ENGLAND are getting their home Euro 2022 campaign up and running TONIGHT!
And it is Austria up first for Sarina Wiegman's side at Old Trafford as the Women's Euros get underway.
England head into the Euros as second favourites, behind Spain.
- Kick-off time: 8pm BST
- TV/live stream: BBC One/ BBC iPlayer
- England XI: Earps, Bronze, Daly, Walsh, Bright, Mead, Williamson, White, Stanway, Hemp, Kirby.
- Austria XI: Zinsberger, Hanshaw, Schnaderbeck, Wenninger, Laura Wienroither, Puntigam, Naschenweng, Feiersinger, Zadrazil, Dunst, Billa.
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- Emillia Hawkins
Leah Williamson on today’s game
During Tuesday’s press conference, the England captain said:
“I think we're ready for tomorrow. We're not robots and there's going to be nerves.
“We're aware of expectation from external sources but from within the camp it's all about the excitement of it and enjoying it.
“This is my job and if I wasn't ready for it and wasn't enjoying it why would I do it? That's my mentality.
“The team is in a great place. Fitness wise and all of those things in your control we've taken care of and we're in a great place.
“The warm-up games provided us with the tests that we need to see where we are maybe weaker, find out what our strengths are and where we are ultimately and the form we're in.
“They've provided those for us and we've had time to prepare.
“The home support is the 12th man. Sarina has had experience with that and she wants us to embrace it.
"It's maybe something we've not been as good at that in the past, but we're loving that there will be 77,000 [at Old Trafford] tomorrow and most of them will there for us.
“It's an advantage that we're at home and we'll use it as much as possible and embrace that.”
Credit: Getty - Emillia Hawkins
Sarina Wiegman on today’s game
During Tuesday’s press conference, the England boss said:
“It's really incredible, it's really exciting.
“We start tomorrow and I can't wait. We're just really ready to go.
“We started this preparation in September last year, but our real preparation started in May, we've just worked from week to week, training match to training match.
“You can feel that we're really ready and we just want to go.”
“Everything is bigger, more expectations, higher expectations so it's hard to compare.
“But I think the players are more experienced and have had more moments already in this high (level) environment so I think totally different – but you're (still just) working with a team and you're playing football.”
Credit: AFP - Emillia Hawkins
SunSport’s super computer predicts the tournament
According to the algorithm, Spain will lift the trophy at the expense of the Lionesses as England fans face the prospect of two Euro heartbreaks within a year of each other.
It would be the Spaniard's first Women's Euros trophy, with their previous best finish coming in 1997 when they managed third after being eliminated in the semi-finals by Italy.
- Emillia Hawkins
Captain Leah
Leah Williamson has enjoyed a meteoric rise through the ranks that many young players can only dream of.
She joined Arsenal’s centre of excellence at the age of nine in 2006 and made her first team debut eight years later.
Three years ago she was called up to a major tournament for the first time when the Lionesses travelled to France for the World Cup, but only earned six minutes of football.
Now at just 25-years-old she is one of the most established players in the Women’s Super League.
And she has been selected to captain the Lionesses this summer.
It’s undoubtedly a huge jump from her last major tournament, but Williamson is not feeling the pressure at all.
Last month she said: “It's funny. On paper, it looks like a pressurised situation, but I don't feel that.
“I'm still finding my way with it, and I'm not pretending to know all the answers or pretending to be the readiest I've ever been.
"I've got processes in place I've been using in my career for dealing with pressure and things like that.
“It's not that I've been put on a pedestal, I'm just the same, it’s just I have this extra responsibility.
“And I take it more as a responsibility rather than pressure.
“I do feel like I would give anything to get on the pitch (with England), so I don't intend to waste a second now not enjoying it.”
Credit: Getty - Emillia Hawkins
‘We want to grow the game’
The Lionesses are hoping that this year’s home tournament will help grow the women’s game in popularity throughout the UK.
Striker Ellen White has said: “We knew how excited everyone got for the men's Euros and that buzz and passion everyone felt for the England team.
“That's the type of kind of buzz we hope to create.
“We wanted to have the Euros in England for a reason and we want to grow the game.
“There's the massive stat that so many girls drop out at a certain age and that's really sad.
“It's amazing that they're putting so much money in to go around to the (tournament’s) host cities and really promote the game, not just for grassroots but for girls of all ages and to make football accessible."
Credit: Getty - Emillia Hawkins
Super Sarina
Sarina Wiegman took over from Phil Neville as England boss less than a year ago, but she's already had an incredible influence on women’s football.
The Lionesses have gone 14 games unbeaten under the former Netherlands boss, and their goalscoring record is simply incredible.
14 games. 84 goals scored. Three goals conceded.
During this period the squad recorded the largest ever victory for both men's and women's senior England sides when they defeated Latvia 20-0.
Yes, 20-0.
And former Lioness Karen Carney believes Wiegman could be the person to lead England to the Euro 2022 title.
In an interview with the Metro, she said: “She’s quality, the best. We waited for her to become available and went and got her.
“I’ve been hugely impressed – she’s classy, with determination and a really calm aura. I wouldn’t mess with her either but you do need that fear factor in a manager.
“But it’s not all about Sarina. To win a tournament you need luck.”
Credit: Getty - Emillia Hawkins
Women’s Euro2022 groups
- Group A: England, Austria, Norway, Northern Ireland
- Group B: Germany, Denmark, Spain, Finland
- Group C: Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, Portugal
- Group D: France, Italy, Belgium, Iceland
Austria substitutes
Isabella Kresche, Jasmin Pal, Marina Georgieva, Celina Degen, Annabel Schasching, Katharina Schiechtl, Virginia Kirchberger, Marie Hobinger, Jasmin Eder, Julia Hicklesberger-Fuller, Lisa Makas, Stefanie Enzinger.
Austria are expected to start in a 4-1-4-1 formation.
Austria starting line-up
Manuela Zinsberger, Verena Hanshaw, Viktoria Schnaderbeck, Carina Wenninger, Laura Wienroither, Sarah Puntigam, Katharina Naschenweng, Laura Feiersinger, Sarah Zadrazil, Barbara Dunst, Nicole Billa.
- Emillia Hawkins
England substitutes
Alex Greenwood, Jess Carter, Hannah Hampton, Demi Stokes, Jill Scott, Nikita Parris, Chloe Kelly, Bethany England, Ella Toone, Ellie Roebuck, Lotte Wubben-Moy, Alessia Russo.
The Lionesses are expected to start in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
- Emillia Hawkins
England starting line-up
Mary Earps, Lucy Bronze, Rachel Daly, Keira Walsh, Millie Bright, Beth Mead, Leah Williamson, Ellen White, Georgia Stanway, Lauren Hemp, Fran Kirby.
- Emillia Hawkins
Austria team news
Arsenal goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger is expected to start in goal.
Captain Viktoria Schnaderbeck is set to line-up in a back four alongside Carina Wenninger.
- Emillia Hawkins
England team news
The Lionesses have a full squad available this evening with no illnesses or injuries.
Captain Leah Williamson is expected to start in midfield alongside Kiera Walsh.
Ellen White could lead the line with Lauren Hemp and Beth Mead supporting on the wings.
- Emillia Hawkins
Welcome to England vs Austria
Good evening and welcome to SunSport’s coverage of England vs Austria.
Euro2022 is finally here and the Lionesses are set to kick off the competition in front of a sold out crowd at Old Trafford.
England convincingly won all three of their friendlies last month in preparation for the tournament, so they should be heading into this evening’s game with plenty of confidence.
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