Switzerland vs Norway Prediction: Frida can spoil party

The Women’s European Championship has finally arrived and hosts Switzerland are in action on day one with an exciting fixture as they welcome Norway to St. Jakob-Park, the home of FC Basel (20:00 BST, BBC iPlayer). 

Below you can find my Switzerland vs Norway predictions for this Euro 2025 group game.

Team News

Switzerland is a nation still in shock after Ramona Bachmann tore her cruciate ligament in her left knee. That may seem like an overreaction to begin with, but she is the heartbeat of this Swiss outfit, having racked up 153 caps and 60 goals for the national team. 

She’s the poster girl for many young Swiss footballers and it’s a real shame she will now miss this tournament. Also on the sidelines is Lara Marti, also out of action with the same injury that plagues the women’s game. 

Lia Walti and Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic are coming towards the sunsets of their careers but should play key roles but at the back they could have issues. Luana Buhler (Tottenham), Viola Calligaris (Juventus) and Nadine Riesen (Eintracht Frankfurt) are the pick of the bunch but none of them have been key figures for their clubs this season and the lack of gametime is a worry.

Goalkeeper Elvira Herzog is their current number one, but Chelsea-bound Livia Peng is ready to fight her for that position in this tournament. Manager Pia Sundhag is likely to play a 3-5-2, but may have to show more flexibility if they are going to progress.

Englishwoman Gemma Grainger is now in charge of Norway and her first move was to hand the armband to Ada Hegerberg. “It’s been a long journey with the national team for me. Standing here and getting that trust from Gemma is a great feeling,” the forward said upon her appointment. 

Defender Guro Bergsvand had to pull out of the squad through injury but Barcelona star Caroline Graham Hansen is fit and if she can get back to her best then Norway have a chance. Signe Gaupset is one to watch having had a terrific season for Molde.

Switzerland vs Norway Odds

Switzerland are priced at 13/5 to win this game, while Norway are the favourites at 21/20. That gives the away side an implied win probability of 49%. A draw can be picked out at 5/2, BTTS is 8/11 and Hegerberg is the favourite to score first at 4/1. 

Norway to win @ 21/20

A tough one to call here, but I am going to lean in favour of the visitors. These two were in the same group for the recent Nations League and Norway came out victorious twice, winning 2-1 at home and 1-0 away. 

They’ve also won all four meetings in the past at this competition, scoring 21 and conceding zero in 1993 and 2001. Those results obviously don’t have much significance in 2025, but Norway have the individual quality to get through this opener. 

Today's Football Fixtures

Frida Maanum, Hegerberg and Graham Hansen are a trio of top talents, and Norway’s poor form (one win in five), isn’t enough to dissuade me. They had to come through the play-offs to reach this stage, but they were in a group with Italy and the Netherlands and battered Albania 14-0 over two legs. They’ve got enough to beat the injury-hit hosts. 

Frida Maanum to score @ 16/5

Arsenal star Maanum is a player who played a key part in the Gunners’ Champions League triumph and has become quite the goalscoring sensation for her country. She outscored all of the other Norwegian stars in qualification, hitting seven goals in seven matches in a more attacking midfield role. 

She produced seven goals in 22 WSL appearances as well as adding four in that run to Champions League glory, so I think she’s the pick of the bunch to score in a Norway win. The price on offer is well worth taking advantage of.

Offers

Acca Flex: Place a pre-match 5+ leg Football accumulator and get a CASH bonus up to 100% if all of your selections win or your money back as CASH if one leg lets you down

Click here for the latest Football Odds

You can read all our latest Football Betting Tips at our dedicated Betfred Insights content hub.