The Women’s European Championship is now at the semi-final stages and the first semi-final sees Denmark taking on Austria. Both of these teams were not really expected to make it this far, but after being placed against each other, one will have the chance to play in the final on Sunday.
Saying that they aren’t expected to be here, doesn’t mean they don’t deserve it, both teams have played very well and perhaps more importantly, they have been very effective so far. With a lot at stake in this game, we may see plenty of nerves out on the field, but hopefully the players can go out there and express themselves, making this a great game.
Denmark Form
Denmark shocked the world a few days ago when they knocked out the tournament favourites Germany. That win has made them strong favourites to win this match and a repeat performance from them would surely see them beat Austria in this high stakes game.
Prior to Denmark beating Germany 2-1 on Sunday in the Quarter Finals, the best way to describe their performances so far would be solid. They haven’t thrilled us, they haven’t played fantastically well, but they have got the job done. 1-0 victories over Belgium and Norway were good, and they again played very effective, but they didn’t really wow the crowd. They have a very effective way of playing football, but it can sometimes be hard to watch.
Austria Form
Austria have shown a little more promise than Denmark so far, although I am not sure they have the same quality and the same ability to grind out a result as Denmark have. They made the semi-finals after a penalty shootout victory over Spain on Sunday.
Prior to that, they were unbeaten in the group stages, drawing with France 1-1 and winning their other two games, 3-0 against Iceland and 1-0 against Switzerland. Austria are playing in their first finals and they look to be really enjoying their time here at the moment, whether that can continue remains to be seen with the pressure of a semi-final game ahead of them.
The tag of tournament underdog has stuck with Austria and it will remain with them in this game. Their lack of tournament experience may catch them out, but on the other hand they have nothing to lose going into this game, with few people expecting them to win.
Team News
Both teams head into this game with no injury concerns or suspensions to worry about. However, we are now coming towards the end of a tough tournament so tired legs may begin to kick in. That could be a problem for Austria, whose players are not used to this style of play and who went to a penalty shootout in their last game against Spain.
At this stage of a tournament, effectiveness and experience are vital and you have to feel that this swings the advantage towards Denmark and the squad that they have to choose from.
Top Betting Tips
We are set for a great semi-final match between two teams who were not expected to reach this stage. The Austrian team have been underdogs at this tournament in most of the games they have played so far, and they are set to have that tag again in this one. They have impressed though so far, and it is tough to write them off, although their lack of experience and how effective the Danish women are makes it the call I have to make.
I believe that Denmark will have enough in the tank to score against Austria, and when they do we have seen how effective they are at defending a lead in this tournament. At this stage, I am not sure if Austria will have the legs to be able to chase a game and find a way to equalise against the Danes.
The first bet on this game for me has to be Denmark to win the game in 90 minutes, which can be backed at a reasonable 7/5 with Coral. My second bet is based on how I think the game will develop. I believe Denmark will be able to find a way to score first, and as they have done in the past, I believe they will be able to hang on to that lead for the remainder of the game. With that in mind, my second bet on the game is for Denmark to win the game 1-0, which can be backed at 11/2 with Paddy Power and William Hill.