Denmark Women

Tuesday's second match was seen as the game that would decide Group B's winners, and that looks set to be Germany.

Spain were not exactly outclassed at the Brentford Community Stadium, as their chances amounted to 1.4 expected goals (xG) compared to Germany's 0.8.

But they shot themselves in the foot by gifting the eight-time European champions a third-minute lead, as Sandra Panos hit her clearance right at Klara Buhl, who cleverly evaded Irene Paredes before applying a clinical finish.

Spain kept the German defence busy and dominated proceedings for significant periods, but life got even tougher for Jorge Vilda's team in the 36th minute when Alexandra Popp beat Patri Guijarro in the air to head Felicitas Rauch's corner home.

Chances were more of a rarity in the second half, and when Merle Frohms pulled off arguably the save of the tournament so far to tip a Mariona Caldentey volley over 19 minutes from time, you got the sense this was not going to be Spain's day.

Germany ultimately cruised to victory and know a point against Finland on Saturday will secure top spot in the group.

Earlier in Milton Keynes, Denmark and Finland faced off knowing there was a distinct possibility one of them could be out of the tournament by the end of the day.

Both suffered comprehensive defeats on matchday one, meaning another loss on Tuesday would likely be a knockout blow.

It was evident almost right from the start that Finland were going to struggle, with the Danes dominating the ball and looking more cohesive going forward.

But Denmark were frustrated in the first half, with Tinja Riikka Korpela proving a reliable last line of defence in the Finland goal.

Finland did not record a shot on target until the 60th minute, though Ria Oling's long-range effort was comfortably held by Lene Christensen.

Denmark's persistence paid off 18 minutes from time, however, as Pernille Harder nodded over the line from close range after the ball came back off the bar.

Although that proved decisive, Denmark will still need to beat Spain to pip them to the runners-up spot in the group, due to La Roja's significantly better goal difference.

Eight-time European champions Germany had already won the group before Saturday's clash in Milton Keynes, but there was no let-up from Martina Voss-Tecklenburg's impressive side.

Sophia Kleinherne headed Germany ahead shortly before the interval and Alexandra Popp doubled their lead early in the second half – the 31-year-old's third goal in as many games at the tournament.

Nicole Anyomi then made it 3-0 to Germany, who will face Austria at the Brentford Community Stadium on Thursday in the last eight.

Spain left it late to edge past Denmark at Brentford.

Marta Cardona headed in the 90th-minute winner to set up a quarter-final clash against in-form hosts England in Brighton on Wednesday.

Finland's Linda Sallstrom found the opener just 49 seconds into the contest with her right-foot strike back across the keeper into the bottom-left corner – but from that point on it was all Spain.

Spain controlled 79.3 per cent of the first-half possession, taking the game by the scruff of the neck, and they were rewarded with an equaliser in the 26th minute from Irene Paredes.

Aitana Bonmati gave Spain a 2-1 lead in the 41st with a header from near the penalty spot, their half-time advantage well deserved after completing 294 passes compared to just 47 from Finland in the first 45 minutes.

The second half was even more dominant, with Spain attempting 20 shots to Finland's one, racking up 2.42 expected goals in the process.

Their dominance paid dividends in the 75th minute when Lucia Garcia finally gave the seventh-ranked team in the world some breathing room, before Mariona Caldentey put the icing on the cake deep into stoppage time.

Germany then turned on the style in a 4-0 win over Denmark, with Lina Magull opening the scoring in the 21st minute after dispossessing one of the Danish defenders and powering her shot high into the top corner.

After striking the post twice in the first half, Germany opened the floodgates in the second.

Magull turned provider by assisting Lea Schuller to make it 2-0 in the 57th minute. It was the 24-year-old Schuller's 26th international goal from her 40th cap.

Lena Lattwein was brought off the bench in the 61st minute and got herself on the scoresheet 17 minutes later, getting on the end of a Lena Oberdorf assist to net Germany's third, before fellow substitute Alexandra Popp completed the rout in the 86th minute with a point-blank header from Sydney Lohmann's cross.

Germany and Spain's next fixture will be against each other on Tuesday, when Finland face Denmark.

