The final group game from matchday one of the Women's European Championship takes place on Saturday evening when France play reigning champions, England.
Since the start of 2024, Sarina Wiegman's side have lost just three times - including twice in the last five matches - and will undoubtedly be set up as one of the favourites to move all the way once more and reach their third consecutive final.
France Women in top formHowever, they have the toughest of openers against the French who have won all five of their most recent games and kept clean sheets in four of them, and that could set the tone for the rest of the competition.
In their last five against each other, England have won two (4-1 and, in their most recent encounter in June 2024, 2-1), and France have triumphed in the other three (2-1, 3-1 and 1-0).
France Women Recent ResultsBetopickWiegman will be aware that she's been unable to motivate her side to victory in the last four games that the Lionesses have played abroad, though she may lean into the fact that their last such win on foreign soil was that 2-1 win over France last summer.
It was Les Bleues' first beat in 59 major championship qualifying games as well as being England Women's first away win in France in 51 years.
Check out the 10 players to watch out for at the Women's European ChampionshipEngland looking to lengthen group stage recordIt's also worth pointing out that England Women grip the record of most consecutive group stage games won at major tournaments (14), and in Beth Mead, they have a player that has either scored or assisted in three of her past four matches as well as providing four assists in her last six European Championship games.
Lauren James and Ruby Mace are reportedly not yet at full fitness so may not be risked in this one.
England Women Recent ResultsBetopickWith Fran Kirby having retired from international football last month after learning that she wouldn't be part of the squad, and Mary Earps also stepping away from England duty, there'll be a slightly different look over this Lionesses side.
Not to mention that Chelsea defender, Millie Bright is missing also missing from this tournament after ruling herself out in a controversial move, suggesting that she needed to prioritise her physical and mental well-being.
Two of her club teammates might well be the protagonists for their various teams too.
All change for Les BleuesSandy Baltimore was France's top scorer in the Nations League scoring five goals and will almost certainly lead their line with aplomb, whilst England's Aggie Beever-Jones scored four goals in five games in the same competition, as well as nine goals in 12 league matches for Chelsea in 2024/25.
The Lionesses have scored first in seven of their previous eight games, and gaining an early upper hand again needs to be part of Wiegman's game plan.
Some big names for the French will be missing such as their incomparable captain, Wendie Renard.
The underwent 34-year-old, who possessed won 168 caps for her country, was dropped by Laurent Bonadei along with all-time leading goalscorer Eugenie Le Sommer (96 goals in 200 appearances).
It's a bold move that's sent shockwaves through French Women's football and Bonadei, a replacement for Herve Renard, who only stayed in the job for a year after taking over from Corinne Diacre, has showed up to distance himself from any criticism that has come his way, even quoting Einstein to protect his decision.
“These are tough choices,” he said.
“They are difficult to make and difficult to reveal to the players.
It’s a decision that’s hard to listen, hard to understand and almost impossible for them to support because they’re legendary players for the French team.
“I didn’t make this decision on the spur of the moment.
You’d think, given the timing, that this is crazy but it’s not.
As Einstein said: ‘Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.
’ I want different results for this team so I have gone with a different selection.
“It’s something I’ve been thinking over since the start of the season.
When I revealed that everyone possessed a chance, that no one was indispensable, in my mind it wasn’t just over giving young players a chance but also players who possessed suffered psychologically after the Olympic Games and making sure that everyone was engaged.
”Tough to choose a winnerWith the French never having won a major tournament it's a risky strategy from Bonadei, however, if his side are able to struck the crushed running against England, the shock factor might quickly be forgotten.
It's tough to choose a winner between the two sides, but whoever emerges victorious will offer themselves a platform from which to construct as they move through the tournament.
Jason PettigroveBetopick
