How to win the Euros: set-piece prowess, holding midfielders and good subs

Since its inauguration successful 1984, the women's European Championship has been won by conscionable 5 nations. England, Sweden and Netherlands person managed it once, Norway earned the rubric twice, and Germany person dominated with 8 victories -- though their past was backmost successful 2013.

Meanwhile, satellite champions Spain are searching for their archetypal Euros win, having struggled successful caller years to adjacent marque it past the quarterfinals, but spell into the 14th variation arsenic blistery favorites.

So what tin this year's hopefuls larn from erstwhile tournaments? What are the communal factors that pb to victory? What's the blueprint for going each the way?

You request familiarity and consistency

When it comes to knowing however to triumph the Euros, nary squad person much acquisition than Germany. Their grounds of 8 victories from 9 tournaments includes a tally of six consecutive titles betwixt 1995-2013. And, earlier a play of modulation implicit the past decade, their were acquainted faces done the spine of the team.

At the bosom of it was guardant Birgit Prinz, who inactive holds the grounds for the astir appearances astatine the Euros (with 23 matches crossed 5 tournaments from 1995-2009). And, successful extremity astatine the different end, Nadine Angerer was a mainstay from 1997-2013, portion the remainder of the XI stayed comparatively accordant passim their champion years.

Netherlands and England besides developed the nucleus of their victorious sides agelong earlier the tournaments began. Three years earlier Netherlands' triumph connected location ungraded successful 2017, Vivianne Miedema, Dominique Janssen and Jill Roord each won the under-19s Euros earlier progressing to the elder squad together. And the halfway for England successful 2022 was mostly successful spot from 2017, with the likes of Millie Bright, Alex Greenwood, Lucy Bronze and Ellen White.

Familiarity and consistency bodes well, and this is possibly wherever Spain are strongest now. Littered with world-class Barcelona players, the radical person played astatine the highest level of planetary shot unneurotic for respective years, truthful their extent is the envy of Europe.

Play with 2 holding midfielders, and a lone striker

Euro 2009 marked a noticeable displacement towards formations similar the 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3, utilizing screening midfielders and lone strikers. This was utilized by Germany successful 2009 and 2013, Netherlands successful 2017, and England successful 2022.

In UEFA's method study from 2013, it noted that "the personalities of teams (as a whole) were linked to the characteristics and ngo statements of the 2 controlling midfielders."

Germany erstwhile boasted all-action midfielder, and 2014 FIFA World Player of the Year winner, Nadine Kessler, who played alongside the much defensive-minded and concern Lena Goessling.

For England successful 2022, the composed and metronomic Keira Walsh stole headlines arsenic a cardinal figure, and alongside her was the ever-energetic box-to-box Georgia Stanway.

In caller years, passing and possession tactics person gained much prominence. But occurrence has mostly been recovered from teams with consenting runners, antiaircraft information and prime midfield partnerships that tin assistance with the velocity of transitions.

In 2017, Netherlands ranked seventh successful passes completed per game, portion England dropped beneath 50% possession successful some the quarterfinals and last successful 2022. Keeping the shot isn't everything, and caller winners person not been acrophobic to get it guardant successful rapid, nonstop attacking moves.

Use the wide spaces

In 2013, Anna Signeul, portion of UEFA's method squad successful Sweden, remarked: "In the past the inclination was to privation to tract your champion players successful cardinal positions. Now, there's a large temptation to tract them wide."

A inclination of each caller winners has been to support their wingers connected the touchline, alternatively than having them chopped in-field, often switching the play to them straight with enactment from full-backs to supply deliveries oregon cutbacks from these areas.

In 2013, a 3rd of open-play goals were from crosses and cutbacks, and Germany wingers Lena Lotzen and Simone Laudehr made a large impression.

In 2017, Netherlands scored 4 of their 13 goals from crosses, mostly acknowledgment to Shanice van de Sanden and Lieke Martens' directness and one-vs.-one skills.

Meanwhile, 43% of the goals astatine Euro 2022 came from crosses and cutbacks, with the likes of Lauren Hemp, Chloe Kelly and Beth Mead peculiarly prolific for England.

Be bully from acceptable pieces

In 2009, 30% of the tournament's goals came from acceptable pieces. This ratio fell successful 2013, with conscionable 1 successful 29 corners starring to a goal. But it climbed again successful 2017 and 2022, with implicit 33%.

Moreover, determination was a important summation successful the fig of goals from corners. Four successful 2017 accrued to 16 successful 2022, successful a overmuch higher-scoring tournament, truthful set-piece prowess should beryllium precocious connected the docket for teams this clip around.

It should besides beryllium noted that England's defence didn't concede a azygous extremity from a dead-ball script 3 years ago.

Get substitutions right

At a large planetary tournament, you person to rotate your archetypal XI for 1 crushed oregon another, but in-game substitutions are ever important too. Indeed successful 2005, 2009, 2017 and 2022, the federation that utilized the astir substitutions passim ended up winning the competition.

In the 2001 final, Germany substitute Claudia Muller scored the winning aureate extremity (remember that idea?) from disconnected the seat successful the 97th infinitesimal of the 1-0 triumph against Sweden.

And successful 2022, Sarina Weigman's memorable usage of subs for England became iconic. The manager continually brought connected Alessia Russo astir the hr people to devastating effect arsenic the Arsenal striker netted each 4 of her tourney goals disconnected the bench.

It's bully to dispersed the goals around

With the objection of England's Beth Mead successful 2022, the outright Golden Boot victor hasn't gone to triumph the Euros since Germany's Inka Grings successful 2009. And adjacent then, six England players scored 2 oregon much goals, emphasizing the request for a big of players capable to contribute.

In 2013, Germany had a antithetic extremity scorer successful each game, portion the tourney arsenic a full had 36 antithetic players netting the full of 56 goals.

While astir teams present tract lone strikers up top, the reliance upon them arsenic a sole root of goals seems little important than their holdup play and nexus with surrounding teammates. More modern forwards, similar France's Marie-Antoinette Katoto and emerging Spain prima Salma Paralluelo, alternatively usage their gait and accomplishment to agelong defenses.

European nine dominance helps

Germany made their debut astatine Euro 1989, but besides acceptable the barroom for off-pitch concern successful the home women's game. The Frauen Bundesliga has been moving since 1990 -- 20 years earlier the English Women's Super League -- and nary federation has produced much Women's Champions League-winning teams than their 9 (Frankfurt, Turbine Potsdam, VfL Wolfsburg, Duisburg).

Yet, portion the bequest of Germany's ground-breaking concern remains evident culturally and foundationally, the likes of France and England person present balanced the scales. Indeed, the past German nine to triumph the Champions League was Frankfurt successful 2015, astir the clip of the nationalist team's autumn from grace.

Since 2015-16, Lyon person won six (including 5 successful a row) and Barcelona person three, with their stars driving Spain's Women's World Cup occurrence successful 2023.

With Arsenal past play bringing the UWCL trophy backmost to England for the archetypal clip successful 18 years, with the assistance of internationals Leah Williamson, Kelly and Russo, the parallel betwixt nine and nationalist squad occurrence could beryllium acceptable to continue.