Spain Women and Belgium Women Clash in Anticipated Battle
Next Monday, at 5pm UK time, the Group B match of the UEFA Women's Euro 2025 will take place at Stadion Wankdorf in Bern, as Spain take on Belgium. This encounter promises to be an exciting one, with both teams eager to make their mark on the tournament.
Spain, the reigning world champions following their triumph in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, are considered the favourites to win Group B and the entire UEFA Women's Euro 2025. Their status as the top team globally is reinforced by their recent strong performances and historical team strengths.
Under coach Montse Tomé, Spain won the UEFA Nations League title in February 2024 by defeating France 2-0 in the final. This victory solidified their position as the strongest team in Europe. Advanced statistical models suggest that Spain has around a 24.6% to 27.2% probability of winning the tournament, the highest among all teams. These forecasts use sophisticated machine learning approaches combining multiple data sources to simulate the likely tournament outcome.
Spain's dominance in pre-tournament matches, such as their twice victories over Portugal in the 2025 UEFA Women's Nations League with scores of 4-2 and 7-1, indicate strong form entering the Euros. The team is aiming to become only the second women’s team to win consecutive World Cup and Euro tournaments, joining Germany who achieved this feat in the 2000s.
Belgium, on the other hand, have much to improve upon compared to their men's counterpart. In their UEFA Women's Nations League Group B opener, they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Italy. For this match, Belgium are likely to line up in a 5-3-2 formation, with Lisa Lichtfus in goal, Mariam Toloba, Justine Vanhaevermaet, and Jarne Teulings as the three midfielders, and Hannah Eurlings and Tessa Wullaert as the two centre-forwards. Amber Tysiak, Sari Kees, and Janice Cayman will be the three centre-backs, while Jill Janssens and Laura Deloose will be the two wing-backs.
Spain, however, are expected to line up in a 4-3-3 formation. Adriana Nanclares will be in goal, with Ona Batlle, Maria Mendez, Laia Aleixandri, and Olga Carmona as the four defenders. Vicky Lopez, Patricia Guijarro, and Alexia Putellas will be the three midfielders, while Mariona Caldentey, Esther Gonzalez, and Claudia Pina will be the three forwards.
The best odds for Spain to win Group B are 1/20, according to Zetbet. Spain kicked off their Group B campaign with a 5-0 hammering of Portugal at Stadion Wankdorf in Bern. In their previous match against Portugal, Spain had 67% of the possession, made 23 shots, and 76 attacking moves.
The Group B match between Spain and Belgium is set to be a closely contested one, with Spain's combination of recent major titles, statistical favoritism based on data analysis, strong recent match performances, and ambition to secure a historic double making them the clear favourite.
"The team news for the Group B match of the UEFA Women's Euro 2025 on Monday shows Spain, the reigning world champions and current favourites, lining up in a 4-3-3 formation with their key players like Alexia Putellas and Adriana Nanclares. On the other hand, Belgium, aiming to improve upon their men's counterpart's performance, will field a 5-3-2 formation in their encounter with Spain, a crucial sports fixture in the world of football that promises to be exciting."
