Sarina Wiegman’s faith in England’s old guard will be seriously tested after the reigning champions struggled to keep pace with fellow contenders France in their opening game at Euro 2025.
By Jamie Spencer
Only once before had England ever played on 5 July. On that occasion, goals in either half from Lionesses legends in the making Ellen White and Rachel Yankey secured a 2-0 win over Japan.
The stage was the 2011 Women’s World Cup and that group stage fixture was the sole defeat for a Japan side that went on to lift the trophy. England exited the tournament at the hands of France, in a heartbreaking quarter-final penalty shootout, in the very next game.
Les Bleues have often caused problems for the Lionesses over the decades and Saturday night was a big statement from France in their quest for a first ever major trophy.
For England, who became Europe’s first defending champions to lose game one, this time was a 5 July to forget. A 2-1 scoreline and late pressure didn’t tell the story of the first 87 minutes.
Keira Walsh’s consolatory strike near the end was England’s first shot on target. At half-time, the Lionesses had only accrued 0.2 xG and, over 90 minutes plus stoppage time, there were no statistically ‘big chances’. Had Lauren Hemp’s last-ditch effort not been hacked off the line, it would have masked an alarmingly disappointing performance.
Ex- Lioness Karen Carney didn’t pull any punches in the ITV studio post-game. “We got absolutely bullied,” she said, refusing to be moved by England’s finish, too little too late.
England actually started well. Within the first minute, they had carved France open and Lauren James fired over the bar from a great position. It was soon her driving run into French territory that led to Alessia Russo turning the ball into the net, but VAR intervened over an offside. From that moment that France woke up and England quickly faded.
For the next 70 minutes, the game was played on France’s terms and England were just trying to keep up, sometimes literally. The opening goal came from a quick transition down France’s right flank, resulting in a tap-in for Marie-Antoinette Katoto. Sandy Baltimore scored the quickfire second as Les Bleues won possession in midfield. She shrugged off Chelsea clubmate Lucy Bronze and ghosted past a statuesque Leah Williamson before finding the top corner.
England desperately appealed for a foul in the build-up, watching Maëlle Lakrar take the ball from Russo. It was a strong challenge that left Russo in a heap, but not an illegal one – VAR saw no reason to rule it a foul or disallow the goal.
Russo, hailed for her impacts off the bench at Euro 2022, usually when Ellen White had spent at least 45 minutes wearing down the opposition, struggled to find her place in the game. Aside from not being strong enough against Lakrar in that key moment, another fine margin went against her when an England breakaway early in the second half resulted in a poor touch at the critical time.
The Arsenal favourite came into the tournament on a huge wave of hype, England’s reigning Player of the Year, the newly crowned FWA Footballer of the Year, the WSL’s joint-Golden Boot winner, and straight off the back of Champions League glory. But she didn’t do enough to test or a French defence without its preferred centre-back pairing – injury replacement 21-year-old Alice Sombath was making just her fifth international appearance. Russo’s only attempt on goal was a blocked shot in the 90th minute and her combined xG and xA for the match amounted to 0.12.
When French wingers Delphine Cascarino, who assisted the first goal, and Baltimore were attacking with pace and intent, England’s forwards were ineffective and predictable. During ITV’s commentary in the first half, Lucy Ward had accurately summarised: “France look more mobile than England in the areas of the pitch that count.” That didn’t change until the final moments.
Perhaps it didn’t help that Russo, for all her success at club level, played 41 times for Arsenal in 2024/25. In addition to regular international duty, it’s the most by far in a single season across her career. Others in the lineup are probably lacking rhythm and match sharpness. Hemp, James, Alex Greenwood and Georgia Stanway have all not long returned from major injury layoffs. Stanway is usually England’s box-to-box engine, but won only five of 10 ground duels as the Lionesses failed to gain a foothold until it was too late, and didn’t once touch the ball in France’s box.
Wiegman’s faith in the tried and tested will be under scrutiny. Of the starting XI, only James wasn’t part of the Euro 2022-winning squad three years ago. Yet with a sluggish performance only improving once changes were made, questions will be asked about what the England boss does next.
Grace Clinton was afforded 13 minutes plus stoppage time in her tournament debut, with wildcard Michelle Agyemang getting even less. Both made genuine impacts in short cameos. Maya Le Tissier, Jess Park and Aggie Beever-Jones didn’t get off the bench, but all five had good campaigns at club level – Clinton and Le Tissier both featured in the WSL’s Team of the Season.
Suddenly, with just one game played, England’s Euro 2025 hopes are in real danger. Defeat against the Netherlands on 9 July, following their 3-0 win over Wales earlier on Saturday, would mean premature elimination for the defending champions. A draw keeps them alive but potentially means their destiny by matchday three isn’t in their own hands.
The bare minimum is that it cannot be anything but a significantly better performance.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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