England cruised into the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 Quarter-Finals with a 6-1 victory over Wales to finish second in Group D.
Georgia Stanway fired England ahead from the penalty spot before Ella Toone’s rebound strike and Lauren Hemp’s 30th-minute header put them in firm control, as strikes from Alessia Russo, Beth Mead and Aggie Beever-Jones completed a dominant victory.
Wales however denied the Lionesses a clean sheet through a 76th-minute strike from Hannah Cain via Jess Fishlock’s clinical pass towards the left of the box on a quick counter-attack.
England however finished as Group D runners-up behind France after Delphine Cascarino’s brace plus goals from Sandie Toletti, Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Sakina Karchaoui completed a 5-2 win over third-placed Netherlands, as the Dutch briefly came from behind through Victoria Pelova’s effort and Selma Bacha’s own-goal.
Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses will now meet Sweden in Zurich, Switzerland, on Thursday 17 July at 9pm CEST (8pm UK Time) in the second Quarter-Final, whilst France face Germany in Basel just 48 hours later on Saturday 19 July.
Toone spoke to ITV post-match about the prospect of facing Sweden and warned the Swedes to “be scared” in what she expects to be a tough battle between the two favourites in the top-half of the knockout section, with a semi-final against Norway or Italy at stake.
“It is going to be a difficult game. We watched them the other night and they were really good. We need to be on our best game.
“I think they should be scared!”
Despite their slim chances of mathematical qualification, Wales took the fight to England in an evenly-poised opening nine minutes until Carrie Jones fouled Stanway just inside the box, although referee – Frida Mia Klarlund initially avoided a free-kick to the Lionesses.
A VAR intervention however saw the set-piece overturned and a penalty awarded after a three-minute delay, and Stanway calmly slotted England ahead with a 13th-minute penalty into the bottom-left corner despite Olivia Clark’s correct dive to her right side.
England began to seize control following their breakthrough and their second goal came just eight minutes later, as Hemp nodded down a cross via deflections from Stanway and Wales defenders towards Russo, who cut back for Toone to lash in on the rebound after her first shot was blocked.
Lauren James put a 26th-minute volley wide then almost turned playmaker two minutes later as Russo nodded her cross wide.
James however was able to set up England’s third goal on the half-hour mark as she found Toone free on the overlap to whip a cross towards the left post, which Hemp calmly met with a thumping header to put the Lionesses in firm control.
That grip grew ever tighter in the 44th minute as neat play up the right saw Toone cut back for Russo to casually turn into her near-left corner to net the Lionesses’ fourth goal.
England however found themselves top on head-to-head record at half-time after Selma Bacha’s own-goal put Netherlands 2-1 up against France, having initially fell behind to Sandie Toletti’s effort before Pelova equalised for the Dutch
Wiegman consequently decided to rest Toone and Hemp as Jess Park and Mead were introduced at half-time. followed by Chloe Kelly and Aggie Beever-Jones shortly before the hour-mark, as England continued to control the game.
Wales’ second-half resistance eventually broke in the 72nd minute as Beever-Jones set up Mead to slot a close-range shot past Clark to further extend England’s lead.
England’s defence however were caught napping just four minutes later as Fishlock broke forward apace and found Cain free to rifle high into the far-right corner, as Wales netted just their second goal at a major tournament.
France meanwhile equalised through Katoto against the Netherlands just past the hour-mark before Cascarino’s quick-fire brace and Karchaoui’s penalty sent Les Bleues through as Group D winners.
Beever-Jones eventually restored England’s five-goal winning margin with an 89th-minute header from Mead’s cross as the Lionesses cruised into the Quarter-Finals.
Teams
England: Hannah Hampton, Lucy Bronze (Charles 79′), Leah Williamson, Jess Carter, Alex Greenwood, Georgia Stanway, Keira Walsh, Ella Toone (Park 46′), Lauren James (Kelly 56′), Alessia Russo (Beever-Jones 57′), Lauren Hemp (Mead 46′)
Substitutes: Niamh Charles, Beth Mead, Maya Le Tissier, Anna Moorhouse, Grace Clinton, Esme Morgan, Michelle Agyemang, Chloe Kelly, Aggie Beever-Jones, Jess Park, Khiara Keating, Lotte Wubben-Moy
Wales: Olivia Clark, Esther Morgan, Rhiannon Roberts, Gemma Evans, Lily Woodham (Green 46′), Jess Fishlock, Angharad James, Ceri Holland (Cain 65′), Carrie Jones (Barton 85′), Rachel Rowe (Ladd 65′), Ffion Morgan (Hughes 79′)
Substitutes: Kayleigh Barton, Hannah Cain, Charlie Estcourt, Josie Green, Alice Griffiths, Elise Hughes, Sophie Ingle, Lois Joel, Hayley Ladd, Safia Middleton-Patel, Elia Powell, Poppy Soper
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