Sweden full-back Jonna Andersson has suggested that home support could give England the edge at Euro 2022 this month, admitting that ‘small margins’ will likely decide who comes out on top at an incredibly competitive tournament.
Sweden are the highest ranked European nation on FIFA’s global standings, while the likes of Germany, France, Spain and reigning champions Netherlands are all also fancied in addition to England, who have been to semi-finals at three consecutive major competitions since 2015.
The Lionesses will open Euro 2022 with a Group A clash against Austria at a sold-out Old Trafford on Wednesday evening, with more than 70,000 expected to attend.
“They have a lot of incredibly skilled players and have the championship at home, which they can perhaps be strengthened by and get the fans in every match. I definitely see them as a great candidate to fight for the gold,” Andersson told the Swedish media.
“There are small margins. It will be a tough championship for all nations and I think it is the small margins that will win it.”
Andersson has also backed former Chelsea teammate Fran Kirby for an important role after returning to fitness following a fatigue problem in the latter half of the 2021/22 club season.
“She was gone for a long time and you never really know how fast you can recover and get back to a good, physical shape,” the player said. “If she comes up with the quality that she can play on and show on the pitch, then she will probably be incredibly important to them.”
Andersson, who left Chelsea at the end of the WSL campaign to return home to Sweden with Hammarby, joked that the thing that counts against England is that Sweden are simply better.
The Swedes will get their campaign underway on Saturday night against Netherlands in Sheffield.
For more from Jamie Spencer, follow him on Twitter and Facebook!
