First-half goals from Georgia Stanway and Alessia Russo saw England beat France 2-1 in Saint-Etienne to boost their 2025 UEFA Women’s Euro automatic qualification dreams.
Stanway fired England ahead with a clinical 21st minute strike into the left-corner before Russo nodded in England’s second goal 13 minutes later from Lauren Hemp’s cross.
Kadidiatou Diani. netted a consolatory 72nd minute penalty, after Grace Geyoro had been fouled by Leah Williamson two minutes earlier.
Magdalena Eriksson’ 84th minute deflected winner for Sweden meanwhile ended rock-bottom Republic of Ireland’s hope of automatic qualification, as the Swedes sit second on goal difference ahead of England with the pair two points now behind France.
Russo post-match told ITV4 that the results mean that England will have to be at their best for their final two qualifiers in mid-July.
“We know our standards have to be higher. We probably let them slip a bit recently. We know the talent we have, we know the potential we have and we saw a lot more flashes of it tonight.”
Russo also felt that the Lionesses are starting to get back to their high performance level, although she noted that there is still room for improvement.
“I think we got our standard’s back to where we wanted them. There are still parts we will work on for sure. We know the level is higher than ever and to even qualify for the Euros is going to be harder than ever.”
Having struggled to accept their home defeat against France after having scored first, England enjoyed a solid start in Saint-Etienne with only one change to the starting line-up as Hannah Hampton replaced Mary Earps.
Ella Toone claimed her 50th senior cap but wasted a chance to put England into a sixth minute lead as she played an one-two move with Stanway into the box, only to tamely hit her shot which was comfortably saved by Pauline Peyraud-Magnin.
France immediately responded by racing up the opposite end but Diani flicked a shot wide across goal.
The hosts however struggled to carve out clinical opportunities in open play like they did in the reverse leg and almost paid the price in the 17th minute, yet Russo could only flick Beth Mead’s cross wide on the volley.
That chance though turned out to be a mere warning which the Les Bleues failed to heed as four minutes later, Peyraud-Magnin blocked Mead’s cross before neat play from a throw-in fell for Hemp to cut back for Stanway to lash into the left corner from the edge of the box.
England hadn’t beaten France on French soil since a 3-0 win in 1973 but the prospect of ending their rotten streak grew stronger in the 34th minute, as Hemp whipped in a cross that Russo nodded into the left corner to double the Lionesses’ lead.
France struggled to mount much of a response and were almost undone in the 43rd minute as Toone teed up Stanway, but the latter couldn’t replicate her goal as she fired wide instead.
Toone missed a chance to extend England’s lead in the fourth minute of first-half injury-time just moments after Wendie Renard nodded wide for France.
France however stepped up their intensity in the second half but Renard nodded wide in the 58th minute, whilst Stanway and Toone fired wide for England.
Williamson however handed France a route back into the match with a 70th minute clipping of Grace Geyoro, which was declared a penalty that Diani two minutes later dispatched into the left corner to give late hopes for the French.
Stanway almost restored England’s two-goal lead but fired a 77th minute shot wide across goal from Lucy Bronze’s pass.
France substitute, Delphine Cascarino soon proved a difficult player for England’s defence to handle as she blasted over from a tight angle in the 80th minute, before using her pace to help her teammates pile on the pressure in the closing minutes.
England ultimately dug deep defensively to cling on for their first away win over France in 51 years, whilst in-turn condemning the French to a first home loss since they were knocked out by USA in Quarter-Finals of 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
What’s Next?
France host Sweden at Stade Gaston Gerard, Dijon on Friday 12 July, knowing that qualification will be guaranteed with a win, although a draw would be enough in knowledge that Sweden are facing England in their final group match.
England meet Republic of Ireland that same evening at Carrow Road, Norwich, at 8pm BST, aware that victory coupled with a win for France in Dijon would put their fate in their own hands in their final group game away to Sweden in Gothenburg.
Team News
France – Pauline Peyraud-Magnin, Elisa de Almeida, Maelle Lakrar (Perisset 73′), Wendie Renard, Selma Bacha, Amandine Henry (Toletti 46′), Grace Geyoro, Kenza Dali, Kadidiatou Diani, Marie-Antoinette Katoto, Sakina Karchaoui (D.Cascarino 46′)
Substitutes – Solene Durand, Constance Picaud, Eve Perisset, Estelle Cascarino, Thiniba Samoura, Sandie Toletti, Lea Le Garrec, Sandy Baltimore, Vicki Becho, Ines Benyahia, Julie Dufour, Delphine Cascarino
England – Hannah Hampton, Lucy Bronze, Millie Bright, Leah Williamson, Jess Carter, Keira Walsh, Georgia Stanway, Ella Toone (Kirby 90′), Beth Mead (Kelly 75′), Alessia Russo, Lauren Hemp
Substitutes – Alex Greenwood, Khiara Keating, Fran Kirby, Jessica Naz, Chloe Kelly, Aggie Beever-Jones, Grace Clinton, Maya Le Tissier, Jess Park, Lucy Thomas, Esme Morgan, Millie Turner
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