20:35
Norway’s coach Martin Sjörgen was also not completely satisfied. It may sound odd after his side’s 4-1 win over EURO newcomers Northern Ireland, but it becomes more understandable when you look at the two different halves of the game. In the first round, the Vikings whirled, while after four goals they shifted down a gear or two up to the 54th minute. “We can’t afford that in a big tournament because you’ll be punished,” the coach underlines his criticism. In any case, his players are dependent on two consistently good halves against the strong English team.
20:18
A whiff of Wembley 1966 wafted through Old Trafford when Beth Mead lobbed the ball over the Austrian goalkeeper in the opening game and Carina Wenninger caught the ball just behind the line trying to clear – goal-line technology did its job and the 68,000 fans cheered goal of the day. The Lionesses solved the first mandatory task against Austria at the start of the European Championship in their own country without a shine. Sarina Wiegman did not erupt in euphoria after the relatively close 1-0 win against Austria, but emphasized that there was still room for improvement: “We have to calm down a bit in the last third.” But maybe this hectic pace near the opponent’s goal was also there due to the great tension before this European Championship at home. The first hurdle was taken anyway and now it comes directly to the supposed showdown for group victory against Norway.
20:02
“Never change a winning team” – Sarina Wiegman uses the English football wisdom for her Lionesses. Somewhat surprisingly, she never changes and trusts the same team that defeated the Austrians 1-0 in the opening game. There has been speculation that Alex Greenwood will drop into central defense and captain Leah Williamson move into midfield, but that is not happening for the time being. On the other hand, Norway coach Martin Sjörgen makes three changes on the right: Tuva Hansen, Vilde Bøe Risa and Karina Sævik start in place of Anja Sønstevold, Frida Maanum and Amalie Eikeland.
19:55
Welcome to Group A Matchday 2 between hosts England and Norway! Kick-off in Brighton is at 9pm!