The Nations League: Group A1 Breakdown

Germany as they won the Olympic Bronze. Credit: dbf_frauenteam on Instagram 

By Lola Casarejos Romero 07/01/2025

As we approach the beginning of the UEFA Women’s Nations League, here at Constancy Football we will provide a breakdown of each group of League A. 

The first group of League A contains: Austria, Germany, Netherlands, and Scotland.

AUSTRIA

Austria most notably finished second in the group stages of the UEFA Women’s Euros in 2022, just behind England. From this, their journey ended when they lost to Germany in the quarter finals. Most recently, they lost 1-0 against Poland and have only won 4 of 12 matches in 2024. 

As we look at their team some names are very prominent. Such as Arsenal goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger, who consistently wears the number one shirt within club and country. Another name to look out for is Marie Hobinger who plays for Liverpool and shows her worth with her possession of the ball. 

A player whose spot will depend on her gametime may be Laura Wienroither as she returns from her ACL injury. However, she has been called up for Austria recently and managed to impress.

GERMANY

A nation that is no stranger to competition paved their way to the Euro final against England, which they lost 2-1. Germany as a nation are at the top of the FIFA ranking as they hold third place. However, during the 2024 Olympics, they placed third winning a bronze medal after beating Spain 1-0 as they strive for more titles. 

Germany have a star studded team which includes possible captain Giulia Gwinn. The 25-year-old defender captained her country during the Olympics and is rumoured to do the same within the Nations League. Another player to look out for is Laura Freigang who has scored an astounding 17 goals across all competitions, within this she scored 4 hat-tricks.

However, a player who will undoubtedly miss the Nations League is 23-year-old Lena Oberdorf, who sustained an injury to her right knee in her cruciate and medial collateral ligament. 

NETHERLANDS

The national team are usually referred to by the nickname “Orange Lionesses” and they always push for the best results in competitions. With their top scorer being Manchester City forward Vivianne Miedema, they have a secure squad of experienced players.

The Netherlands reached the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup final after a strong performance across the competition, but they ultimately lost 2-0 to the United States. 

Some names that will be ones to watch are Wieke Kaptein and Romee Leuchter. These two young players have had strong starts to their season at their clubs. Both players joined their clubs in the summer and have clearly earned trust within their teams.

Wieke Kaptein has already accumulated 13 appearances with three goals in just half a season for Chelsea, and Romee Leuchter has earned her own 13 appearances as the forward has scored 5 times for Paris Saint-Germain. 

However, the nation are missing one player; Victoria Pelova. The Arsenal midfielder ruptured her ACL in June of 2024 while on international duty and has since been recovering with Arsenal, but a return in time for the Nations League is doubtful.

SCOTLAND

Although Scotland have not topped any competitions, they still have strong squad depth. Following Scotland’s failure to qualify for the UEFA 2025 Women’s Euro, Head Coach Pedro Martinez Losa resigned from his position.

As she returns from her ACL injury, which she suffered while on international duty, Caroline Weir has been a crucial part of Real Madrid’s midfield as since her return, Weir has scored six goals across nineteen matches. 

Another important player is Liverpool’s defender Jenna Clark. The 23-year-old has played for Liverpool 11 times this season and is maintaining a strong performance as she even managed a goal against rivals Everton.

However, Scotland cannot escape the injury crisis as Manchester City goalkeeper Alexandra ‘Sandy’ MacIver has been out of play since she tore her ACL while on international duty with Scotland during a Euro qualifying match in April.

MacIver’s possibility to play does depend on if she is fully recovered as she has been integrated back into club training.