When England came off the pitch at the Amex Stadium against Norway nine days ago, they had just wiped the floor with their Group A opponents, dispatching them 8-0.

Suffice to say the return to Brighton to face Spain in the last eight was a more difficult encounter for Sarina Wiegman's side, but they showed true grit and determination to advance to the semi-finals at the Women’s European Championships.

Spain had been the last team to stop England from winning, with their 0-0 draw in February being the final result before the Lionesses went on a nine-game winning streak (now 10). They were also the only side that England had failed to score against in their first 17 games under Wiegman.

However, a hard-working performance from the hosts saw them come from behind to secure a 2-1 extra-time victory, eliminating one of the other pre-tournament favourites.

Prior to the game, La Roja boss Jorge Vilda appeared to be playing mind games, aiming to put pressure on his opponents.

"If I imagine Spain playing a quarter-final against England, in a home Euros they had organised, a Spain team playing in a big Spanish stadium, I imagine this would weigh on us. I think this could take away more than it gives," he said at his pre-match news conference.

He appeared to be correct as England struggled to find anything like the fluency they enjoyed in recent games for much of normal time, whether it was nerves or a well-executed Spain gameplan.

It was a tentative start on the English south coast, clear immediately that Spain would be a tougher proposition than Norway. They had lost only one game (v Germany in the group stage) in their previous 26 international matches (W21 D4), so were always going to be a hard nut for England to crack.

Mariona Caldentey was causing problems for Lucy Bronze down the Spain left and had the first shot on target after 16 mins as the visitors started to impose their possession game, giving England a problem they were yet to face in the tournament so far.

Olga Carmona was tasked with keeping tournament top scorer Beth Mead quiet and achieved just that as the England star was unable to exert any authority on the game.

Despite being largely on the back foot, the hosts thought they had taken the lead in the 37th minute when a free-kick was headed down into the path of Ellen White, who fired home, only for an offside flag to correctly go up, with White denied the chance to equal Wayne Rooney's England record of 53 goals.

Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas was an obvious miss for Vilda's side. The Barcelona captain finished as the Champions League's top goalscorer with 11 goals last season and ended her domestic campaign with 18.

Spain's most capped player (100), who also won the FIFA Best Women's Player award in 2021, will miss the next 10-12 months with an ACL injury, and would have likely been a key factor in this one as La Roja dominated the ball for large spells but struggled to find their way through Wiegman's team.

England, who were 6-0 up at half-time when they played Norway, managed just the one shot in the opening 45 minutes here, and that did not arrive until the 40th minute, with Spain having six.

The Lionesses started the second half brightly, though, noticeably pressing higher up the pitch and with more fervour.

However, it was half-time Spain substitute, Athenea del Castillo, who produced a bit of magic to open the scoring, jinking inside Rachel Daly from the right before cutting back to Esther Gonzalez, who turned and finished well past Mary Earps in the 54th minute.

Wiegman responded by making her own substitutions, surprisingly removing Mead and White for Alessia Russo and Chloe Kelly.

It almost made a difference straight away as Russo flicked a ball on for Lauren Hemp, who was brought down in the penalty area, but referee Stephanie Frappart waved away the claims much to the annoyance of the vocal home fans.

It appeared England had given all they had, until another substitute made the difference as Ella Toone ran onto a Russo knockdown to prod the ball past Sandra Panos and equalise with six minutes remaining.

That forced extra-time and momentum swung in England's favour as Georgia Stanway went on a run through the middle before unleashing a ferocious strike past Panos from 25 yards to send the home fans into raptures.

Stanway's effort was the 100th goal England have scored under Wiegman in just her 18th game in charge, and the 11th from outside the penalty area.

It was now Spain who looked like they had run out of ideas, and despite a couple of minor scares, England held on to seal their place in the final four and show they may not always need to dominate games to get the job done.

A great roar went up from the 28,994 in attendance in Brighton, enough to frighten the local seagulls, as England celebrated a hard-fought victory.

If the thrashing of Norway had shown what England were capable of when at full flow, this win displayed another weapon in the arsenal that the hosts will likely have to call on again if they are to go all the way.

