*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
The Women’s Euros is a landmark tournament and I’m very lucky to be on the ground covering it – from hearing managers speak so passionately about the respect the competition has been given by the media, the players breathing a sigh of relief at their moment of deliverance, right down to the outpouring of emotion from fans.
And that lasts about three days until every one of those groups realise this is a dog-eat-dog world and only one nation can lift that trophy by the end of it.
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Austria may well have benefitted from the nerves felt by the hosts in their opener in front of 70,000 people but I genuinely believed there were moments of quality. Northern Ireland on the opposite end were potentially benefitting from a side who had put the tie to bed early in the first half.
Perception is everything and I’m here to cut through the narrative to make you a few quid. Here are my selections for matchday 2 in Group A.
WHAT: UEFA Euro 2020 – Group A: Austria v Northern Ireland
WHEN: Monday, July 11: 5pm
WHERE: Southampton -St Mary’s
HOW TO WATCH: BB1, iPlayer
Want to know more about the two sides on show?
- Here’s the lowdown on Austria, who lost 1-0 to England in their opening match
- And we’ve got you covered with all you need to know on rank outsiders Northern Ireland
Short-Priced Punt: Over 3.5 Goals
Northern Ireland do have a pack mentality when it comes to set pieces as we saw. Their ability to get to second balls first was what stopped Norway from making it quite a demolition job, so I’ve steered clear of backing them not to score.
So in this instance, I’ll return to the likelihood that Austria, who broke down England a number of times at Old Trafford, will turn them over comfortably enough and do it well.
You could potentially say they were lacking a final touch in the opener but their build-up play was almost on the level of Spain and the Netherlands.
They won’t be needing to convert such difficult chances to bag in this one.
Value Play: Sarah Zadrazil – Anytime Assist
The Bayern Munich midfielder is a serious asset and despite being 29 and playing for one of the biggest names in Europe, she’s probably come into this game under the radar for whatever reason.
Playing centrally in what looked a 4-1-4-1 shape, she was linking play higher up the pitch and was the midfielder picking up the clever positions when the ball went wide.
She won’t need to distribute wide as often against Northern Ireland as she did against England, and I think there’ll be lanes in front of her to find slip passes all day long.
I’d also potentially award her the non-existent prize for coolest name of any player in the tournament.
Long Shot: Austria to be Winning at Half-Time and Over 3.5 Goals
I really don’t think Austria should be sniffed at in this tournament if the above didn’t colourfully indicate that already.
Their game against Norway is going to be absolutely fascinating. And with this in mind, I really don’t feel like suggesting there could be four goals in the opening half when there could have been double in Northern Ireland’s last game is that big of a stretch.
Austria aren’t actually a side that revel playing on the break either. They’re better than most in tight spaces, and that does not bode well for Kenny Shiels and co.
Austria v Northern Ireland Tips
Short-Priced Punt: Over 3.5 Goals
Value Play: Sarah Zadrazil – Anytime Assist
Long Shot: Austria to be Winning at Half-Time and Over 3.5 Goals
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
READ MORE
- Here’s our ULTIMATE preview guide to all 16 teams at Euro 2022
- Women’s Euro 2022 odds: Who are the favourites to win the trophy?
- When is the Women’s Euro 2022? Fixtures, groups, schedule & venues as England host
- Women’s Euros squads: Every team’s complete list of selected players for 2022 tournament
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