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The Hindu
15 hours ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
What are the matches in Women's EURO 2025 today? Schedule, venue, timing, live streaming info
Eight-time champion Germany will kick off its UEFA Women's EURO 2025 campaign on Friday against neighbours Poland in St. Gallen, Switzerland. This will be the sides' first meeting in the main draw of the European Championships, having faced each other only in the qualifying rounds where Germany enjoyed two comfortable wins. Poland, coached by Nina Patalon, will look to forward Ewa Pajor for inspiration, the Barcelona forward having vast experience playing for Wolfsburg in Germany for nine years. In the other contest today, Scandinavian rivals Denmark and Sweden will go head to head in a Group C clash. Sweden had a tougher route to the main draw, having to come through the playoff rounds, but enjoys a better record against its rival, having drawn two games and won 1-0 in the semifinal of the 2001 edition. Match details: Denmark vs Sweden - July 4, 2025 (18:00 CET kick-off; 21:30 IST) at Stade de Geneva in Lancy Germany vs Poland - July 4, 2025 (21:00 CET kick-off; 00:30 IST on July 5) at Kybunpark in St. Gallen Live Streaming info: The UEFA Women's EURO 2025 matches will not be televised live in India. Fans in India and the Indian sub-cobtinent can catch live action through the Fancode app and website. Here is where you can catch the action in other countries: United Kingdom: BBC1, BBC2, BBC iPlayer, ITV, ITV4, ITVX, S4C United States of America): FOX Sports, ViX Australia: Optus Sport


The Guardian
7 days ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Women's Euro 2025 team guides: Poland
This article is part of the Guardian's Euro 2025 Experts' Network, a cooperation between some of the best media organisations from the 16 countries who qualified. is running previews from two teams each day in the run-up to the tournament kicking off on 2 July. One of the enduring images from the win against Austria that sealed Poland's first major tournament appearance was Oliwia Woś standing there with an enormous grin on her face. There were lots of smiles that day last December but tears of happiness, too, Ewa Pajor among those who cried at their achievement. The coach, Nina Patalon, has played a big part in the success. Against Austria they were the underdogs but showed better attitude over the two legs and, as always, came well prepared. Poland have made huge progress under Patalon. One of the coach's mantras is that the true reflection of a team is how its members support each other. Watch Poland and you will see a squad fighting for every ball, and here the defensive midfielder Ada Achcińska, for whom there are no lost balls, leads the way. Another midfielder, Tanja Pawollek, reads the game superbly and her spatial awareness is another key component. Paulina Dudek and Oliwia Woś also have important roles, launching counterattacks with incisive passing. Two fast wingers, Ewelina Kamczyk and Natalia Padilla Bidas, will be ready to pounce on through balls but also drop deep to pick up the ball, together with the star of the show, Pajor. There was a trend in recent games for players to take more opportunities to shoot from range. One major disappointment for the players is not having special jerseys for the tournament. 'We were hoping for a tournament-specific kit, that's standard for a major tournament,' said the West Ham goalkeeper Kinga Szemik. 'It's part of the prestige of having qualified. All the others have a special jersey made so why are we treated differently?' Always the first. Nina Patalon is the first woman to coach a Poland senior team. Before that, she was the first Polish woman to get a Uefa Pro licence. And she is the first to take the women's team to a major tournament. She moved up the coaching ladder by taking charge of the under-15, under-17 and under-19 teams. In addition to her current role she is the coordinator of women's football training at the Polish FA. She believes football will become the No 1 sport for women in Poland, and if ever her motivation drops, she stops by a pitch where young girls are playing. That provides the energy to carry on, more than any Champions League game ever could. Ewa Pajor. 'One of her greatest assets is how much she enjoys playing football,' Patalon says of the Barcelona forward. 'On the pitch she's like a little girl: she forgets that she's a great footballer.' The 28-year-old made her Poland debut 11 years ago and has more than a 100 caps. Last summer she moved from Wolfsburg to Barcelona. Spanish media loved the signing, El País writing that the forward was the missing piece in the jigsaw. Pajor moved to Catalonia to win the Champions League but lost in the final for a fifth time. Overall, though, the season was a huge success. She won the league and the Spanish Cup and was top scorer. Pajor has netted 43 times this season, leading to speculation about the Ballon d'Or. Ewelina Kamczyk. A volcano of energy everywhere she goes. At times it feels like she is the first person to attack and the first person to defend and win back possession. The 29-year-old, who plays for Fleury 91 in France, is the full package: she can dribble, shoot from distance and, overall, brings a lot of positive energy. An added bonus is her understanding with Pajor. They have been playing together for Poland for a long time, winning the Under-17 European Championship in 2013. Sign up to Moving the Goalposts No topic is too small or too big for us to cover as we deliver a twice-weekly roundup of the wonderful world of women's football after newsletter promotion Some games are shown on TV and some are streamed online but the level of the Ekstraliga is far from that of, for instance, neighbouring Germany. Attendances are low and games are rarely played in the clubs' main stadiums. A Polish team reaching the Champions League would help but no one looks close to achieving that. Just four players from the domestic top flight are in the squad. Most players dream of being transferred to a superior league abroad, an accurate reflection of where the competition is at the moment. To collect some points. The players are desperate to change the perception of women's football in Poland and will approach their games full of positive energy. The Poland team guide was written by Joanna Wiśniowska (Gazeta Wyborcza).
