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After a rollercoaster of a start to their European Championship title defence, England know exactly what they need on Sunday to make it through to the knockout rounds: The Lionesses will face neighbours Wales in their final group stage encounter, with a win enough to book their quarter-final ticket.
Some might underestimate the Dragons, the lowest-ranked nation at Euro 2025, especially given they are yet to get a point on the board after 3-0 and 4-1 defeats to the Netherlands and France, respectively. Some might see this game as one in which England could rest a few key starters, particularly given the squad depth available.
But after flirting with a very premature elimination off the back of a 2-1 loss to Les Bleues in their opener, the Lionesses are unlikely to take anything for granted, with a tough task in store regardless of what the rankings might suggest. How will Sarina Wiegman approach it? بالجم takes a look at how her side should line up in St. Gallen…
The UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 starts on July 2 and runs until the grand final on July 27. The Women’s Euro 2025 will take place across Switzerland, featuring stadiums in Basel, Geneva, and Bern.
If you’re looking for your chance to secure Women’s Euro 2025 tickets fret not. We’ve got all of the intel for you to get a seat at this international tournament in Switzerland.
UEFA Women’s EURO 2025, which is the 14th edition of the Women’s European Championship, is being held from Wednesday, July 2 to Sunday, July 27. Switzerland is staging the tournament for the first time, and the host nation will be hoping that playing in front of their fervent home fans will prove to be a good omen. The Netherlands were the host nation when they won the Women’s Euro 2017, and England reigned supreme on home turf at Women’s Euro 2022. Women’s Euro 2025 matches will be staged in eight Swiss cities: Basel, Bern, Geneva, Zurich, St.Gallen, Lucerne, Thun u0026amp; Sion.
Other major timelines for the events you might want to note include:
Here’s a closer look at where you can watch the Women’s Euro 2025 from where you are:
Women’s Euro 2022 was won by the tournament hosts, England. Chloe Kelly was the goalscoring heroine as she netted the winning goal in extra time against Germany. It was the first time an England senior team had won major footballing honours since the men’s side had won the FIFA World Cup in 1966. The Lionesses were led by Sarina Wiegman, who had coached the Netherlands to glory five years earlier at Women’s Euro 2017.
The 16 teams playing at Women’s Euro 2025 are split into four groups of four teams. The top two sides in each group will progress to the quarter-finals. The groups were confirmed during December’s draw in Lausanne and are as follows:
Group A: Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Finland
Group B: Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Italy
Group C: Germany, Poland, Denmark, Sweden
Group D: France, England, Wales, Netherlands
Hampton had little to do in terms of making saves when England beat the Netherlands on Wednesday and yet, she still managed to emerge from that win as one of the Lionesses’ most impressive players thanks to her incredible distribution. Her pass to Russo for the opener was otherworldly, underlining just why the 24-year-old was able to usurp Mary Earps in the No.1 role.
Bronze had a tough time against club-mate Sandy Baltimore in England’s defeat to France but she was much more solid in the thrashing of the Netherlands, rarely troubled throughout the 4-0 rout. The veteran full-back covered her area of the park well from a defensive standpoint and was able to get forward and contribute too, with there to be a lot of emphasis on the latter against a Wales team that will allow England to dominate possession.
After starting with a couple of shaky moments, Williamson looked much more assured and like herself last time out, having struggled plenty against France. The captain’s quality in possession will be especially important as England come up against Wales, who are likely to sit deep and force the Lionesses to break them down with creativity. Williamson can break lines with her passing range and driving runs forward to help with that task.
After being exposed for her lack of pace at left-back, and lack of natural understanding of the position as someone who plays consistently at centre-back at club level, Carter was moved to a role that suited her and the whole team much more against the Netherlands – and she should stay there. The 27-year-old covered brilliantly to ensure the Dutch had no joy in attack and proved that she is not a weak link in this team at all, but rather an asset.
Greenwood might not be used as a left-back at club level anymore, having grown into a world-class centre-back, but she is the player in this England squad with the best understanding of a position that lacks natural options. Carter and Niamh Charles have both struggled to lock down the role in this Lionesses’ XI, owing to the flaws in their game that are exposed there. That’s not their fault. After all, Carter is best as a centre-back and Charles is naturally a forward.
It was extremely wise of Wiegman to move Greenwood to the left against the Netherlands and it makes total sense to keep her there, as she helped to best mask a problem that continues to perplex England.
Wiegman’s decision to play Lauren James as a No.10 in a 4-3-3 system in England’s opening game ultimately proved costly in midfield, leading to it being overran by France. That was not because James didn’t work hard but simply because she is not a midfielder and in that set-up, it is much more easily exposed, as opposed to the 3-5-2 she thrived in as a playmaker at the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
Both Walsh and Georgia Stanway had to shoulder some of the blame for the midfield not imposing itself on that game too, though, and both recovered excellently in the win over the Netherlands, as Wiegman moved James wide and brought in Ella Toone to beef up the middle. Bronze was the only England player to complete more successful passes than Walsh in that 4-0 win and no one at all won possession more often than the Chelsea star.
It will be a different challenge on Sunday. Wales will set up to frustrate England and Walsh will be vital in breaking down their defence, with her exceptional quality capable of making a real difference.
Given her usual consistency and reliability, it was a surprise to see Stanway perform poorly in England’s defeat to France. Was it all in the way the Lionesses were set-up in midfield? Was there anything to do with her only recently returning from injury? Regardless, the Bayern Munich star bounced back on Wednesday, scoring a terrific goal to mark a great display.
There could be temptation from Wiegman to rest Stanway in this game. She’s only played a handful of times since her knee surgery in January and Grace Clinton proved herself an excellent understudy during the months she was sidelined. But given the Lionesses must win in order to be sure of progressing to the quarter-finals and, on an occasion like that, you want someone with Stanway’s experience out there.
It was important for Wiegman to make some sort of change in midfield after the 2-1 defeat to France and the one she opted for, which saw Toone come into that area as James moved out wide, had exactly the desire impact. Having been unlucky not to make the first XI of the tournament given her recent form, Toone was superb against the Netherlands, grabbing her opportunity with both hands in a hard-working performance that she marked with a goal. She deserves to retain her place.
Eyebrows were raised when James started England’s opener, simply because many didn’t know if she would be fit enough to do so. However, she certainly proved that not only was she fit but also sharp, with the Chelsea forward standing out as the Lionesses’ best player in the defeat to France. It was important for her to stay in the XI against the Netherlands then, though Wiegman needed to tweak things around her to make for the best line-up for the task ahead.
Playing out on the right, James was superb. She was still given the freedom to roam and drift into central areas, which she did to devastating effect, and she did plenty of work off the ball for the benefit of the team. It’s a position that allows her to thrive while also ensuring there is balance in the England XI.
While Russo might still be looking for her first goal at Euro 2025, she does have three assists to her name after a superb performance against the Netherlands. The Arsenal striker has been unlucky, too, seeing two goals ruled out for offside team-mates. It feels like it is coming and perhaps Sunday will be the day, with there no doubt that she deserves to start again in this Wales clash.
England will have their work cut out trying to break down Wales this weekend and Hemp will be one of the players vital to figuring out how to do that. The Manchester City star is a determined winger, one who will try, try and try again to get at her marker and get the ball into the box. She’s got a great turn of pace, bags of tricky and an ability to create and score, all of which is likely to make her one of England’s main instigators in their final group stage outing.
