THE opening games in Group A this week did not reveal a great deal more to what we already knew.

Though England’s attacking cohesion was compromised by nerves, the Lionesses still kept to a rudimentary facet of their Plan A, looking to utilise the aerial threat of Ellen White. This they did well.

Around the 33-year-old meanwhile, Beth Mead schemed and scored, exhibiting all the creative qualities that took Arsenal to a WSL title last term, courtesy of 11 goals and nine assists. In midfield, Georgia Stanway ran the show and no surprise there. At the back Millie Bright was immense and that was entirely par for the course.

Even the narrative of the game played out exactly as expected, with Sarina Wiegman’s side just doing enough to break down a stubborn Austria, as they did last November in a World Cup qualifying test.

Indeed, across the ninety minutes it was only the few negatives on display that raised half an eyebrow though in hindsight perhaps they could have been predicted.

With so much expectation to impress weighing on her shoulders Lauren Hemp spent most of the game trying to be Lauren Hemp, her usual buoyant wing-play appearing forced and unnatural as a consequence. With greater emphasis placed on the importance of the fixture this Monday evening than on individual performances, it is hoped the four-time winner of the PFA Young Player of the Year award can reside less in her head at Brighton’s Amex Stadium. As for Fran Kirby’s poor showing, a lack of game-time dating back to February explains that away. The Chelsea star will have benefited hugely from her hour’s work-out at Old Trafford.

Hemp to score anytime v Norway on Monday is a good shout at 47/20

If England’s performance was within character, the same can be said of Norway’s comprehensive victory over Northern Ireland on Thursday.

It was hardly a shock to see Julie Blakstad flying into space down the left to score the Norwegian’s first, the highly-rated full-back given full license at international level to replicate her more advanced role for Manchester City. Nor was it surprise that Martin Sjogren’s side scored early given that two-thirds of their goals scored in 2022 have been converted in the first half. Encouragingly for England, the Scandinavians also have a propensity to concede at an early juncture too with four of their last five concessions coming inside half an hour.

Staying briefly with Blakstad, she was widely tipped to be one of the stand-out stars of Euro 2022 and true to form was excellent in her major tournament bow. Her duel with former City team-mate Lucy Bronze is set to be one of the defining aspects of Monday’s clash.

Over 1.5 goals in the first half at the Amex offers up 7/4

Elsewhere against Northern Ireland, Guro Reiten, Caroline Graham Hansen and Ada Hegerberg were a class apart but again it’s hardly newsworthy that Norway’s attacking trio are brilliant and fundamental to their nation’s best endeavours. Hansen in particular seemed to be involved in every enterprise, covering 9.83km, putting in seven crosses, and scoring from the spot.

At least one of these three will cause England untold problems. That feels inevitable.

It’s a good job therefore that Wiegman’s back-line have only been breached on three occasions throughout her 15 games in charge – a parsimony that equates to a goal being conceded every seven-and-a-half hours – and England’s well-drilled defence is a factor here when we consider the last remaining unsurprising development from the opening fixtures, that being Norway’s lack of ruthlessness.

In what was essentially a one-sided affair against inferior opponents, the Norwegians compiled 21 shots, 11 on target, and even if their four-goal haul was four more than they managed to score across their last Euro adventure it still smacks of wastefulness, even a touch of complacency in the final third. In those moments, with Northern Ireland’s goal at their mercy, should Norway have been swapped with any of the other fancied sides in this tournament, the score-line would easily have been doubled.

It is a want for a cutting edge up front that tripped Norway up twice in the Algarve Cup back in February. It seems to be a running theme.

Back England to win by an exact winning margin of two goals at 4/1

The importance of this game cannot be downplayed, with the winner all-but-securing top spot and subsequently being paired with the runner-up from a group of death that features Spain, Denmark and Germany. The loser will likely get whoever from the above has most tore into the tournament from the off.

It is gratifying then to stake a serious claim for the Lionesses to prevail, with the hosts holding all the best cards and with a packed Amex crowd cheering them on. So much has been made of England’s 85 goals in Wiegman’s 15 matches at the helm and that is of course a huge plus given that Norway are minus their first-choice keeper and look a little susceptible at the back.

Yet just as encouraging is the self-belief and air of readiness that is prevalent throughout the squad. They have a job to do and know precisely what is needed to execute it.

Both teams to score, England to win, and total goals over 2.5 is 13/5 as a match multi bet