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Euro 2025: Poland team guide – first-timers and outsiders, but beware deadly striker Pajor
Euro 2025 features 14 of the 16 teams that were at Euro 2022, which itself had 14 of the 16 that contested Euro 2017. The geographical pattern is stark: besides Poland, every other side are from western or northern Europe. The Poles' qualification, as one of two new debutants alongside Wales, represents the Women's European Championship extending its reach eastwards. Advertisement Handed a tough draw, Poland will struggle to get out of Group C, despite being able to count on arguably the competition's best striker in Barcelona's Ewa Pajor. But their participation in the tournament alone is a great success: they did not win any of their eight matches in the Euro 2005 qualifiers. Who is the manager? Nina Patalon has the classic story of injury forcing early retirement, allowing the former player to get stuck into coaching. A Poland Under-19 international two decades ago, Patalon played only until she was 25. Then, after a short spell in club coaching, she joined the Polish federation in 2011, initially working with the women's under-15 side, before moving up through the age groups and becoming the national team coach in 2021, the first female to take the top job. Advertisement In many ways, her journey feels similar to that of Christian Wuck, the German manager she will encounter in both sides' first group game. How do they play? Against weaker opposition, Poland have the technical quality to dominate — the attacking patterns of play they showed in their recent Nations League campaign were fluid and effective. But considering they start with matches against Germany and Sweden, two genuine contenders in this tournament, it seems likely they will use a cautious, counter-attacking 4-5-1 system. Their winner in the first leg of their qualifying play-off against Austria is the template. It featured Ewelina Kamczyk bursting forward on the break from midfield, then Pajor and Natalia Padilla running in behind to combine. Who are their three most influential players? A handy underdog combination of a reliable striker, a counter-attacking winger and a solid goalkeeper. Advertisement Pajor, who is also their captain, has won the top goalscorer award in the German and Spanish top flights in the past two seasons — more on her later. Her main goalscoring support comes primarily from speedy, two-footed winger Padilla, who was also eligible to represent Spain, Morocco and the United States through various family members' heritage, and comes into the tournament after a good season on loan at Sevilla from Bayern Munich. At the other end of the pitch, the Polish men's team are renowned for producing a disproportionate number of top-class goalkeepers, and their women have a reliable one, too. Kinga Szemik had a productive four years playing in France before moving to West Ham United, and performed well in her debut WSL campaign during 2024-25. She is likely to be one of the busiest goalkeepers in the group stage. What is their biggest strength? Put simply, it's Pajor, who has scored 50 more international goals than anyone else in this squad, and got 43 in 46 games for Barcelona last season. She is capable of making good runs in behind a defence — which will be a major factor in this tournament when Poland play on the break — and thrives off crosses, generally after a sudden burst to nip ahead of an opponent and a first-time finish. Advertisement The obvious question is how often Pajor manages to actually touch the ball inside the other team's box at Euro 2025. But, up against a weak-looking German back line, do not rule out her tournament starting with a goal. What weakness might other teams be able to exploit? Poland played Bosnia & Herzegovina twice in April in the Nations League and conceded a near-identical goal in both games, being opened up by a through ball played inside left-back Martyna Wiankowska. They have also conceded several set-piece goals over the past year. Any notable absentees? Poland appear to have avoided any major injury problems, and given the excitement about their first qualification for a major tournament, there was never much chance of any unexpected international retirements. What is their strongest starting XI? How have they performed over the past 12 months? Poland finished bottom of their qualifying group, behind Germany, Iceland and Austria, losing all six matches with a -13 goal difference. But then, in the play-offs late last year, they comfortably defeated Romania, before facing the Austrians again. Clearly, Austria were favourites, having recorded two 3-1 wins against them in the group, but Poland produced brilliant tactical displays to win both matches 1-0. Advertisement Their six games in 2025 have been against weaker opposition from the Nations League's second tier, but they are unbeaten in them, meaning Poland have won nine and drawn one of their past 10 matches going back to last July. The challenge awaiting them in Switzerland will be much tougher, but they are in good form. What are they expected to achieve at these Euros? Losing four of their six group-stage qualifiers to sides who are also at this tournament does not bode well. Had Poland been drawn in Group A, you would give them an outside chance of progressing to the knockout phase, but in Group C, a single win — probably from their third and final game against Denmark — would be considered an excellent return. Advertisement Really, for Poland, this tournament is about building for the future and promoting women's football back in their homeland. Did you know? Poland had hoped to stage this tournament, but their bid came third behind Switzerland and a combined effort from Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland. They are trying again for 2029, with the host nation set to be announced in December. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Poland, UK Women's Football, Women's Euros 2025 The Athletic Media Company


