In the neighborhood duel, Norway did the expected threes against outsiders Finland despite weak performance in 2: 1 (1: 1). Norway’s early tour of an own goal of Eva Nyström (3rd) equalized Finland by Oona Sevenius (32nd) before the break. Caroline Graham Hansen achieved the late winner in the 84th minute. Norway’s chances of progressing are now very well. With six points from two games, they lead the table of group A. Finland remains with three points.
“The victory was certainly a bit happy”commented the victory scorer after the game. Graham Hansen found: “The second half was better than the first and in the end the three points count.”
Norway’s Ingrid Engen had gone into the second group game with a certain portion of extramotivation. Her family from Trondelag, 2,200 kilometers away, had arrived in time after a day -to -day arrival and had mixed among the 7,300 spectators in Sion. “I really enjoy it”the midfielder had said before the match and promised her travel-loving relatives a top performance.
Norway’s power leads to the Finnish own goal
Engen’s task: As an outstanding duels, she is supposed to prevent opposing counterattacks at an early stage in the back of the offensive forces. However, this is not so easy – Norway’s attackers like to go forward and then neglect the defensive protection.
In the neighborhood duel, however, the 27-year-old’s defense skills were not even in demand, because her team frightened the Finn from the kick-off with power football. And played out the individual superiority. After a long pass from Ada Hegerberg, Caroline Graham Hansen went past opposite Ria Öling almost easily. From the baseline she fit sharply inwards. Finland’s defense chief Eva Nyström bounced off the shin so unhappily that he turned into his own network for the Norwegian 1-0 (3rd).
Engen by head to the post
Both teams had won their European Championship duel. Finland 1-0 against Iceland, Norway with 2-1 against host Switzerland. So both dreamed of progressing to the co-round, which had been expected before the tournament, especially the Norwegians with their stars from FC Barcelona, FC Arsenal and Ol Lyonnes (formerly Olympique Lyon).
Critical look: Ingrid Engen
The much less prominently occupied Finns then tried to play the game, but Norway had better chances. In the 25th minute, the Engen family in particular got ready in the stands. Her playing relative had ventured forward – her header after Graham Hansen’s flank crashed into the crossbar.
Norway’s defensive holey – 1: 1
The Norwegians missed the second goal at the front and at the back she came, the gap in the much too carefree defense. The false pass passed on the way forward, the center was not closed and a single steep pass found Finland’s Sevenius freely on the edge of the penalty area – the 21 -year -old scored the 1-1 (32nd) with a rich shot.
Once – it was at the end of the 90s – Norway was still one of the leading nations worldwide in women’s football. The Scandinavians actually want to go there again. But the team doesn’t seem to be that far. According to the medium -tasting performance against Switzerland, the game against Finland increasingly slipped into mediocrity.
Finland has the better chances, Graham Hansen meets
The team, which overall acted far too statically and got hardly any pace into the game, could be happy not to fall behind. At Katarina Kosola’s shot from 17 meters, the team was dependent on a class parade by keeper Cecilie Fiskerstrand (59.). Three minutes later, Finland’s Evelina Sumanen from 18 meters only hit the left post.
On the other hand, Graham Hansen had the huge chance of winning the win in the 81st minute. From eleven meters she shoveled the ball over the crossbar. A faux pas that she made forgotten six minutes before the end. After a fine solo, she lifted the ball from 13 meters to 2-1 winning goal in the left upper corner. The long journey had paid off for family in the grandstand in the stands.
At the end of the group games, Finland will meet Switzerland on Thursday (July 10th, 2025) (9 p.m.). At the same time, Norway plays against Iceland.