Neil Johnston
BBC Sport at Old Trafford

Image source, BBC Sport

This merchandise seller outside Old Trafford usually sells bucket loads of Cristiano Ronaldo scarves on match days.

Today, he has shifted a fair few England-Austria half and half scarves.

"Hopefully it's a busy one. It's a bit of an experiment because I cannot remember a women's match on this scale here before," he adds.

Anyone else notice the Mo Salah and Allez, Allez, Allez scarves...

It's getting real.

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester City winger Lauren Hemp, 21, won a record fourth Young Player of the Year award this season after picking up the League Cup title, adding to the FA Cup medal she won in 2020. She has scored seven goals in 21 England appearances.

Manchester City captain Steph Houghton:

"I love training with her and playing with her. At this moment in time there's nobody in better form. Hopefully she shines on the biggest stage."

England team-mate Millie Bright:

"With her speed, every defender is going to dread going up against her one against one. We try and give her the ball as much as we can."

Izzy Christiansen
England and Everton midfielder on BBC Radio 5 Live

Manchester certainly knows how to kick off a show. The atmosphere has been building around the city all day and to see this stadium now — it's very special.

Alex Scott
Former England and Arsenal defender on BBC One

I feel we've been waiting for this moment, for it to finally kick off. You can't go anywhere without seeing the Lionesses on crisp packets or bus stops, or this tournament being spoken about. I can't wait for people to see the whole array of talent on show. It feels like a celebration.

Vincent: A major international tournament being held on home soil, in the summer, I’ve got tickets to one of the games, the rest are televised, and England are in with a chance of winning it. Just ace, blinking ace!

Image source, Getty Images

Wolfsburg midfielder Lena Oberdorf, 20, was called up to the Germany squad for the 2019 World Cup aged just 17, while she was also named Player of the Tournament when Germany won the under-17s Euros in 2017.

Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall, whose side lost to Wolfsburg in the Champions League quarter-finals in 2021-22:

"She is almost like the complete midfielder already. She covers a lot of ground, is very good on the ball and is a physical player. She plays on that thin line all the time of what is a foul and what is not.

"For me, she can very much be the player that makes this Germany team a contender to win the trophy again because she brings that winning mentality to the team."

Arsenal striker Vivianne Miedema, 25, is the Netherlands' all-time top goalscorer and was part of the squad who won Euro 2017 and reached the 2019 World Cup final. She has won three domestic leagues titles - one with Arsenal and two with Bayern Munich. She is also the Women's Super League's record goalscorer and at 15, was the youngest player to debut in the Eredivisie.

Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall:

"She has great game intelligence and great technique. What is also world class, but people don't necessarily see, is her physical ability.

"She's very explosive and strong. The combination of those make it very difficult for opponents to play against her."

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport at Old Trafford

The England players have just come out to warm up and the noise... Wow.

It's Manchester - so it's obviously raining - but everyone seems up for this.

Hamish: Centre half wearing number 8. It’s a no from me. Cancel the tournament

You're going to be fuming when you see Austria have number three on the wing and a seven and eleven in defence, Hamish.

Striker Ada Hegerberg, 26, won the inaugural Ballon d'Or in 2018, having previously stepped down from international football in protest at what she saw as a lack of respect for female players in Norway. She is one of the most decorated footballers having already won six Champions League titles, seven French league titles, five French Cups and one Norwegian Cup.

England defender Lucy Bronze, who played with Hegerberg at Lyon:

"Ada is just a winner. The girl is crazy in that respect. I can remember games where she'd come up to me beforehand and say, 'You just get the ball in the box and I'll score'.

"She's obsessed with scoring. The thing that separates her is that crazy mentality. You can't really get in her head."

• How crucial is Hegerberg's return?

So who are the stars to watch this summer?

BBC Sport has compiled a list of the best players taking part in the Euros. First up is Norway's Ada Hegerberg...

Neil Johnston
BBC Sport at Old Trafford

There are HUNDREDS of Austria fans at Old Trafford to cheer their team at Old Trafford. And they have been making themselves heard all afternoon and adding to the carnival atmosphere.

There are slate grey skies over Old Trafford but there is a real holiday vibe in the fan park across the road from the ground where they are handing out free Euro 2022 flags and clappers.

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, BBC Sport

If you need a little reminder of what happened the last time Europe's finest got together for a kickaround, have a look below...

The Mighty Thor giving Euro 2022 the big up on BBC One. That'll do.

You can all now tick off 'evocative BBC montage' on your big tournament bingo cards.

If you're watching BBC One you'll have just seen the opening titles to our Euro 2022 coverage.

Here is a little peak behind the scenes of how they were made.

Austria XI: Zinsberger; Wienroither, Wenninger, Schnaderbeck, Hanshaw; Puntigam; Dunst, Zadrazil, Feiersinger, Naschenweng; Billa.

Image source, BBC Sport

Grace: It's Coming Home!!!

Our first of the night, that must be a record Grace.

Image source, Getty Images

Austria are set to face England at a sold-out Old Trafford on Wednesday evening and if one player is capable of spoiling the Lionesses' opening-night party, it is Hoffenheim striker Nicole Billa.

A lethal finisher who has notched up 43 goals in 79 caps, the two-time Austrian player of the year is one of her country's star turns.

Speaking to her team-mates and former coaches, however, it is clear that the 26-year-old trained kindergarten teacher and three-time junior European and world kickboxing champion is no prima donna.

"Nici is a hard working person, humble, authentic," says her long-time Austria team-mate, the Arsenal shot-stopper Manuela Zinsberger.

"She's the first to wake up and when the team is done, will always take a ball and shoot a bit more, shoot penalties, feel what she needs for the next game.

"She can shoot left and right, doesn't need a lot of touches, is quick in turning, knows where the goal is, knows how to press as well - yeah, that's Nici Billa."

Read more here.

Image source, Getty Images

This is Austria's second Euros after making it to the semi-finals on their European Championship debut in 2017, when they defeated Switzerland, Iceland and Spain - as well as holding France to a draw.

They are 21st in Fifa's world rankings - 13 places below England - and come into the tournament off the back of friendly wins over Montenegro and Belgium.

This is the second meeting between the two sides in eight months.

Back in November, Austria narrowly lost 1-0 at the Stadium of Light in World Cup qualifying as White scored on her 100th appearance for the Lionesses.

Austria's build-up has been dealt a blow with the news midfielder Maria Plattner, who had scored four goals in the past five internationals, will miss the tournament after breaking her collarbone in training on Sunday.

Freiburg's Lisa Kolb is also out of contention after testing positive for Covid-19.

Speaking about Wednesday's match, Austria's Hoffenheim forward Nicole Billa - who scored seven times in qualifying - said: "When there are 75,000 people at Old Trafford, it's a moment in life that you just have to enjoy."

Austria head coach Irene Fuhrmann added: "On paper, anything but a win by England would not just be a surprise, but a sensation."