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Austria
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Reached the semi-finals five years ago and while it will be tricky to repeat that feat, they have made further progress since. Read the team guide here.
star-player
Sarah Zadrazil
strengths
Fuhrmann has a versatile team at her disposal with strong wingers and several players who can score. Plus: Manuela Zinsberger is a superb goalkeeper who can decide games on her own.
Weaknesses
They sometimes struggle to execute their gameplay, especially against teams that press aggressively. Highly dependent on key players such as Sarah Zadrazil, Carina Wenninger and Nicole Billa.
England
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Under Wiegman’s impressive management England are strong contenders to win Euro 2022 but the opposition is strong. Read the team guide here.
strengths
Ellen White’s goals, Lauren Hemp’s potentially world-class wing play and Lucy Bronze’s swashbuckling advances from right-back to name three.
Weaknesses
Wiegman’s apparent uncertainty over her first-choice goalkeeper and a collective habit of sometimes switching off when defending set pieces.
Profiles written by Louise Taylor
Northern Ireland
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The first-time qualifiers will find it tough, but will be backed by a large traveling support. Read the team guide here.
star-player
Rachel Furness
strengths
A hugely experienced defence. Ashley Hutton, Julie Nelson and Sarah McFadden could play together and they have over 320 caps between them.
Weaknesses
Half of the Northern Ireland squad are domestic players playing in the part-time Irish Women’s Premiership, which is still amateur.
Profiles written by Stuart McKinley
Norway
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The last Euros were a disaster for Norway and they will be keen to show how good they are in England. Read the team guide here.
strengths
The attacking trio of Ada Hegerberg, Caroline Graham Hansen and Guro Reiten has the potential to trouble any opponent.
Weaknesses
Uncertainty in the goalkeeper position as well as the match fitness of important players such as the captain Maren Mjelde.
denmark
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The 2017 runners-up have high hopes of escaping a tough Group B and going far again. Read the team guide here.
star-player
Pernille Harder
strengths
The squad has a fabulous array of attacking talent for Søndergaard to choose from, including the leader of the pack, Pernille Harder, one of the best players in the world.
Weaknesses
Some of the players have been injured and some have struggled for game time so there is a question mark over the team’s fitness and stamina.
Profiles written by Sofie Engberg Munch
Finnish
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Finland have an experienced team but no stars, relying on a strong defense and counterattacks.
star-player
Natalia Kuika
strengths
This is a tightly-knit group that has been together for a long time. Their work ethic is good and they are dangerous from set pieces.
Weaknesses
The gameplan is quite conservative and, if the counterattacks do not work, there is no plan B. And while the starting XI can be competitive there is rarely much help from the bench.
Germany
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There is a lot of potential throughout the squad but how will they cope without Dzsenifer Marozsán and Melanie Leupolz?
strengths
This Germany team are a strong collective and have many technically good and tactically astute midfielders who can run the game. And there is speed on the wings too.
Weaknesses
The squad perhaps lacks some of the outstanding players of past generations and the defense can concede soft goals, partly because there has not been a settled starting lineup recently.
Spain
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Spain have climbed to No 7 in the world under Vilda and believe they can win the tournament.
star-player
Alexia Putellas
strengths
They have the best player in the world, Alexia Putellas, and have won several youth tournaments in recent years. This is their golden generation.
Weaknesses
This is a young team without much experience in going far in major tournaments and the injury to Jenni Hermoso is very bad news indeed.
netherlands
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Parsons is trying to build a new Oranje, doing things differently to Sarina Wiegman. He has infused some youth into the squad.
star-player
Vivianne Miedema
strengths
The core of the team is unchanged from winning it in 2017 and the players know what it takes to create a good team spirit to go far. Oh, and they have Vivianne Miedema.
Weaknesses
The defense is not quite as watertight as it has been in the past and has seemed a bit vulnerable recently.
Portugal
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A late replacement for Russia, Portugal want to show the rest of the world how much they have improved.
star-player
Jessica Silva
strengths
There is a strong backbone that has been together for a long time, and now they have been joined by some talented youngsters, such as Kika Nazareth.
Weaknesses
A lack of tournament experience could be a disadvantage, as could the fact that most of the players are still playing in their domestic league.
Sweden
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Gerhardsson’s squad has shed the underdog tag and hopes to win the trophy for the first time since 1984.
star-player
Stina Blackstenius
strengths
They are strong on set pieces, have fantastic squad depth and a very solid defense.
Weaknesses
If some of the key players are not on the pitch you notice the difference, especially if Caroline Seger is missing. She is still so important for this team.
Switzerland
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Reached the tournament via a penalty shootout win over the Czech Republic and may struggle to get out of their group.
strengths
In terms of individual quality this is the best Swiss squad ever with players in the best leagues in Europe and promising youngsters coming through.
Weaknesses
Almost every player in the starting XI has had some sort of injury problem this season, meaning the coach has had to chop and change his team.
Belgium
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Won their qualifying group ahead of Switzerland and believe they can make it into the last eight.
star-player
Tessa Wullaert
strengths
They are a tall team and have good set-piece takers so will be a danger at dead-ball situations – as well as being lethal on the counter.
Weaknesses
Several players are semi-professional and the squad is lacking in tournament experience. They could struggle if it gets very physical.
Profiles written by Dirk Deferme
France
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Among the favorites again but, as always, steeped in internal tension, Les Bleues are aiming for at least the quarter-finals.
star-player
Marie Antoinette Katoto
strengths
The presence of Wendie Renard in defense and Marie-Antoinette Katoto in attack – two Ballon d’Or candidates – means France are superbly marshalled at both ends of the pitch.
Weaknesses
The dressing room could be about to explode – again – because of tension between some players and the coach. Collective mental weakness has stopped them in the past.
Iceland
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These are Iceland’s fourth finals in a row and there is growing optimism in Iceland that this team can reach the last eight.
star-player
Sara Bjork Gunnarsdottir
strengths
Halldórsson has created a strong defensive unit and Iceland have kept a lot of clean sheets recently. Sara Björk Gunnarsdóttir offers stardust.
Weaknesses
Many of the team’s key players are young and inexperienced and Gunnarsdóttir has missed a lot of games in the past year after giving birth last November.
Italy
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This will be the last tournament for Italy’s golden generation and, for better or worse, anything can happen.
star-player
Christian Girelli
strengths
This squad has a lot of experience and at the World Cup in 2019 the defense was one of the best at the tournament, not conceding a goal in open play in five games.
Weaknesses
There is a certain lack of physicality in the squad and the fact is that Serie A is not at the same level as the other top leagues in Europe. Set pieces could be a problem too.
www.theguardian.com
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism