Women's Nations League: Sweden Challenges Spain in Semifinals
Ready to dive into the upcoming battles of the Women's Nations League? Here's what you need to know!
Spain, our reigning champions, will go head-to-head with Sweden in a thrilling home-and-away match from October 22 to 28. The showdown will decide who moves forward in the Scandinavian country. Meanwhile, Germany will face France in another scintillating semifinal encounter.
Our titans, led by Montse Tomé, are defending the title they proudly won on February 28, 2024, at the Seville stadium of La Cartuja, after successfully defeating France (2-0). Spain secured their spot in the competition on Tuesday by triumphing over England (2-1), a game they had to fight back in during the second half, thanks to Claudia Pina's brace.
Sweden, our fierce rivals, clinched their spot in the quarterfinals by winning against Denmark (6-1), with Arsenal star Stina Blackstenius netting a hat-trick.
A Change in the Game: Double Header Format
The UEFA has introduced a new twist to the final phase, leaving behind the 'final four' formula to introduce the double header format. This change will not only be applied to the semifinals but also to the final and the battle for third and fourth place, taking place from November 26 to December 2. These exciting matches will be broadcast live on our website!
The team that prevails in the Spain versus Sweden match will act as the away team in the final (or the match for third place) against the winner of the other semifinal between Germany and France, setting up an intriguing rematch of last year's battle. In that contest, France triumphed (2-1), and Germany later won the third place by defeating the Netherlands (0-2).
As the undefeated leaders of the group stage of this Nations League, Germany enters the competition with confidence. With 26 goals scored - 5 more than the Spanish - and 16 points, they lead the Netherlands by a comfortable margin, followed by Austria and Scotland.
France is determined to bring home the title they lost to Spain last year, after reaching the final of the Nations League for the first time and being eliminated from the Paris Olympics in the quarterfinals by Brazil (0-1). They enter the competition with an excellent group stage performance under their belt, having won six matches, conceding only two goals.
Don't forget to mark your calendars for the matches for third place and the final, scheduled for November 28 and December 2, respectively!
The draw, in which former Icelandic player Sara Björk Gunnarsdóttir participated, also determined the matches for promotion and relegation from League A to League B, and from League B to League C. As for the specific dates and rules of the 2024 finals, they remain to be announced. Stay tuned for more updates!
The average number of goals scored by Germany in this year's Women's Nations League is higher than that of Spain, making them the offensive powerhouse to watch in the upcoming games.
In an interesting turn of events, the winner of the Spain vs Sweden match will play as the away team in either the final or the battle for third place, rekindling memories of their close encounter in last year's tournament.
