Women’s Euros 2017: Can England claim first major trophy?

England’s women are preparing to start their quest for glory at the European Championships but what are their chances of lifting a first major trophy?

Mark Sampson’s players head to the Netherlands showpiece, which kicks off on Sunday, as one of the fancied sides after a watershed 2015 World Cup in which they beat hosts Canada and European champions Germany to finish third.

With the bulk of a team that stirred a nation still together, can England build on surprise success now expectations are raised? From the form guide to the players who could make a difference, we assess their hopes and challenges…
How tough is their group?

England are top seeds in Group D and kick off with a grudge match against tournament debutants Scotland on July 19, before facing Spain four days later and then another first-time entrant, Portugal, on July 27.
An opener against 80/1 shots depleted by injuries might appear a mismatch in terms of experience but expect that to be tempered in Utrecht by the added motivation that international football’s oldest rivalry always inspires.

“I think there’s probably some unfinished business after the guys’ game not too long ago; it’s set up nicely for us,” Scotland captain Gemma Fay, recalling last month’s dramatic men’s World Cup qualifier, told the Guardian.

Spain – whom England deservedly beat in an October friendly – eased through qualification, before winning warm-up event the Algarve Cup, but are missing the big-game experience of Veronica Boquete. Portugal are the lowest-ranked side in the competition and should pose few fears.
“England could quite easily top their group but it could be tighter than many might expect,” former Arsenal and England winger Rachel Yankey told Sky Sports News HQ’s Sportswomen. “Spain are a good side – very technical – and I do think there’s no better game for Scotland to play first than England. They’ve nothing to lose, they’ll be playing with passion and England really need to watch out.”

Can England win it?

Sampson’s side – at 8/1 with Sky Bet – are third favourites to win the tournament behind holders Germany (2/1) and France (3/1) .

A dominant Germany have won six Euros in a row, while France – whom England will hope to avoid in the quarters by winning their group – could boast a side packed with players who helped Lyon to the treble last term. Talent, togetherness, tournament experience and key players in form make England worthy of their high ranking, though.
Only an agonising Laura Bassett own goal in extra-time prevented their march to the World Cup final and Sampson believes his largely intact side are all the better for their experience.

“That heartache we suffered in the World Cup absolutely will be a weapon we will use in this tournament,” he told reporters. “In relation to mentality and athleticism, we have made huge strides. Now I feel we have a team with all the trademarks a champion team needs. All we ever talk about is how we’re going to be the last team to come home.”
Captain Steph Houghton is equally convinced. “Can we win it? Yes,” she told Sky Sports News HQ. “We’ve played well over the last few years, we’ve built momentum through the qualifiers and I really feel there’s a confidence in this team.”

What form are they in?

England head for Holland after a promising streak of victories against fellow Euro finalists. They sealed 3-0 and 4-0 wins over Austria and Switzerland respectively and then overcame a setback to beat Denmark 2-1 win in their final warm-up, powerful striker Ellen White scoring twice.
White was the hero when England beat world champions USA at the SheBelieves Cup back in March – another pivotal moment in the side’s development. There were defeats to Germany and France, too, but narrow ones that led a satisfied Sampson to talk of “small margins”.

How will Sampson set up?

Expect the boss to rotate his squad and switch up his system; the Welshman is big on tactical flexibility and warned rivals after picking his 23-strong party he could conjure up “25 different formations and 25 different styles”.
He deployed 3-5-2 frequently in qualifying, Lucy Bronze a key outlet down the right, but has also utilised a midfield diamond he believes brings the best out of tricky Karen Carney.

“Mark likes to pick specific people for specific games,” Bronze said ahead of the tournament. “Even I couldn’t guess Mark’s starting XI for the first game in the Euros. But one thing is constant – if you get complacent, you won’t play.”

Who could be key?

