Euro 2017 stutters of Germany and France a sign of rising standards | Suzanne Wrack

Germany, seeking to win the European championship for a seventh time in a row, have surprisingly stuttered into their title defence. In 2013 the start of the story was similar – they finished second in their group with one win, a draw and a loss. However, they went on to clinch their sixth title with trademark efficiency, three 1-0 wins paving the way.

Although not as all-conquering in Europe as they were before Euro 2013, Germany contain a huge amount of quality and have more experience than any other side when it comes to handling the pressures of major tournaments. In the Netherlands, in one of the stronger groups, the tournament has perhaps proved more competitive than they expected.

Held to a scoreless draw by a confident Sweden, they found themselves in their second Group B game under pressure from Italy, who had well and truly shaken off any hangover from their shock defeat by Russia. Only a late penalty saved German blushes, securing a 2-1 win. However, with the midfielder Dzsenifer Marozsan, who scored four goals on the way to Lyon’s Champions League win in June, being one of a number of players who grew into the game, there is no doubt this team have the strength and big players to make a statement against Russia on Tuesday night if they hit their stride.

Their fellow favourites France have similarly not had an easy ride. After Eugénie Le Sommer’s late penalty cruelly denied Iceland a point in Group C’s opener, Austria, making their tournament debut and now topping the table, forced France to come from behind in a 1-1 draw. A point separates first and third and, while Les Bleues had seemingly shaken off their reputation for choking at major competitions, having shown a ruthlessness in clinching the She Believes Cup and winning all their Euro 17 qualifying games, they must take a point from Switzerland to secure their passage to the quarter-finals.

This will not be easy. Switzerland, who were favourites to emerge from the group alongside France, need a win and will be riding high after they came from a goal behind to beat Iceland. Notably their big-name players stepped up to the plate, with the Wolfsburg double-winner Lara Dickenmann and Chelsea’s Ramona Bachmann, who won the Spring Series after her move from Wolfsburg, scoring in the 2-1 win. Switzerland’s goalkeeper, Gaëlle Thalmann, highlighted the grit of her team’s performance when she was stitched up on the pitch and heavily bandaged after a nasty clash of heads, before doggedly and probably ill-advisedly continuing.

England have shown a cutting edge that Germany and France seem to be lacking. Their 6-0 hammering of a Scotland team out of their league and deprived of key players through injury threw down a marker and, although they struggled to hold on to the ball against Spain, their two goals and clean sheet under intense pressure, and in torrential rain, showed a balance few others have presented in the tournament.

Perhaps just as balanced, as it stands, are the home nation. Faced with the 2013 finalists, Norway, and semi-finalists Denmark they ground out two solid 1-0 wins to top Group A. They then ended Belgium’s hopes with a 2-1 win to top the group and join Denmark, 1-0 winners over Norway, in the next stage. Shanice van de Sanden, Vivianne Miedema, Daniëlle van de Donk and Lieke Martens, scorer of the winner against Belgium, have provided the most dynamic and entertaining attacking play of the competition. Coupled with a buoyed-up home crowd and solid performances at the back, particularly the Arsenal goalkeeper Sari van Veenendaal’s display against Denmark, Holland have to be considered serious contenders.

What is interesting is how the tournament has become so competitive. Raising the Bar research carried out by gambling.com has shown a total of €101.7m was invested in women’s football by Uefa nations in the 2016-17 season. This investment has doubled since Euro 2013 but it is the breakdown that catches the eye. Generally the teams expected to progress are those that have enjoyed the biggest levels of investment in women’s football, with Norway an anomaly. The sums are: England (€15.9m), France (€9.8m), Germany (€9m), Norway (€7.2m), Sweden (€5.1m) and Holland (€4.5m).

And investment increases participation. Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands have the greatest number of registered players at senior and youth levels. The rapid growth of women’s football in the Netherlands has led a country with a population almost a third the size of England’s to reach 153,000 registered women players, compared with England’s 106,900. Portugal’s major competition debut can perhaps be attributed partly to the fact they have increased their registered players by 322% in the past five years, coupled with investment of €2.7m – 11th overall.

So, although predicting how well teams will stand up under the pressure of international competition is impossible, it is clear and ultimately unsurprising that investment and infrastructure breed success on the pitch.

Talking points

*As if Scotland’s heavy defeat by England was not enough, a shoulder injury to the Manchester City striker Jane Ross meant she missed the defeat by Portugal and will sit out Scotland’s final Group D match against Spain. Ross was Scotland’s leading scorer during qualifying and it is another blow to their heavily depleted squad.

*The former Lionesses manager Hope Powell has been unveiled as the new manager at Brighton & Hove Albion WFC, who join the WSL2 for the 2017-18 season. This will be Powell’s first managerial role since she left the England set-up in 2013. She pioneered the growth of the national team, leading England Women to consecutive World Cup quarter-finals in 2007 and 2011, and they finished runners-up to Germany at Euro 2009. In 2012 she managed the Team GB side at the London Olympics. Her return to the touchline is welcome.

*Millwall Lionesses have recruited Bristol City’s Megan Alexander for the new WSL2 season. The 23-year-old left-back played for Liverpool and Everton and was a regular in the Bristol City side that won promotion to the WSL1 in 2016.

*When Seattle Reign FC were 1-0 up against their play-off rivals Sky Blue FC at half-time courtesy of Megan Rapinoe’s 10th goal of the season, few would have predicted the goal rush to come. By the 56th minute Reign had added three more, including another from Rapinoe. But four goals in the following 20 minutes fired Sky Blue back into the game. The two-times Player of the Month Sam Kerr got the leveller which also temporarily tied her as the league’s top scorer with Rapinoe. Unwilling to share the spoils on both fronts, Rapinoe, left free on the edge of the box, powered home a left-foot strike to give Reign a 5-4 win and take them above Sky Blue in the league.