Garcia Late Show Helps Spain Qualify For Euro 2025

AFP/APP

Paris: Lucia Garcia’s late effort claimed World Cup winners Spain a spot in the women’s Euro 2025 as they beat Denmark 3-2 on Tuesday in Tenerife.

La Roja remain unbeaten in Group A2 in the Nations League and they are guaranteed to finish in the top two, with two games of the campaign remaining, against the Czech Republic and Belgium in mid-July.

Spain needed two goals from Irene Paredes in a three minute spell in the second half to draw level with Denmark.

 Attacker Janni Thomsen had put the visitors 2-0 up by the 72nd minute before Spain’s comeback, which was capped by Garcia’s effort in the 92nd minute.

 In Group A3, defending European champions England claimed revenge over France winning 2-1 in Saint-Etienne having lost by the same score in Newcastle on Friday.

 The Lionesses, who won the last Covid-delayed Euros in 2022 before losing to Spain in last year’s World Cup final, raced to a 2-0 lead as forwards Georgia Stanway and Alessia Russo scored before the 35-minute mark.

 “We were on the front foot from the beginning. We knew the other day wasn’t bad but there was a few things we had to tweak,” Stanway told broadcasters ITV.

 “We knew how important it was to get the three points. It’s absolutely massive. That’s a really big win for us today,” she added.

“We were on the front foot from the beginning. We knew the other day wasn’t bad but there was a few things we had to tweak.

Les Bleues attacker Kadidiatou Diani halved the deficit with 28 minutes remaining but the hosts were unable to find a second goal, sending England to a first away win over France in 51 years.

France remain top, two points clear of second-placed Sweden, who beat Ireland 1-0, with England third on goal difference.

The 2017 European champions Netherlands are still not guaranteed their place in Switzerland next year after a 1-1 draw with Finland.

Elsewhere in Group A1, Italy also drew 1-1 with Norway, with all four teams in with a shout of finishing in the top two and a spot in the finals.

In Group A4, Germany reached Euro 2025 after they beat Poland 3-1 in Gdynia as Bayern Munich attacker Lea Schueller scored a double.

In Group B, where the top three in each of the four groups will reach the play offs, already-qualified hosts Switzerland lost 1-0 to Hungary in their first defeat of the campaign.