2025 UEFA Women's Nations League Matchday 4: France into finals, Spain and Germany win big

Tuesday, April 8, 2025

France won 2-0 in Norway to seal their finals place as free-scoring Spain overtook England, beaten by Belgium, and there were also wins for Germany, Netherlands and Italy.

France celebrate going 2-0 up in Norway to seal their finals slot NTB/AFP via Getty Images

France are through to the 2025 UEFA Women's Nations League finals with two games to spare after getting the win they needed in Norway.

Les Bleues knew victory would lift them eight points ahead in Group A2 and their 2-0 success in Oslo ensured the 2023/24 runners-up qualified again. Holders Spain went top of Group A3 as they defeated Portugal 7-1 and previous leaders England lost 3-2 in Belgium.

The inaugural semi-finalists Germany and Netherlands remain level on ten points at the Group A1 summit after defeating Scotland and Austria respectively. Sweden were held 1-1 by Wales but doubled their Group A4 lead to two points as Denmark lost 3-0 at home to Italy.

Slovenia hold the only perfect record in League B after defeating Türkiye 3-0 to stay three points ahead of the Republic of Ireland in Group B2. Türkiye attracted their record crowd of 18,825 in Sivas. Poland's own flawless start ended but they got a last-gasp equaliser against Bosnia and Herzegovina, as Northern Ireland closed to within three points in Group B1.

Poland's fellow Women's EURO contenders Finland beat Hungary 3-0 but are still three points behind Group B3 leaders Serbia, who defeated Belarus 1-0. Ukraine missed the chance to clinch promotion from Group B4 but their 1-1 draw in Czechia keeps them three points ahead as Croatia were relegated with defeat by Albania.

Slovakia have four wins out of four in League C after a 2-0 victory in Moldova while Malta, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Israel and Latvia lead the other groups.

The four League A group winners qualify for the finals in the autumn. The group standings also determine the teams contesting promotion and relegation matches to establish their starting league position in the Women's European Qualifiers for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup, running through 2026.

Standings

League A

Group A1

Germany 6-1 Scotland
Selina Cerci's second-half hat-trick spearheaded a Germany comeback win to further increase their goal difference lead over Netherlands. Scotland, without a point after being beaten 4-0 at home by Germany on Friday, took the lead in Wolfsburg just before half-time when Ann-Katrin Berger parried a Kirsty Hanson shot and the alert Caroline Weir pounced on the rebound.

However, it all changed after the break. Cerci struck twice before the hour and then in a four-minute period Giovanna Hoffman, who had hit the post in the build-up to both goals, scored two herself, and Laura Freigang added another. Cerci, whose only previous Germany goal had been in a friendly against Australia last October, completed her hat-trick with 14 minutes left.

Selina Cerci celebrates her Germany hat-trickAFP via Getty Images

Austria 1-3 Netherlands
Netherlands stayed level with their Matchday 5 hosts Germany on points after victory on a night when visiting captain Sherida Spitse became the most-capped European, her 241th appearance taking her one ahead of Sweden's Caroline Seger. Julia Hickelseberger gave Austria a ninth-minute lead as she turned in Victoria Pinther's cross but within seconds, Wieke Kaptein equalised with a deflected effort.

The visitors moved in front in the 57th minute, Daniëlle van de Donk pouncing on the rebound after Victoria Pelova hit the post. Vivianne Miedema then came off the bench to score her 97th Netherlands goal, curling the ball into the top corner, though she later departed injured.

Next fixtures: 30 May
Germany vs Netherlands
Scotland vs Austria

Group A2

Norway 0-2 France
France, runners-up in the first edition, are into the finals again as their fourth win in the group took them eight points clear of Norway. Sakina Karchaoui hit the post in the first half and Marie-Antoinette Katoto struck the crossbar early in the second, but France's pressure was to tell late on.

With 14 minutes to go, Sandy Baltimore produced a neat finish to break the deadlock. Clara Mateo, with her first touch after being brought on, headed in an 85th-minute Selma Bacha corner to double the lead. Frida Maanum hit the bar late on for Norway.

Iceland 3-3 Switzerland
It was 0-0 when these two sides, who will also meet at UEFA Women's EURO 2025, faced off on Matchday 1 but the goals flowed in Reykjavik. Géraldine Reuteler gave the visitors a second-minute lead and set up Smilla Vallotto to double Switzerland's advantage.

Karólína Vilhjálmsdóttir pulled one back in first-half added time from a free-kick but seconds after the break Áslaug Munda Gunnlaugsdóttir turned into her own goal. However, Vilhjálmsdóttir reduced arrears again shortly afterwards and equalised by completing her hat-trick in the 62nd minute. Reuteler was sent off for a second booking but Switzerland remain within a point of third-placed Iceland.

Next fixtures: 30 May
France vs Switzerland
Norway vs Iceland

Group A3

Belgium 3-2 England
England fell to second, two points behind Spain, after Belgium got off the mark in the group. Having lost 5-0 in England on Friday, the Red Flames were aiming to do what they did in the previous edition of this competition, and recover from a Matchday 3 loss against the Lionesses by winning the home return four days later. They duly led in the fourth minute after Tessa Wullaert, who scored twice in the 3-2 win in October 2023, was sent clear and shot inside the far post.

