Euro 2022 Group D: All to play for in open group 🇫🇷 🇮🇹 🇧🇪 🇮🇸 | OneFootball

Our preview of this summer’s Women’s European Championship concludes, with the focus on Group D.

Who is in Group D?

The favourites

France go into the tournament as Group D’s overwhelming favourites and should finish top.

Corinne Diacre’s side qualified for the Euros without conceding a single goal, scoring 44 of their own on their way to progression.

What’s the key game?

As for the second spot in the group, it’s all to play for between Italy and Iceland.

The Italians have shown signs of returning to their dominating best in recent years and 32-year-old Cristiana Girelli is in some form, but Iceland will fancy themselves as dark horses to qualify for the knockout rounds. These two meet on matchday two and the winner will likely take a huge step forward towards qualification.

Can you give me a player to watch for every team?

No one produced more assists in the Champions League last season than the 21-year-old, and she had the nous to keep Barcelona’s Caroline Graham Hansen quiet in the final. A real outlet going both ways on the left-hand side.

If Italy are to progress, it’s fair to assume that the Juventus striker will have played some part in helping. Girelli has finished top scorer in Italy in two of the last three seasons.

The former Manchester City, now Wolfsburg striker knows her way to goal having scored 65 goals in 107 appearances for her country.

The 21-year-old forward had her breakthrough season at Wolfsburg last time out, winning Icelandic Female Footballer of the Year in 2021.

And the big storyline?

The issue for France isn’t on the pitch, but off-field issues threaten to derail what should be a comfortable passage to the knockout stages.

Head Coach Corinne Diacre has an ongoing dispute with the Lyon contingent, leading to all-time top goalscorer Eugénie Le Sommer and former captain Amandine Henry not even being called up.

Progression to the last-16 should be well within the squad’s grasp but could disciplinary issues provide an obstacle?

Prediction