- France have won all eight games played in 2025
- England coach Sarina Wiegman has not lost a single game at the Euros
- Recommended bet: Draw

The opening round of group games at the Women's Euros is rounded off with what promises to be a cracker between the defending champions and one of their rivals for the title.

England will be encouraged by the fact that a defending champion has never lost their first game of the subsequent finals though Group D opponents France are in a rich vein of form.

Team news

France are in something of a transition after head coach Laurent Bonadei axed veterans Wendie Renard, Kenza Dali and record scorer Eugenie Le Sommer while another old-timer, Amandine Henry, has retired.

Despite introducing plenty of youngsters into the group, Bonadei will still lean heavily on established stars, especially in attack where Kadi Diani and Marie-Antoinette Katoto are key figures.

England are also without big names like Mary Earps, Millie Bright, Fran Kirby and Nikita Parris.

Lauren James has recovered from injury but perhaps not enough to start, while Sarina Wiegman has a coin to toss over Jess Carter or Niamh Charles at left-back.

The stats

France have played eight and won eight in 2025, culminating in a 3-2 friendly success over Brazil last week.

Les Bleueus have scored in each of their last 12 internationals, scoring at least two goals in 10 of those.

Sarina Wiegman has not lost any of 10 Euros matches as head coach of Netherlands and England.

England have won four of their last six matches and found the net in each of their last eight.

The reigning champions have never lost their first match at the subsequent finals.

Prediction

England are 6/5 with LiveScore Bet favourites to open the defence of their Women's Euros crown with a win over France in Zurich, but both teams would probably settle for a point.

With Netherlands still to play, Group D is a cut-throat affair and there may well be an air of caution about the showdown between the cross-channel rivals at the Letzigrund.

France are on the hottest of streaks but insist they are the underdogs, borne out by the odds.

But England have had some wobbles over the past few months and are not playing with the same authority they had as they took the title on home soil three years back.

They have, of course, been to a World Cup final since then to stamp their class, but the French are a dangerous, technically gifted side.

Defeat for either side would be unthinkable and the tension will be palpable. Expect it to be tight and plausibly end in a draw. 

Back Draw at 21/10 with LiveScore Bet