Women's EURO 2021 qualifying.

October 28, 2019 Brenda Mongina 0

UEFA Women’s EURO 2021 qualifying is in progress with a record 47 teams competing for 15 places alongside hosts England in the finals.

Group A: Netherlands (holders), Russia, Slovenia, Turkey, Kosovo, Estonia

The Netherlands have four wins
Kosovo have six points from three games
Estonia got a point with their 0-0 draw in Istanbul.
Slovenia have six points but have played a game more than Russia and Kosovo.

Italy are on four wins

Group B: Italy, Denmark, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Israel, Malta, Georgia

Denmark and Italy both have a maximum 12 points
Bosnia and Herzegovina six behind

Group C: Norway, Wales, Belarus, Northern Ireland, Faroe Islands

Norway have three wins out of three, and in their 13-0 victory in the Faroe Islands, Caroline Graham Hansen got three to take her qualifying tally to a competition leading eight goals while Isabell Herlovsen’s own hat-trick made her the country’s all-time top scorer on 67, ahead of Marianne Pettersen.
Wales are two points behind after a crucial 1-0 win in Belarus, having been dramatically held by Northern Ireland in September.

Group D: Spain, Czech Republic, Poland, Moldova, Azerbaijan

Spain opened on Friday with a 4-0 victory against Azerbaijan in front of a new record crowd of 10,444 in A Coruña and then won 5-1 in the Czech Republic to move three points clear of a side that beat Moldova 7-0 in August. Poland open against Spain on 12 November.

Group E: Scotland, Finland, Portugal, Albania, Cyprus

Cyprus lost their debut competitive international 8-0 in Scotland.
Finland won 3-0 in Albania last month.
Portugal and Finland (who meet on 12 November) both defeated Albania.

Group F: Sweden, Iceland, Hungary, Slovakia, Latvia

Sweden and Iceland both have a maximum nine points with Slovakia, who have lost to each, the only other side off the mark after a 2-1 win in Latvia.

Group G: France, Austria, Serbia, Kazakhstan, North Macedonia

Serbia won 3-0 in Kazakhstan and 6-0 in North Macedonia but then lost 1-0 at home to Austria, who joined them on six points. France opened their campaign with a 3-0 victory in Kazakhstan.

Group H: Switzerland, Belgium, Romania, Croatia, Lithuania

Switzerland with three wins and Belgium on two have both made perfect starts. Croatia have lost to each but have three points from an opening win in Lithuania.

Group I: Germany, Ukraine, Republic of Ireland, Greece, Montenegro

Germany beat Montenegro 10-0 and won 8-0 away and at home against Ukraine before a 5-0 victory in Greece. The Republlic of Ireland are also perfect after two games, the second win a crucial 3-2 defeat of Ukraine in Vera Pauw’s first game in charge.

How qualifying works

The group winners and the three runners-up with the best record against the sides first, third, fourth and fifth in their sections will join hosts England in the final tournament.
The other six runners-up will play off in October 2020 for the remaining three berths in the 16-team finals to be held the following summer.

The lowdown

The Netherlands are defending champions and reached their first FIFA Women’s World Cup final in 2019.

World Cup semi-finalists Sweden and England (as Great Britain) will join the Netherlands at the 2020 Olympic tournament in Japan.
France, Germany, Italy and Norway reached the World Cup quarter-finals, Spain went out in the last 16 and Scotland, on debut, fell in the group stage.
Denmark were EURO 2017 runners-up while Austria and England also made the semis.
Germany won every EURO from 1995 until 2017, when they fell to Denmark in the last eight, a run of six straight victories.
Germany have won eight titles and Norway two, while Sweden and the Netherlands have one each.

Cyprus are making their senior competitive debut while Kosovo are also in their first Women’s EURO.
France and Austria were in the same group at UEFA Women’s EURO 2017 and both made it through.
Finland coach Anna Signeul was in charge of Scotland when they made their finals debut in 2017.
Norway qualified ahead of Wales for the 2017 finals.
Portugal pipped Finland to the 2017 play-offs on their way to a debut finals.
Switzerland beat Belgium on away goals in the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup play-offs before losing to the Netherlands.

Road to England: calendar

Qualifying group stage draw: 13:30CET, 21 February 2019, Nyon
Qualifying group stage dates: 29 August–3 September 2019, 2–8 October 2019, 6–12 November 2019, 5–11 March 2020, 9–14 April 2020, 3–9 June 2020, 16–22 September 2020
Play-off draw: 25 September 2020, Nyon
Play-offs (two legs): 19–27 October 2020
Final tournament draw: late 2020, England
Final tournament: July 2021, England