Georgia Stanway powered home a stunning extra-time strike to send England into the Euro 2022 semi-finals with a 2-1 victory over Spain in Brighton on Wednesday. 

The Lionesses had not lost in 17 games under coach Sarina Wiegman but fell behind to Esther Gonzalez's second-half finish before substitute Ella Toone equalised with six minutes to go. 

Stanway smashed in the decisive goal in the 96th minute and England will next face either Sweden or Belgium, who meet in Leigh on Friday, after making the last four at a major tournament for the fourth successive time. 

Ellen White thought she had opened the scoring in a cagey first half but was denied by the offside flag, before Gonzalez finished into the bottom-left corner after Athenea del Castillo's cutback in the 54th minute. 

Mary Earps kept England in the game with a smart save from Del Castillo's deflected cross and the Lionesses capitalised as Toone volleyed home from Alessia Russo's cushioned header to send the match to extra time. 

Stanway then delivered the decisive moment, receiving the ball from Keira Walsh before driving forward and arrowing into the top-left corner to keep England's Euro 2022 hopes alive. 

Sarina Wiegman will be back on the touchline for England's Euro 2022 quarter-final against Spain after testing negative for COVID-19.

The Lionesses cruised through the group stages to reach the last eight on home turf, but were without head coach Wiegman for their most recent outing, against Northern Ireland, due to a positive coronavirus test.

Wiegman subsequently suggested she was "very hopeful" of returning for the crucial knockout clash at the AMEX Stadium, and the FA confirmed on Wednesday that the 52-year-old had recovered in time.

"Sarina Wiegman has tested negative for Covid," a statement from the FA read. 

"Wiegman will now return to all elements of her role and will take her place on the bench for tonight's quarter-final against Spain."

Wiegman has named the same starting XI in every match so far and is expected to do the same in Brighton, on the same ground where England thumped Norway 8-0 in their second group-stage match.

The winners of England's clash with La Roja will face either Sweden or Belgium, who meet at Leigh on Friday, in the final four.

Leah Williamson is hopeful that England manager Sarina Wiegman will be in the dugout for Wednesday's Women's European Championship quarter-final against Spain.

Wiegman missed the final group game against Northern Ireland after testing positive for COVID-19, though England had already qualified as Group A winners prior to the 5-0 victory in Southampton.

The Dutch coach will need to test negative before the last-eight clash at Brighton and Hove Albion's Amex Stadium, and is not the only member of the England camp to test positive, with goalkeeper Hannah Hampton being ruled out of the Spain game for the same reason on Tuesday.

Speaking at a news conference ahead of the game, Lionesses captain Williamson acknowledged the frustration of being affected by COVID, but believes the squad preparation means they should not be too adversely affected.

"It's frustrating. For somebody like Hannah, we want her around the team and it's disappointing for her to miss out," Williamson said. "And obviously, Sarina, we'll see how that that works out.

"Ideally, you'd have everybody available, but I think we're lucky that we're such a well-prepared team. Despite the frustration, I think it doesn't derail us at all, which is obviously a massive sort of well done to the staff and everybody around the team for making sure it doesn't."

England eased through the group stage, beating Austria 1-0 at Old Trafford in the opening game before thrashing Norway 8-0 in Brighton to secure their place atop the group, and Williamson had words of praise for Wiegman, who has made a big impact on the Lionesses.

Since her appointment in September, England have won 15 and drawn two of her first 17 outings, scoring a remarkable 98 goals while conceding only three.

"Obviously, it'll be a massive, massive bonus for us [if Wiegman is present]," Williamson said. "Sarina's experience and character speaks for itself, and she's great at connecting with us.

"Obviously, it's great to have her influence, and it's not changed anything in terms of the information that she provides, but naturally having her around the team is a good thing as well.

"I think we're sturdy enough to survive without her, as we showed the other day, but I think to have her back [would] be great, obviously."

England tackle Spain in a heavyweight quarter-final as the knockout stages of Euro 2022 get under way on Wednesday, with records already tumbling and data quirks around every corner.

