It's not about the upcoming elections. Because we at 90minutefamily don't do politics. But we still want to make a difference for women's football. In fact, we like it so much that we have set up a separate committee to follow the various leagues around the world. Because this weekend marks the start of several of them, while the others follow continuously. And we will be on the ball.
"The quintessence of the game is precisely the unfolding of
manly power and against paired dexterity"
The statement is from 1911, and shows what women have been fighting against. An inherent thought that only men can sweat, cope, fight and overcome. But the last two decades have disproved exactly this. We are not there. Let us never settle for that. But we have come a long way. And we plan to do our part to put women's football on the agenda.
Norwegian women's football is coming to an end
Both the Toppserien and the 1st division in Norway have been followed closely here in the editorial office. Perhaps especially the 1st division, as two of the editorial staff members have season tickets. And this year's 1st division has probably been overly influenced by the change to 12 teams in the Toppserien, as well as the level difference between HamKam and Kil/Hemne and the others. But okay. Haugesund, Ålesund and Molde will probably make the trip up, if everything goes as expected.
So you can say what you want about the Toppserien, but it is permissible to question the choice to go for quantity over quality. The Espelund committee recommended reducing the number to eight teams, but instead we are now moving towards an increase to 12 teams. So you can ask yourself whether this makes sense, all the while there is a 37 point difference between 1st place and 10th place at the time of writing.
But there is plenty of excitement left in the Toppserien. No one can take that away from them. Because the gold could end up in Bergen or Oslo, and even though it looks dark for Kolbotn, neither Røa, Bodø/Glimt, Lyn or Hønefoss can feel safe. But let's look towards the continent. Because even though it's coming to an end here on the mountain, the fun is just around the corner elsewhere.
European women's football – speed, technique and extreme skills
This summer's European Championship showed us what we've known for a while: women can play football too. But we also saw an England team that never gave up, even though they often fell behind. We saw an Italian team that was able to play its tactical game, as well as the Spanish team that wanted to win the trophy and the hearts of the fans, but failed at the last hurdle. Women's football has become more than just individual performances and weak goalkeeping performances. It has become a sport that should engage everyone who loves football. And that's exactly why we've set up a committee to follow the matches on TV, analyze statistics, form, head-to-head matches and the latest team news in order to bring you the best games from the best leagues. And with that, it's time to take a look at what to expect:
Woman's Super League – the reigning champions
Not only did England win this summer's European Championship, but Arsenal also won the Champions League. Somewhat surprisingly, and perhaps undeservedly, they were still voted Europe's best team – even though they didn't win their domestic league.
Because Chelsea did. By a good margin. Led by former Lyon coach Sonia Bompastor, and with players like Ramírez, James, Walsh and our own Guro Reiten, it will be tough to beat the dark blues from London again this year. This is also confirmed by the fact that the bookmakers only give you twice your money back if you put your money on Chelsea to win.
But there are more about the leg, and hopefully this year's season can be chopped more evenly than last year. Because even though there were 22 points down to 2nd place, we saw Manchester United sign up, passing Manchester City in the table, in addition to Liverpool's women taking further steps after promotion.
But it will probably happen in London this year too. Arsenal, as newly-crowned CL champions, and with a hot Mariona Caldentey, will probably fly out of the starting blocks to put pressure on Chelsea from the start. In addition, Tottenham wants to show off. Because even though last year was nothing to write home about, we predict Tottenham to be this year's surprise.
And speaking of London: The London City Lionesses are newcomers, and in fact the only team that doesn't have an established men's team behind them. The London City Lionesses are owned by Michele Kang, who also owns the Washington Spirit and the Lyon women's team. She is also the president of the Lyon men's team. Sounds like an ambitious bunch, and it should be very exciting to follow the LCL's debut season in the WSL.
Betting tips this weekend
So what can you bet this weekend? The first round of the league is never a gold mine, but when all other football is on break, it's hard to leave it alone. So we're going for the following two games:
England at 14:30: Arsenal W - London City Lionesses: Arsenal W -1.5 goals (1.93)
England at 13:00: Tottenham W - West Ham W: Tottenham W win - DNB (1.70)
Women's Bundesliga – no longer a "two horse race"?
For a long time, and really for as long as I can remember, the Frauen Bundesliga has been dominated by two teams: Bayern Munich and Wolfsburg. And while you can never write off the biggest ones, there are signs that something is changing.
Wolfsburg looked tired in last year's Champions League. Alexandra Popp is 34 years old and can no longer carry a team alone. And with Eintracht Frankfurt only one point behind at the end of the season, and Bayer Leverkusen only seven points behind there, it is obvious that this year's season could be more even than in a long time.
Bayern Munich and Wolfsburg have only lost to each other in the Women's Bundesliga before. But last year Wolfsburg finished 13-3-3. An ominous sign. So if you find odds on Eintracht Frankfurt finishing in the top 2, you may have found a very good value bet.
