Football betting tips: Women's Euro
1pt Delphine Cascarino to score or assist at 11/8 (Paddy Power)
1pt Jule Brand to score or assist at 23/10 (Paddy Power)
France vs Germany
- Kick-off: 20:00 BST, Saturday
- TV: ITV1
- Live odds, form and stats
The quarter finals wrap up with France vs Germany, a re-run of the second semi-final from the last Euros, which is also a re-run of one of the inaugural Nations League semi-finals too, with Germany victorious at the Euros, France on top in the NL.
Their only other recent (well, a decade ago) competitive meeting went the way of the Germans at the 2015 World Cup in a quarter-final decided on penalties. While the two have met repeatedly over the course of the last decade, most clashes have been friendly and punctuated by coaching changes and transition.
Looking over the course of the calendar year, both teams came into the Euros without having lost a game this year, France with eight wins from eight and Germany with six wins and one draw.
Les Bleues have been able to parry that pre-tournament form into some delightful football in Switzerland, looking calm and controlled against England before dispatching with Wales and laying waste to the Netherlands in a second-half blow-out.
Germany, however, have looked shaky this summer, needing a Jule Brand belter to unlock a stubborn Polish defence, having to come from behind against Denmark and then imploding against Sweden en route to a 4-1 loss.
France should be the overwhelming favourites to win this match but you’ll find them priced, relatively favourably, at 21/20 to win in 90 minutes and that’s due in large part to their unfortunate tournament history.
Following back-to-back fourth place finishes at the 2011 World Cup and 2012 Olympics, Les Bleues were knocked out at the quarter-final stage of each of their next five tournaments.
A team which usually peaks in the group stage, France only managed to break the streak when they reached the last four for the first time in a decade at the last Euros, where they met a Wembley-bound Germany.
In action at both the 2023 World Cup and 2024 Olympics, the French quarter final curse returned.
A team that has, over the years, produced just the right football at the right time, even if their form has been wonky, Germany have so often prevailed – cue that Gary Lineker quote about what happens after 90 minutes – yet aside from Brand and Klara Bühl playing out of their skin, Germany have looked flat and short of ideas this summer.
Shocked by Sweden at the end of the group stage, and losing their back-up right-back to a straight red after their primary right-back and captain suffered an MCL injury in the first game, curtailing her tournament, it would require an entirely unexpected bounce back from Germany to reach the semi-finals.
That is your context, those are your caveats. But that was also then and this is now and Laurent Bonadei’s team look, frankly, strong.
Compared with Germany’s soft-touch defence, lack of defensive midfield strength and attack that hasn’t quite been clicking: as it is, Germany’s reputation (and eight Euro titles) has preceded them which is why they’re priced at surprisingly short odds of 23/10.
The only other thing to say, is like so many backlines in Switzerland, I also don’t trust France’s defence and although it hasn’t been overly worked this tournament, Pauline Peyraud-Magnin hasn’t managed to keep a clean sheet yet this summer.
So, what’s actually going to happen? Well, before I talk myself into a Germany win, I will say it’s got to be a game that has goals, for each, and of course, Both Teams to Score is priced at 8/15, a goal in each half is currently at 4/7 and Over 4.5 goals returns at 9/2.
And if this ends scoreless, I’m happy to take the blame.
France have had far better of it in the group stage, but arguably have come up against weaker defences than Germany have faced but that doesn’t take away from the form Delphine Cascarino has been in, the 28-year-old has two goals and two assists in two starts this Euros and is priced at 11/4 to score anytime, or if for the more cautious out there, 11/8 TO SCORE OR ASSIST.
Thanks to some French rotation for their second game, there have been nine separate goalscorers for Les Bleues so far, but other than Cascarino, Marie-Antoinette Katoto is the only other Frenchwoman to have found the back of the net more than once this Euros, she’s currently priced at 6/4 to score anytime.
Bonadei has used his bench well, and has rotated fresh legs into the attack in each game so far, so if France do end up cruising to victory on Saturday, it may be worth looking at Kadidiatou Diani to score and win at 4/1.
As said, I don’t trust the French defence to keep a clean sheet and after facing a trio of miserly defences in the group stage, Germany should be able to breathe a sigh of relief coming into this one.
But having come up against multiple well-organised low blocks, Germany’s goal record this Euros doesn’t make for the best reading, with only three different goalscorers (including Sjoeke Nüsken who tucked home a spot-kick on the second match-day).
As well as picking up a pair of assists, BRAND has netted twice for her nation this summer and overall, has been one of Germany’s best players, she’s currently priced at 9/4 TO SCORE OR ASSIST.
As well as goals, I’m expecting a touch of feistiness with the last two competitive meetings between these two, each drawing four cards (two for each team), shown a yellow on both of those occasions, Sandie Toletti to be carded at 9/2 is worth a look, as is Elisa Senß priced at 5/1 for an anytime card, the German midfielder is currently leading the tournament in fouls committed.
And of course, if it’s a bit of a chippy game, I have to say, a penalty awarded at 6/4.
For a combined bet, I’m looking at Both Teams to Score & Each Team to Have 2+ Corners in Each Half, priced at 13/2.
Odds correct at 0930 BST (18/07/25)
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