The tournament has just passed its halfway stage in terms of the total number of games, with 16 of 31 having been played, and already more spectators have seen the finals in England than have attended any previous Women's Euros.

UEFA said 369,314 tickets were sold for group-stage games, with the soaring popularity of the women's game meaning the tournament attendance record of 240,055, set in the Netherlands five years ago, has been obliterated.

Sarina Wiegman's free-scoring England Lionesses have played an instrumental part in the tournament's success to date, with the host nation rallying around a team who scored a record 14 goals in the group stage, with Beth Mead's personal haul of five goals so far also a new all-time best for the group round.

Now the knockout stages await and the stakes are raised. Stats Perform, assisted by data from Opta, has looked at the tournament so far, plus each last-eight game, to see where the title might be won and lost.

The story so far

England have been the deadliest finishers, scoring 14 goals with a conversion rate of 24.6 per cent. Sweden sit next on that list, putting away 23.5 per cent of chances to net eight goals, five of which came in their final group game against Portugal.

France have scored all eight of their goals in the first half of their games, while England have hit nine before the interval and added five afterwards. The Netherlands have only scored twice prior to half-time in their games but have netted six second-half strikes, the most of all teams.

Switzerland exited after losing in painfully familiar fashion, with a second-half capitulation in going down 4-1 to the Dutch. The Swiss kept three first-half clean sheets in Group C but were pushovers after the interval, conceding eight times. In sharp contrast, all three of the goals Spain have shipped have come in the opening 45 minutes.

Spain have played the most passes overall, excluding crosses. Their total of 2,052 passes has come with an 86.0 per cent accuracy rate, while England have attempted the second highest number of passes (1,674) with a competition-leading 86.5 per cent precision.

The Spanish national team are famed for their possession-based, attractive football, teasing their way through defences with clever passes. Yet four of Spain's five goals have been headers, compared to three of 14 for England.

Mead sits top of the goal involvements list with seven (five goals, two assists), which puts her comfortably ahead of England team-mate Fran Kirby and Sweden's Kosovare Asllani, both of whom have scored once and set up three goals for a total of four involvements each.

Spain have the top five on the list of players with the most passes in the opposition half, led by defender Mapi Leon who has played 176 passes with a success rate of 90.3 per cent. For passes into the final third, Leon's accuracy dips to 83 per cent.

Best is still to come...

QUARTER-FINAL 1: Spain v England – July 20, Brighton

England have a record of played two, won two in previous Women's Euros quarter-finals, beating Finland 3-2 in 2009 and then edging France 1-0 five years ago in the Netherlands. Meanwhile, Spain have lost both of their previous games at this stage, going down 3-1 to Norway in 2013 and suffering a penalty shoot-out defeat to Austria in 2017, following a goalless draw.

Four of England's starters from the 2017 win over France have played in every game so far at these finals: Lucy Bronze, Mille Bright, Kirby and Ellen White.

England have never lost on home soil against Spain (P7 W4 D3), with the teams battling out a 0-0 draw when they last met in February. However, Spain have beaten England three times before when taking all 15 previous encounters into account, losing six and drawing six.

Including a 20-0 win over Latvia last November, England have scored 98 goals in their 17 games under head coach Sarina Wiegman, scoring an average of 5.8 goals per game and only conceding three times.

Mead's haul of five goals so far matches Jodie Taylor's Lionesses record haul from the last Euros, which won her the Golden Boot. Spain have scored five goals in total during this tournament, with five different scorers.

QF2: Germany v Austria – July 21, Brentford

Germany are one of two teams, along with England, who have yet to concede a goal. That does not bode well for Austria, who are making their second appearance at this stage after beating Norway in the last round of group games.

The Austrians will start as big underdogs against the eight-time champions (winners once as West Germany, seven times as Germany), with Germany having won 15 of their most recent 16 games when going beyond the group stages. That had been a 15-game winning run until Denmark halted it in the 2017 quarter-finals, scoring a surprise 2-1 win.

