Thrilling Clash: Northern Ireland vs Malta in Euro 2025 Qualifiers - Tanya Oxtoby Anticipates Excitement.

Soccer General

Thrilling Clash: Northern Ireland vs Malta in Euro 2025 Qualifiers - Tanya Oxtoby Anticipates Excitement.

Northern Ireland's manager, Tanya Oxtoby, expressed her excitement about the beginning of Euro 2025 qualifying, describing it as a thrilling period for their team.

After securing their spot in League B, Tanya Oxtoby's Northern Ireland team is gearing up to face Malta in their opening match on Friday, followed by a trip to Bosnia-Herzegovina on Tuesday, 9 April.

Their upcoming schedule also includes a double-header against Portugal at the end of May in Group B3.

"We're thrilled and aiming for a strong showing," Oxtoby commented.

Euro 2025 qualifying adopts a new format inspired by the inaugural Women's Nations League from the previous autumn.

In the initial league, Northern Ireland took the third spot behind the Republic of Ireland and Hungary. Their League B status for qualifying was secured with a 3-1 victory over Montenegro in February.

With the top three teams guaranteed a play-off for the finals, Northern Ireland is looking to kickstart their campaign with a solid performance against Malta, the lowest-ranked team in the group.

Northern Ireland had previously qualified for the Euro 2022 finals, marking their debut in a major women's tournament.