Sampson drew criticism for naming his squad more than three months before the start of the tournament but the inclusion of Fran Kirby – who had missed a year on the international stage through injury – looks to have been a smart one. The Chelsea striker – memorably dubbed ‘Mini Messi’ by her manager – scored on her England return and netted six times in five matches for her club during the Spring Series stopgap tournament.
The experience and leadership qualities of stalwarts such as Houghton, Fara Williams and Jill Scott, whether on the pitch or in the dressing room, will be key but look out for Chelsea’s versatile Millie Bright and Manchester City’s “fearless” forward Nikita Parris – both talented newcomers in the senior squad.

Energetic midfielder Jordan Nobbs is tipped to exert a key influence, while Toni Duggan – buoyed by a high-profile move to Barcelona – will be out to impress.Euro Soccer Bonus

Our fantastic Euro Soccer accumulator offer gives you the chance to earn a bonus of up to 100% on accumulators on the top domestic leagues in Europe along with the group and knockout stages of the Champions League.

This offer applies to returns on pre-match accumulators of 3 or more selections on Full Time Result or Result/Both Teams To Score markets for the English Premier League, Italian Serie A, Spanish Primera Liga, German Bundesliga 1 or UEFA Champions League.

The maximum bonus that you can receive is €100,000 or currency equivalent. The bonus will not apply where a stake has been fully Cashed Out. Where a stake has been partially Cashed Out, the bonus will be calculated based .on the remaining active stake. If a qualifying bet is edited .using our Edit Bet feature. The bonus will be calculated based on the new stake. Where a bet has been edited to include or amend a selection for an event that is In-Play, the bonus will no longer apply. Double Chance bets or combination bets with bonuses. Such as Lucky 15’s or Lucky .31’s do not apply for this offer.

If your bet is successful, we will add the following bonuses to your returns:

Bet Type Bonus

14-folds and upwards 100% bonus
Terms and Conditions
Applies to straight pre-match accumulator bets on the Full Time Result or Result/Both Teams To Score markets for UEFA Champions League, English Premier League, Italian Serie A, Spanish Primera Liga, German Bundesliga .1 or Australian A-League matches. Maximum bonus €100,000 or currency equivalent. Euro Soccer Bonus does not apply to Double Chance bets or combination. bets with bonuses such as Lucky 15’s, Lucky 31’s etc.

If any selections are postponed/void then the bonus will still apply, but the percentage bonus added will reflect the actual number of winning selections. For example, an 8-fold accumulator with 7. winners and 1 postponed match will receive a 30% .bonus to returns.
The bonus part of your returns will be added to your account within 24 hours of your final selection having played.
This bonus will not apply where a stake has been fully Cashed Out. Where a stake has been partially Cashed Out, the bonus will be calculated based on the remaining active stake.

If a qualifying bet is edited using our Edit Bet feature, the bonus will be calculated based on the new stake. Where a bet has been edited to include or amend a selection for an event that is In-Play, the bonus will no longer apply.

Where any term of the offer or promotion is breached or there is any evidence of a series of bets placed by a customer or group of customers, which due to a deposit bonus, enhanced payments, free bets, risk free bets or any other promotional offer results in guaranteed customer profits irrespective of the outcome, whether individually or as part of a group, bet365 reserves the right to reclaim the bonus element of such offers and in their absolute discretion either settle bets at the correct odds, void the free and risk free. bets or void any bet funded by the deposit bonus.

In addition bet365 .reserve the right to levy an administration charge on the customer up to the value of the deposit bonus, free bet, risk free bet or additional payment to cover administrative costs. We further reserve the right to ask any customer to provide sufficient documentation for us to be satisfied in our absolute discretion as to the customer’s identity prior to us crediting any bonus, free bet, risk free bet or offer to their account.

All bet365 offers are intended for recreational players and bet365 may in its sole discretion limit the eligibility of customers to participate in all or part of any promotion.

bet365 reserves the right to amend, cancel, reclaim or refuse any promotion at its own discretion.