Austria might need Barbara Dunst's luck to change if they are to stand any chance. Dunst has had 11 shots and created eight chances for Austria so far in this tournament, but she has yet to score or have an assist. She had the most direct involvements in shots (19) without scoring or assisting of all players in the group stage.

QF3: Sweden v Belgium – July 22, Leigh

Sweden are the highest-placed team on the FIFA ranking list, sitting second, behind the United States. They are quietly going about their business in England, and it would be a major surprise for them not to reach the semi-finals from this tie.

Including penalties, Sweden scored more goals from set-pieces than any other side in the group stage (5). Belgium might be concerned by that, given two of the three goals they have conceded came from dead-ball scenarios.

Of the eight quarter-finalists, Belgium scored the joint-fewest goals (3) in the group stage, had the fewest shots (21), the fewest shots on target (11) and the lowest expected goals total (2.6). The Red Flames surely need to find more of a spark for this big game.

QF4: France v Netherlands – July 23, Rotherham

France will be playing a fourth consecutive match in Rotherham, a town which is twinned with the French city of Saint-Quentin.

This is also a fourth consecutive Women's Euros quarter-final for France, who have lost each time at this stage, including a penalty shoot-out defeat to the Netherlands in 2009. They were beaten on spot-kicks by Denmark in 2013, and then slumped 1-0 to England in 2017. France have lost star striker Marie-Antoinette Katoto to an ACL knee injury, so memories of fast-flowing football in their opening 5-1 win over Italy are becoming distant.

Defending their title this time, the Netherlands have lost Euro 2017 player of the tournament Lieke Martens to injury and star goalscorer Vivianne Miedema has been sidelined of late after a COVID-19 positive test.

Yet the Dutch have progressed on each of the two occasions they have reached the quarter-finals previously, with the win over France in 2009 followed in 2017 by a 2-0 victory over Sweden.

Sarina Wiegman said she was "very hopeful" of returning to the touchline for England's Euro 2022 quarter-final against Spain and revealed the Lionesses have tightened their squad bubble.

Head coach Wiegman was absent from the team's final group match against Northern Ireland after testing positive for COVID-19, and back-up goalkeeper Hannah Hampton has also come down with the coronavirus.

Wiegman said the worst of her symptoms were "a little temperature and a little coughing", and she has been able to watch team training from a safe distance, while wearing a mask.

"I'm good, I'm feeling well, actually ready to go, but still have to wait," said a healthy-looking Wiegman in a virtual news conference.

"Of course, I'm very hopeful, but we'll see what happens and we don't know. If I can't be there, I'll be there in another way."

Former Netherlands coach Wiegman would rather be at the game in Brighton, but if she does not test negative before the team travel from their London base, she will have a phone line to the England bench.

After naming the same team for each of England's three group games, Wiegman hinted she would go with that favoured XI again.

Spain have been hampered by the loss of star players Alexia Putellas and Jennifer Hermoso, meaning they are significantly under-strength, but they have still looked impressive at times and could test the hosts.

Their game is possession-based, and that is demonstrated by Spain having played the most passes in the opposition half – excluding crosses – at the tournament so far. Their total of 1,274 such passes puts them well clear on that list, with England second with 936 passes and France (746) down in third.

"Of course they missed two key players, but I still think they have a very good team, and they're very tight on the ball, but we've seen they have some vulnerabilities, so absolutely it's going to be a top game and I hope we'll be successful," Wiegman said.

"They're a very good team, we're a very good team too, and we want to play the best game we can and hopefully that will bring us the win. They'll probably have the ball a lot; I hope we'll have a lot of the ball too."

The COVID-19 situation worries every team, with the prospect of key personnel being forced out of important games. Tournament favourites England are doing all they can to avoid the virus circulating.

"It's very invisible, but we're trying to stay in our bubble and do the right things," Wiegman said. "When there is a positive we have to be agile, creative and continue with the ones that are fit.

"We did some more strict measurements and everyone understands. It's not the worst nightmare, it's just the situation we have to deal with."

England forward Lauren Hemp believes fans are yet to see her best football ahead of the Lionesses' Euro 2022 quarter-final against Spain, as she warned facing La Roja represented a "massive challenge".