Barcelona Femeni packed out Camp Nou twice for Champions League games in the season just ended, in what was the most eye-catching sign of years of steady growth.

Many players who a decade ago would have needed part-time work to supplement their playing wages are now enjoying the trappings of being full-time professionals.

It means these players are physically sharper, more tactically astute, and skill levels are soaring skywards, making Euro 2022 an unmissable prospect.

Here, Stats Perform looks at seven players who could emerge as dominant stars of the tournament.

Alexia Putellas, Spain and Barcelona

Generally considered to be the world's best player, Putellas became the first Spain women's international to reach 100 caps on Friday when she played and scored in a 1-1 friendly draw against Italy. She runs the show for Barcelona, captaining the team, and delivered a flood of goals from midfield. She hit 34 goals across all competitions last season, including a four-minute hat-trick against Valencia, and in the Champions League she was named player of the season, despite her team's 3-1 defeat to Lyon in the final.

Irene Paredes, Spain and Barcelona

If Putellas pulls the strings in the opposition half, it will likely fall to Paredes to organise at the other end of the field, as favourites Spain look to keep it tight at the back. The Barcelona centre-back is set to captain Spain, who are seeking their first European Championship title. After joining last year from Paris Saint-Germain, Paredes helped Barcelona to a polished Primera Division campaign of 30 wins from 30 games, with only 11 goals conceded. Almost 11 years since making her debut in Euro 2013 qualifying, Spain will look for Paredes to lead by example.

Pernille Harder, Denmark and Chelsea

Harder is a serial winner at club level, having won four consecutive league and cup doubles with Wolfsburg before joining Chelsea for a reported world-record fee in September 2020 and adding back-to-back WSL and FA Cup doubles. The classy forward will create chances for others but is also a deadly finisher, scoring 68 goals in 134 internationals. Runners-up last time, Denmark will look to Harder to ensure they are in the mix again this month.

Ada Hegerberg, Norway and Lyon

Hegerberg is the returning Norway heroine, coming back into the fold in March after almost five years in self-imposed exile, having previously been upset by the national federation's treatment of the women's game. A true superstar of the game, the Lyon striker and former Ballon d'Or Feminin winner suffered an ACL injury in early 2020 that kept her sidelined for 20 months, but she is emphatically back now, as she proved when scoring in the Champions League final win over Barcelona – a 59th European club competition goal in her 60th such game.

Beth Mead, England and Arsenal

Once a teenage revelation at Sunderland, now at Arsenal, Mead had to wait until just before her 23rd birthday before earning a first England cap. In the four years since that debut, she has floated in and out of the team, with the Lionesses having serious riches with their attacking options. This could be the Whitby-born player's tournament, with Sarina Wiegman expected to include her in an attacking three behind a main striker. Mead has hit three hat-tricks for England in the last nine months and is also a highly creative player from the flanks. She is one of a handful of England attackers who could light up the tournament.

Vivianne Miedema, Netherlands and Arsenal

Mead's club-mate has enjoyed a stunning five-year spell in the English top flight, hitting a record 74 Women's Super League goals in 89 games. In May, the former Bayern Munich player agreed a new deal with the Gunners, and now she will spearhead the Netherlands' European title defence. Described by team-mate Jill Roord as "an absolute killer", Miedema helped the Netherlands reach the 2019 World Cup final and scored a record 10 goals at the Tokyo Olympics, despite the Dutch campaign ending with a quarter-final penalty shoot-out loss to the United States. Miedema surprisingly missed from the spot, so she is not perfect, but defences will fear her presence over the coming weeks.

Marie-Antoinette Katoto, France and Paris Saint-Germain

The PSG and France men's teams have Kylian Mbappe, and the women have Marie-Antoinette Katoto, a record-breaking superstar in her own right. Both are 23 years old, both have over 100 goals for PSG, and both could lead their country to trophy glory this year. Katoto became PSG's record scorer in the women's game last season, and last week agreed a new contract tying her to the capital club until 2025. There lies another Mbappe parallel, with PSG determined to keep the striker out of the clutches of rival clubs, knowing she is the sort of talent that could make an explosive impact on Euro 2022.