Twelve minutes later, Justine Vanhaevermaet looped in a header following a free-kick by Wullaert, who then made it 3-0 as she met Davina Philtjens's low cross. Beth Mead pulled one back from the penalty spot and England had hope with nine minutes left when Michelle Agyemang produced a stunning volley, seconds into her debut from the bench having been promoted from the U19s at the weekend due to Alessia Russo's injury.

Tessa Wullaert inspired Belgium to victory against EnglandGetty Images

Spain 7-1 Portugal
Spain won 4-2 away to their Women's EURO 2025 opponents on Friday and tonight it was 3-0 by the 12th minute, Salma Paralluelo poking in the opener and then Aitana Bonmatí scoring twice. Before the half-hour Alexia Putellas made it four after being played through by Mariona Caldentey for her third assist of the game.

Mariona got on the scoresheet herself from close range just after half-time, and Alexia added the sixth with a stylish turn and shot. Substitute Esther González made it seven on the hour, before Pina Fonseca's consolation.

Next fixtures: 30 May
Belgium vs Spain
England vs Portugal

Group A4

Sweden 1-1 Wales
Wales held Sweden 1-1 at home in February and despite missing several key players through injury repeated the scoreline again today. Safia Middleton-Patel, given just her third Wales cap, performed excellently and was only beaten just before the hour when Magdalena Eriksson headed in Filippa Angeldahl's corner.

Nine minutes later, newly-introduced Wales substitute Hannah Cain was sent clear by Rachel Rowe and shot in off both posts. Sweden kept pushing but could not restore their lead, though they still go two points clear thanks to Denmark's loss to Italy.

Italy won 3-0 in DenmarkRitzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Ima

Denmark 0-3 Italy
Italy bounced back from their last-gasp loss in Sweden on Friday to pick up an impressive victory against a Denmark side that had beaten the Azzurre 3-1 in La Spezia in February. The visitors went ahead shortly before the hour from an excellent passing move, Manuela Giugliano laying off for Arianna Caruso to shoot in.

In the 79th minute, Lucia Di Guglielmo doubled the lead as she was quickest to a loose ball after a blocked shot. Cristiana Girelli deftly volleyed the third from Caruso's cross with four minutes remaining as Italy moved ahead of Denmark into second on head-to-head goal difference.

Next fixtures: 30 May
Denmark vs Wales
Italy vs Sweden

League B

League C

Group C1

Tuesday's results
Faroe Islands 5-0 Gibraltar
Moldova 0-2 Slovakia

Next fixtures: 30 May
Moldova vs Faroe Islands
Slovakia vs Gibraltar

Group C2

Tuesday's results
Andorra 2-1 Cyprus
Malta 2-1 Georgia

Next fixtures: 30 May
Andorra vs Georgia
Malta vs Cyprus

Group C3

Tuesday's results
Kazakhstan 3-2 Armenia
Liechtenstein 2-3 Luxembourg

Next fixtures: 30 May
Kazakhstan vs Liechtenstein
Luxembourg vs Armenia

Group C4

Tuesday's result
Montenegro 1-1 Azerbaijan

Next fixture: 30 May
Azerbaijan vs Lithuania

Group C5

Tuesday's result
Israel 3-3 Bulgaria

Next fixture: 30 May
Estonia vs Israel

Group C6

Tuesday's result
Kosovo 3-0 North Macedonia

Next fixture: 30 May
Latvia vs North Macedonia

2025 UEFA Women's Nations League calendar

League stage
Matchday 5: 30 May
Matchday 6: 3 June

Finals
Draw: 6 June 2025, Nyon (13:00 CET)
Semi-finals (two legs): Between 22 and 28 October 2025
Final/third-place play-off (two legs): Between 26 November and 2 December 2025

Promotion/relegation play-offs
Draw: 6 June 2025, Nyon (13:00 CET)
Matches (two legs): Between 22 and 28 October 2025

Who plays in the UEFA Women's Nations League finals?

The four League A group winners qualify for the knockout finals.

How do the UEFA Women's Nations League finals work?

In a change from the first edition, all the ties will be played over two legs. As previously, there will be two semi-finals, a third-place play-off and a final. A draw will determine the ties and the home team in each of the first legs.

The final winners are declared the UEFA Nations League winners.

Who is promoted or relegated or goes into play-offs?

League A

The top two teams in each group remain in League A for the European Qualifiers for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup.

The four third-placed teams play off over two legs against the second-placed teams in each group of League B. The winners of each tie will play in League A for the European Qualifiers phase; the defeated teams will play in League B.

The fourth-placed teams are relegated to League B.

League B

The four group winners are promoted to League A.

The four second-placed teams play off over two legs against the third-placed teams in League A. The winners of each tie will play in League A; the defeated teams will play in League B.

The two best third-placed teams play off over two legs against the two best-ranked second-placed teams of League C. The winners will play in League B for the European Qualifiers phase; the defeated teams will play in League C.

The two lowest-ranked third-placed teams and the four fourth-placed teams are relegated to League C.

League C

The six group winners are promoted to League B.

The two best-ranked second-placed teams play off over two legs against the two best third-placed teams of League B. The winners will play in League B for the European Qualifiers phase; the defeated teams will play in League C.

The remaining teams stay in League C.