Hosts England breezed through the group stages at the Women's Euros, recording the biggest ever win at a European Championship when hammering eight goals past Norway before rounding off Group A with a 5-0 win over Northern Ireland. 

In doing so, Sarina Wiegman's team became the first side since Germany (in 2001, 2005 and 2009) to win all three of their group games at back-to-back European Championships, having done likewise in 2017.

The Lionesses have now scored an astonishing 98 goals in just 17 games under Wiegman, remaining unbeaten throughout and only conceding three times. 

Hemp started all three of England's group games, scoring in the resounding win over Norway, but is targeting improvements on an individual level as the knockout stages get underway.

"I think it takes time, it's my first major tournament with England, and in front of so many fans it is nerve-wrecking, I'm not going to lie," Hemp said in a news conference on Monday.

"I think being consistent is something I'm striving towards and personally I don't think you've seen the best yet, there's still time, and obviously it's going to take a while and I'm still so young.

"I'm still learning every day and taking it all in my stride really. I've got a great group of players around me who are supporting me and doing amazing. 

"It's important that we carry on this run and everyone's taking so much confidence from the recent games, it's important that we carry that on in the quarter-finals."

Wednesday's opponents Spain began the tournament as one of the favourites but finished second in Group B after losing Ballon d'Or-winning winger Alexia Putellas to injury before their opening game.

While Hemp is looking forward to facing Spain at Brighton and Hove Albion's AMEX Stadium, she admits La Roja, ranked seventh in the world by FIFA, will provide a stern test. 

"I think the overriding feeling is excitement, we've played them before in the Arnold Clark Cup [a 0-0 draw in February] and that was a massive learning curve for us," she added.

"We've done all the preparation needed and it's important that we stay on track, we've got a lot of confidence from the previous games obviously, [keeping] clean sheets, scoring lots of goals, and we're in a good place as a group, it's really exciting.

"We've got a lot of respect for the teams we have played and also the team we're going to come up against, but it's going to be a massive challenge, we know that.

"Coming into the quarter-finals is never going to be easy, it's two top sides coming up against each other so we're just looking forward to it."

Meanwhile, England's preparations for their last-eight clash have been disrupted by Wiegman testing positive for COVID-19, but Hemp played down the importance of her absence from training.  

"It's been different, obviously Covid is still around and it's a frustrating thing, it's unfortunate that she's got it," Hemp said.

"But we've trained for so long for these scenarios, she's still involved in the sessions remotely, but we've still got a fantastic technical staff and it doesn't feel that different, to be honest.

"She's still there and still supporting us, whether that's remotely or in person."

Spain are "not scared" of facing England in the European Women's Championship quarter-finals and are extra motivated to eliminate the tournament hosts, according to midfielder Aitana Bonmati.

La Roja beat Denmark 1-0 at the Brentford Community Stadium on Saturday through a late Marta Cardona goal to set up a last-eight showdown with a much-fancied England side on Wednesday.

England won all three of their group matches, scoring 14 times and conceding none, while they have netted at an average of 5.8 goals per game in their 17 matches under Sarina Wiegman (98 goals in total).

Just as remarkably, the Lionesses have conceded just three goals across those 17 games under Wiegman and never more than once in a single contest, keeping 14 clean sheets in the process.

Spain are ranked one place above England in the latest FIFA rankings, however, and Bonmati does not see any reason for her side to fear the rampant hosts in Brighton next week.

"It's motivating," said Bonmati, who plies her club trade for Barcelona. "I'm not scared and I think my team-mates aren't scared either.

"We played against England in the Arnold Clark Cup. We know that they are a good team and they have had many good performances.

"We have seen their three group games and they did very well. But we think we can beat them if we improve our style and play better [than against Denmark]."

England and Spain have faced each other on 15 previous occasions, with the Lionesses (six) winning twice as many games as La Roja (three) across all their meetings.

However, Spain are unbeaten in the past two of those meetings, beating England 1-0 in the SheBelieves Cup in 2020 (1-0) and drawing 0-0 against them in the Arnold Clark Cup in February. 

