Nations League & Women's EURO Live football scores & stats
Get
UEFA.com works better on other browsers
For the best possible experience, we recommend using Chrome, Firefox or Microsoft Edge.

Analysis: Norway's second-half tactical changes turn game after impressive Switzerland start

UEFA Technical Observer Tanya Oxtoby highlights how Norway's half-time tactical adjustments changed the direction of their match against hosts Switzerland in the second game of UEFA Women's EURO 2025.

Switzerland celebrate Ada Hegerberg's goal
Switzerland celebrate Ada Hegerberg's goal Anadolu via Getty Images

Norway's 2-1 victory against hosts Switzerland in the second game of UEFA Women's EURO 2025 owed much to the half-time tactical changes made by head coach Gemma Grainger. After an opening period in which Switzerland took the lead and created a number of goalscoring chances, Norway's coach acknowledged that adjustments were necessary to change the course of the game.

"At half-time we changed tactically," explained Grainger. "Switzerland had adapted the way that they'd played before. We made that tactical change in the second half and moved a couple of players. It worked well for us."

As is happened: Switzerland 1-2 Norway

Norway's half-time changes included an adjustment to their press at the top of the pitch, a more compact structure behind the ball, as well as moving Caroline Graham Hansen into more wider attacking areas. The changes were rewarded, Norway captain Ada Hegerberg levelling the scores after 54 minutes before an own goal four minutes later from Julia Stierli ultimately gave Norway victory.

Women's EURO tactical analysis: Swiss utilise wing-backs

Wing-backs contribute to Switzerland's impressive first-half performance

Host nation Switzerland produced an impressive first-half performance, taking the lead through Nadine Riesen and creating numerous goalscoring opportunities. Many of these opportunities were a result of the attacking positioning and physical output of their wing-backs Iman Beney and Riesen.

"The wing-backs for Switzerland were extremely important because they had to be brave both with and without the ball," explains Tanya Oxtoby, UEFA Technical Observer. "With the ball, in the first half, they were able to pin the Norwegian full-backs and exploit the spaces down the side of them. With Norway's right-back going forward, Switzerland were getting a lot of success down their left-hand side and that's where their goal came from as well."

With Norway pressing high in a 4-2-4 shape, Switzerland found opportunities to play over the first line of press. With three central midfielders against Norway's two, the hosts were able to pick up second balls and find space around Norway's midfield. With Switzerland dominating this area of the pitch they were also able to move their midfield players further forward.

How Norway's second-half adjustments changed the game

In the second period, Norway adjusted their high press from a 4-2-4 to a variation of 4-3-3. The change allowed Grainger's side to apply more pressure on Switzerland during build-up play whilst also protecting the pockets of space that the hosts had exploited in the first half.

Women's EURO tactical analysis: Norway provide cover and balance

"Norway were able to get a lot more pressure on the ball in the second half and were a lot more aggressive out of possession," explains Oxtoby. "They had three attackers high in the first line of the press, so it was almost like a 3v3 against Switzerland's back three. Behind that Ingrid Engen sitting in centrally allowed the two higher midfield players to be in a position where they could balance and cover, but also jump out to press at times. It meant Switzerland started to struggle playing in those central areas."

Norway's change to their midfield organisation provided more effective defensive cover and balance and prevented a single pass eliminating their attacking or midfield unit, explains Oxtoby. "By having Engen as the central player, they had different lines of the press," she explained. "In the second half they weren't horizontal with their pressing line, so one pass couldn't take out four or five players because they were more staggered in their press. With Norway's defending players on different angles, it forced different decision-making from Switzerland to have to try and break that down."

Norway provide more threat in behind

The changes to Norway's defensive strategy resulted in Grainger's side regaining the ball back higher up the pitch with more opportunities to transition to attack. There was also a greater willingness to move the ball forward earlier and offer threat in behind the Switzerland back line.

"In the second half Norway had much more width when they attacked with a 3-4-3," said Oxtoby. "What that did was affect Switzerland's wing-backs, who were such a threat in the first half, and also created issues for the centre-backs of Switzerland. Norway looked to create and utilise space in behind by using opposite movements – one attacker short, one longer. It created pockets of space to open up."

Women's EURO tactical analysis: Direct play and double movements

Connection between passer and receiver

With more width and greater movement in attacking areas, Norway's connection between passer and receiver was much improved in the second half. In the clips above defenders Maren Mjelde and Marit Bratberg Lund both play more direct passes that connected with clever movement further up the field. Mjelde's forward pass helped secure the corner for Norway's first goal and Bratberg Lund's pass to Graham Hansen led to Norway's winner.

"At times in the second half Norway had 'double width' on the left, with the left centre-back Bratberg Lund going wide and also Graham Hansen wider in attack. On the right, they also had maximum width. What that did was allow those different types of movements and the second goal comes from that space they were looking to exploit with Graham Hansen's run from outside to in."

Women's EURO fixtures/results

Coaching considerations: how to coach forward movement like Graham Hansen

To threaten space in behind like Norway's Graham Hansen did against Switzerland, coaches must help players understand the importance of 'double' movements and dragging defenders out of position to exploit the space that is created.

"Graham Hansen's movement is very dynamic," explains Oxtoby. "Whenever she's looking to make movements in behind, she'll generally come to feet first. The timing of that movement is key. Generally, as the player in possession is having their touch and looking up, she'll look to come to feet. The purpose is to drag the defender with her, knowing full well that she's actually looking to exploit the space in behind.

"Most of the time she uses an arc run and go inside the pitch, not outside the pitch. She looks to run on the inside shoulder of the defender and stretch in behind. Norway's second goal was a classic example of her movement. It's all about the timing: she's looking to drag and draw the defender out to then exploit the space that's left in behind."

The timing of this type of movement as well as the forward pass are important considerations for players to develop. "The timing of the movement is really, really important," explains Oxtoby. "If the attacker moves towards the ball too early, the defender doesn't go with her. If she goes too late, then she's got a lot of work to do to try and exploit the space behind. It's all about the timing.

"From a coaching perspective it's about making sure that you don't move too quickly or too early, but you don't move too late either. Your team-mates must know your movement; the passer needs to know if you're making that movement towards the ball, then it's actually a decoy run to go in behind. Then for the player that is delivering the pass, the weight of the pass is really important."

Selected for you