two historic heavyweights against each other as Germany and Sweden — two teams England beat in their run to victory at Euro 2022 — meet. They are joined by 2017 finalists Denmark and European Championship debutants Poland.
On the face of it, this might look like quite a straightforward group but Germany and Sweden have shown in recent months they both have a wobble in them. This might be the one to keep your eye on for surprises.
Between 1995 and 2013, Germany won the European Championship on six consecutive occasions but an embarrassing group-stage exit from the 2023 World Cup showed how far they had fallen from their time at the very top of the women's game. That spelled the end of Martina Voss-Tecklenburg's four-year reign as head coach, with Horst Hrubesch guiding them to a bronze medal at last summer's Olympics. Now Christian Wuck will lead them into Euro 2025, having been appointed with over a decade's worth of experience managing Germany's boys' teams.
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Some of the familiar faces from their run to the final in 2022 have moved on, with Alexandra Popp announcing her international retirement last September and Svenja Huth also having decided to stop playing internationally. The result is a younger, more diverse Germany squad — we are a long way removed from the days when almost everyone in it would play for Wolfsburg or Bayern Munich.
For nearly a year the issue was whether the influential Lena Oberdorf would be fit for these Euros. The imposing defensive midfielder tore her anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments last July in a qualifier against Austria. A return to full fitness would have been a big boost for Germany but Wuck has decided to leave her out of the squad given her lack of preparation time. 'She's on the right track, but the European Championship is coming too soon for her,' he told Sky Germany.
Germany vs Sweden
A rematch of the 2003 World Cup final (which was won by Germany), this will likely be the game that determines who tops the group. If Germany are fallen giants in the process of refreshing themselves, Sweden are perhaps a year or two behind them. This tournament will be the curtain call for Peter Gerhardsson, who has managed them since 2017, leading them to two third-placed finishes at World Cups. His replacement will be the man he beat in the third-place play-off in 2023, former Australia manager Tony Gustavsson.
Sweden's squad definitely still leans into its experience, with legendary players like Kosovare Asllani, Sofia Jakobsson and Linda Sembrant all still featuring despite being over 35. However, you cannot ignore their experience and Sweden have made at least the semi-finals of the past four international tournaments they have participated in.
Pernille Harder (Denmark)
A return to the Frauen-Bundesliga has pushed Harder back to her best. Now in her second season at Bayern Munich, she appears to have overcome the injury issues that limited her playing time at Chelsea and has scored more goals this season than she did in any of her seasons in England. Now 32, Denmark's record goalscorer and captain is still the lynchpin of her side. At Euro 2022, they ended up in a tough group with Germany and Spain, and while they will not be favourites to progress here, Harder will hope she can inspire an upset.
Ellen Wangerheim (Sweden)
Despite Sweden's penchant for slightly older players, there is no shortage of young talent coming through. Forward Wangerheim, 20, has impressed over the past couple of seasons for Hammarby, with this season's Champions League performances against Manchester City demonstrating she can excel against high-level opposition. Able to play in any of the forward positions, Wangerheim has an eye for goal and while she is unlikely to start, she could make an impression off the bench.
Poland are one of two countries making their debut at a European Championship, along with Wales in Group D. The Poles beat Austria 2-0 over two legs to make it to the competition, no mean feat given they lost 3-1 to them twice in their actual qualifying group. Their key threat is Barcelona striker Ewa Pajor, who has scored 43 goals this year in 46 matches, her best single-season tally ever. Inevitably, she draws comparisons with compatriot Robert Lewandowski, the superb striker on the men's side.
Germany goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger has twice battled thyroid cancer and returned to the very top of the game. The 34-year-old was first diagnosed in 2017 while playing for Birmingham City and then again in 2022 during her time at Chelsea. Berger took a circuitous route to the top of the women's game and did not make her Germany debut until 2020 but has been a staple of the side in recent years.
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Now playing at Gotham FC in the NWSL, she is well known as a penalty specialist, most notably saving two and scoring the winning spot-kick in the quarter-final shootout at last summer's Olympics. She also saved Alexia Putellas' penalty in the final minute of extra time in the bronze-medal match to help Germany win.
(Top photos: Getty Images; design: Eamonn Dalton)