New York Times
25-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Euro 2025: Poland team guide – first-timers and outsiders, but beware deadly striker Pajor
Euro 2025 features 14 of the 16 teams that were at Euro 2022, which itself had 14 of the 16 that contested Euro 2017. The geographical pattern is stark: besides Poland, every other side are from western or northern Europe. The Poles' qualification, as one of two new debutants alongside Wales, represents the Women's European Championship extending its reach eastwards. Advertisement Handed a tough draw, Poland will struggle to get out of Group C, despite being able to count on arguably the competition's best striker in Barcelona's Ewa Pajor. But their participation in the tournament alone is a great success: they did not win any of their eight matches in the Euro 2005 qualifiers. Nina Patalon has the classic story of injury forcing early retirement, allowing the former player to get stuck into coaching. A Poland Under-19 international two decades ago, Patalon played only until she was 25. Then, after a short spell in club coaching, she joined the Polish federation in 2011, initially working with the women's under-15 side, before moving up through the age groups and becoming the national team coach in 2021, the first female to take the top job. In many ways, her journey feels similar to that of Christian Wuck, the German manager she will encounter in both sides' first group game. Against weaker opposition, Poland have the technical quality to dominate — the attacking patterns of play they showed in their recent Nations League campaign were fluid and effective. But considering they start with matches against Germany and Sweden, two genuine contenders in this tournament, it seems likely they will use a cautious, counter-attacking 4-5-1 system. Their winner in the first leg of their qualifying play-off against Austria is the template. It featured Ewelina Kamczyk bursting forward on the break from midfield, then Pajor and Natalia Padilla running in behind to combine. A handy underdog combination of a reliable striker, a counter-attacking winger and a solid goalkeeper. Pajor, who is also their captain, has won the top goalscorer award in the German and Spanish top flights in the past two seasons — more on her later. Her main goalscoring support comes primarily from speedy, two-footed winger Padilla, who was also eligible to represent Spain, Morocco and the United States through various family members' heritage, and comes into the tournament after a good season on loan at Sevilla from Bayern Munich. Advertisement At the other end of the pitch, the Polish men's team are renowned for producing a disproportionate number of top-class goalkeepers, and their women have a reliable one, too. Kinga Szemik had a productive four years playing in France before moving to West Ham United, and performed well in her debut WSL campaign during 2024-25. She is likely to be one of the busiest goalkeepers in the group stage. Put simply, it's Pajor, who has scored 50 more international goals than anyone else in this squad, and got 43 in 46 games for Barcelona last season. She is capable of making good runs in behind a defence — which will be a major factor in this tournament when Poland play on the break — and thrives off crosses, generally after a sudden burst to nip ahead of an opponent and a first-time finish. The obvious question is how often Pajor manages to actually touch the ball inside the other team's box at Euro 2025. But, up against a weak-looking German back line, do not rule out her tournament starting with a goal. Poland played Bosnia & Herzegovina twice in April in the Nations League and conceded a near-identical goal in both games, being opened up by a through ball played inside left-back Martyna Wiankowska. They have also conceded several set-piece goals over the past year. Poland appear to have avoided any major injury problems, and given the excitement about their first qualification for a major tournament, there was never much chance of any unexpected international retirements. Poland finished bottom of their qualifying group, behind Germany, Iceland and Austria, losing all six matches with a -13 goal difference. But then, in the play-offs late last year, they comfortably defeated Romania, before facing the Austrians again. Clearly, Austria were favourites, having recorded two 3-1 wins against them in the group, but Poland produced brilliant tactical displays to win both matches 1-0. Advertisement Their six games in 2025 have been against weaker opposition from the Nations League's second tier, but they are unbeaten in them, meaning Poland have won nine and drawn one of their past 10 matches going back to last July. The challenge awaiting them in Switzerland will be much tougher, but they are in good form. Losing four of their six group-stage qualifiers to sides who are also at this tournament does not bode well. Had Poland been drawn in Group A, you would give them an outside chance of progressing to the knockout phase, but in Group C, a single win — probably from their third and final game against Denmark — would be considered an excellent return. Really, for Poland, this tournament is about building for the future and promoting women's football back in their homeland. Poland had hoped to stage this tournament, but their bid came third behind Switzerland and a combined effort from Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland. They are trying again for 2029, with the host nation set to be announced in December.