Only once previously have Spain gone three in a row without defeat against England, doing so between 1993 and 1996 (four games).

Echoing the views of team-mate Bonmati, Ona Batlle is optimistic of advancing to the semi-finals, where a showdown with one of Sweden or the Netherlands may await.

"We've seen a lot of their games and I think they play really well, really good. They have a really good squad and it is not just the starting players. Everyone there is a good player," she said.

"They are very strong and they are playing in England, so they have that [home advantage]. But that's going to be a boost for us because we know everything [about them] and we are ready for them. I think we can do it."

Germany made it three Group B wins out of three with a 3-0 triumph over Finland, with Spain joining them in the quarter-finals of Euro 2022 after a last-gasp 1-0 victory against Denmark.

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.

Germany are through to the knockout phases of the Women's Euro 2022 after beating Spain 2-0 in Group B, a result which also confirmed Finland's elimination following their 1-0 loss to Denmark.

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.

Alexia Putellas is expected to be out of action for up to a year after undergoing surgery on her anterior cruciate ligament injury, Barcelona have confirmed.

Spain's Ballon d'Or-winning winger Putellas was ruled out of the Women's Euros after suffering the injury in training just three days before La Roja's Group B opener against Finland.

While Jorge Vilda's team went on to record a 4-1 win in that contest, the injury to Putellas remains a huge blow to their chances of winning the tournament, with the 28-year-old having scored 27 times in 100 international appearances and top-scored with 11 goals in the Women's Champions League last term.

"The FC Barcelona Medical Services are pleased to announce that Tuesday morning's operation on Alexia Putellas at Hospital de Barcelona was a success," began a statement on the club's website.

"The women's team captain and world player of the year has torn cruciate ligaments in her left knee and will be out of action for between 10 and 12 months."

As well as damaging Spain's hopes of a first major tournament win, Putellas' injury also impacts Barcelona, who won all 30 of their domestic league games last season before losing the Champions League final 3-1 to Lyon in May, with the winger scoring their consolation goal.

Favourites Spain began their campaign with a 4-1 win over Finland in the first game of Friday's doubleheader, but they had to respond to some early adversity after falling behind in the first minute.

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.

Ballon d'Or Feminin winner Alexia Putellas could return from her ACL rupture even better than she was before, according to a leading knee specialist.

Barcelona and Spain superstar Putellas has been ruled out of the Women's Euro 2022 following the injury on the eve of the tournament.

The setback deals a huge blow to both Putellas and Spain, but she is expected to make a full recovery.

And professor Adrian Wilson, a leading consultant orthopaedic and specialist knee surgeon, has no doubts the Barca captain will be back to her best following her rehabilitation, even suggesting she could improve her game.

"Absolutely, absolutely – she's got a really good chance of making it all the way back to the same level," Wilson told Stats Perform.

"And the great thing about treating any athlete is they're so determined that they just do so well.

"They're the best people to treat, because they've got great opportunities in terms of rehabilitation with physiotherapists, et cetera, and the determination is there, so they tend to do brilliantly.

"So, she'll be back. She'll be back playing better than she did. In fact, she could strengthen her knee to the point where she likes that one more than the normal one."

Putellas will have to stay patient, however, as Wilson warns a player of her age should expect up to a year out of action.

"You need focus for these things. Elite athletes are extremely focused individuals," he said. "And she'll be made aware of the fact that she shouldn't overdo it.

"So, she'll be pushing herself to the right limit every day. And the nice thing about recovering from an ACL is you see very rapid improvements, particularly in the early phase. And there are set phases of rehabilitation that she will go through.

"And then at the end, she'll have a return-to-play assessment performed on a regular basis to assess how well she's bending it, how strong, how good her balance is, and how prepared she is in bouncing around. There's lots of different tests we can do.

"And if she ticks all the boxes, she may get back at six months, if she's already at that point. But for somebody of her age, it's normally nine to 12 months before we're happy for them to return."

Spain remain among the favourites to win the Women's Euros despite losing Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas to injury, according to former European champion Hege Riise, who also expects England to impress.