And the kick-off is already next Friday, and we will be served Eintracht Frankfurt against SGS Essen as the opening match. Unfortunately, the odds are not available at the time of writing, but there is much to suggest that the home team will start their points collection at the first opportunity. But note the following: SGS Essen has played eight friendly matches and won all of them. So maybe we should look towards a goal game?
It doesn't have to be stupid. It's rare in Germany – regardless of gender. Because the women also score well with goals. Last year, 9 out of 12 teams finished with an average of over 3 goals per game, with Eintracht Frankfurt at the top with a staggering 4.1 goals. So maybe a goal game on Friday?
Primera División Femenina – the gold remains in Catalonia.
The claim is bombastic, but we can't see anyone being able to chastise last year's winner. And even though they were only eight points behind Real Madrid, it was the way they did it that impressed us the most. Because with only 16 goals conceded in 30 games and a whopping 128 goals scored, it's natural to think of both goals for Barcelona and "Both teams to score: no" when it comes to growing your bankroll.
Unfortunately, we don't yet have access to the odds for the upcoming round of the league, but the Spanish top flight got off to a flying start last weekend, and it confirmed everything we suspected. Barcelona won 8-0, led by our own Caroline Graham Hansen, in addition to Bonmatí and Pina, who we remember so well from the summer championship. And not only that – last year's closest competitor Real Madrid dropped vital points in their away match against DUX Logroño. It could quickly prove to be decisive in the end.
When it comes to betting variants, the goal average here, as with the men, is somewhat lower than in the rest of Europe. However, this does not apply to Barcelona (4.8) and Real Madrid (3.8). But we suspect that you have to bet fairly high to get playable odds. In the series opener against Alhama, you had to bet over 5.5 goals to get 1.80 in odds. Worth noting. But the match ended 8-0, so both overbets, handicap bets and goalscorer bets on the most high-profile stars are settled. That is possibly the way to go in the season.
Other leagues – Netherlands, France and Italy
Netherlands
The Eredivisie is perhaps the league that I value the most. And so it was only natural to delve into the women's division of honour as well. And although both Ajax and PSV are good here too, it was FC Twente who took home the league gold last year – albeit on equal points with PSV. But like so many other women's leagues, the Netherlands also struggles to create a competitive league. The best are often extremely much better than the weakest, and last year Twente finished with 47 points more than Excelsior.
No team can be relegated here, so both Excelsior and PEC Zwolle are with us, even though they only scored 15 and 16 goals in 22 league games. And when we know that PSV and Twente only conceded 13 and 19 goals in the same number of games, it is natural to think that the value lies in handicap betting – in addition to overbetting. Twente ended the season with an average of 4 goals per game, and 9 out of 12 teams ended with an average of over 3 goals per game. So the girls are not inferior to the boys in the Netherlands.
France
Moving a little south, we find a pioneer country when it comes to women's football: France. For a long time, Lyon was the team everyone looked up to, and the team that dominated international tournaments. Now they have won the domestic series by 10 points to PSG, but last year's Champions League showed that they have been overtaken by the best.
But with 7 goals conceded in 22 games and a whopping 92 goals scored last year, it should be possible to make money on Lyon this year. And to some extent also PSG, Paris FC and maybe even Dijon. These teams were in a class of their own, and the goal average also shows that the league is very divided.
But note that the French league ends with a play-off. Lyon beat PSG in the final there last year, but such play-offs often do something to the motivation at the end of the season. Some teams are already in, while others are outside and fighting a feverish battle to get in. These are factors we must take into account when playing odds.
Italy
Finally, we must also say a few words about Italy – the team that became our superiors in this year's European Championship. And the country that insists on splitting the division in two when they are halfway through, as they do in Belgium, Denmark and a number of other countries. I am not a fan of that model in general, but perhaps it is a wise move when the distances are so great.
For me, it was Roma that I watched the most last year. They surprised in the Champions League, where they, among other things, rose against Wolfsburg, and there are reasons to believe that they can take further steps this year – even if the Italian teams are still a few notches behind the very best in Europe.
Juventus took home the league title, but unlike several of the other top leagues, it was an even battle for the title, with both Inter and Roma, and to some extent Fiorentina, participating in the title fight. And not least: here too, the teams averaged up to 4 goals per game.
Summary – entertainment awaits
We hope that we have managed to pique the curiosity of some of you. Because these women deserve our attention. Not for equality reasons, but simply because they are terribly good at playing football. And with most leagues starting this weekend, where the men have the day off, it is a golden opportunity to enjoy everything in peace and quiet. And our tip is that you will be surprised – and entertained.
Good luck, and remember that all sports are discussed, and all live games are published, here on the 90minutefamily Discord .