Putellas, who has scored 27 goals in 100 caps for Spain, was ruled out of the tournament after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in training, leaving La Roja without one of their star players.

The 28-year-old top-scored in the Champions League with Barcelona last term, scoring 11 goals in continental competition as well as 18 on the domestic front as the Catalan giants won all 30 of their league games.

Her injury is just the latest blow to befall Spain ahead of their opening match against Finland on Friday, with record goalscorer Jennifer Hermoso also ruled out.

But Riise, who won the Women's World Cup in 1995 and the Euros in 1993 during a glorious spell with Norway, for whom she made 188 appearances, believes other players may step up in Putellas' absence.

"I've been expecting Spain to go through a few times now. And then obviously they got an injury for the key player," Riise told Stats Perform.

"So that will be a setback, of course, but maybe the team now steps out and works as a team and not individually. 

"They still do have some key players that will manage to do well, and a lot of them are playing for Barcelona, so they know how to play and know each other quite well. 

"So, I think Spain this time around can be a threat. Germany I'm not so sure about, but hopefully we'll get some surprises."

Riise did express her regret at missing out on seeing Putellas light up the tournament, however, adding: "In the women's game, when you have a world-class player, you want them in the tournament so the fans can see them in their own environment. 

"Obviously when she doesn't play you miss something, so you want the best player always to play in the Euros, World Cups and the Olympics."

Riise's own nation began their Group A campaign with a comprehensive 4-1 win over Northern Ireland at St Mary's on Thursday, and face hosts England next.

And while Riise believes Norway could test England at the Amex Stadium, she says the tournament experience of Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman could make the hosts genuine contenders. 

"I saw the opening game with England [1-0 against Austria]. First half, I think they were outstanding," Riise added. "But they should have scored some more goals, in the second half, they showed that they can be vulnerable as well. 

"But they haven't lost any games in a long, long time. So, the confidence that they have and the fans in the stands will help them to build on this. But having the fans there could be positive and negative. 

"The attention makes you more nervous, but I think they are in a good place now and Sarina Wiegman has been in the Euros final with Holland [in 2017], same in the World Cup final [in 2019]. So, she has the experience.

"For the Norway-England match, it will be close but player for player, England are better. Though a team like Norway can, if not beat them, get a good result."

Lucy Bronze described Spain's setback of losing Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas as "devastating" and a blow to the women's game as a whole.

England star Bronze, who will become a team-mate of Putellas next season after recently signing for Barcelona, backed the 28-year-old to rebound from her crushing Euro 2022 disappointment.

Putellas, who has scored 27 goals in 100 international appearances, suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in training on Tuesday and will play no part in the tournament that began on Wednesday.

"For anyone who suffers an ACL, it's devastating," Bronze said. "My old team-mate [Lyon's Germany international Dzsenifer] Marozsan did her ACL just before the tournament, and I was devastated for her, and now Alexia as well.

"Obviously she's one of the best players in the world – the best player in the world right now – and one of my team-mates.

"For women's football, we want the best players on the pitch. I'm sure she'll get straight back to Barcelona, and they'll want to get her back on the pitch and fighting fit.

"I'm sure she'll be back playing for Barca as soon as possible, and the World Cup is still to come next year, so she's still got plenty of time and plenty of stages to shine."

Putellas' absence is a colossal blow for Spain, with the 28-year-old having top-scored in the Champions League with 11 goals last season.

Bronze, who has battled knee problems during her own career, is hoping for a clean bill of health in the England camp throughout the finals.

The hosts began with a 1-0 win over Austria at Old Trafford, in front of almost 70,000 supporters.

Bronze said the occasion was "huge", but it was a scrappy showing from England, with Beth Mead's first-half goal proving just enough.

"We know we can improve on that performance," Bronze said. "Especially under [coach] Sarina [Wiegman] we score a lot of goals and play exciting football and I don't think we did that at our best. We didn't quite click and didn't quite get in the flow.

"Ultimately, the best teams have to win even when they're not playing at their best, so we managed to show that which is a different side to this England team."