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There was so much to take away from England’s penalty shootout win over Sweden in the quarter-finals of the 2025 European Championship. Some of it was good, be it the impact of the substitutes or the resilience from the whole team. Some of it, though, was bad, particularly in defence, where the Lionesses were torn apart despite their remarkable second-half comeback.
It’s a performance that should serve as a wake-up call for Sarina Wiegman, who needs to address the issues in the backline if England are to retain their European title. That starts on Tuesday, when her side come up against an Italy team that is in its first major tournament semi-final this century.
The Lionesses will be the favourites, given their status as holders and the greater experience in their squad when it comes to these big moments. But that does not mean Wiegman should rest on her laurels when it comes to team selection, as بالجم takes a look at how England should line-up in Geneva…
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
Whatever changes Wiegman makes, there will not be one in between the sticks. Hannah Hampton remains England’s only capped goalkeeper and she comes into this semi-final off the back of an incredible high, having made two huge saves in the penalty shootout win over Sweden.
She’s not been perfect this tournament, with her struggling to come out and collect crosses in particular on Thursday. Still, she deservedly remains England’s undisputed No.1.
England have to change shape in order to address the issues they have in defence right now, and there is no better opportunity to do so than on Tuesday, against Italy. Having used the system to remarkable success at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, Wiegman last deployed her team in a 3-5-2 from the start in a friendly against Switzerland in December of last year. Asked why, she cited the desire “to be adaptable to what we have in front of us”, as that was the shape the Swiss lined up in. Italy prefer the same formation.
Despite her difficult day out against Sweden, there is an argument to keep Jess Carter in the team in that system, as she is at her very best in a back three. However, that game will have certainly knocked her confidence and there’s no doubt Italy would target her again, so it makes sense to bring in Esme Morgan, replicating the in-game change Wiegman made in the win over Sweden.
This selection depends on the fitness of Leah Williamson, who limped off in extra-time against Sweden with an ankle injury. If she is okay to start, then the England captain must, with her leadership and quality vital, even if some of her performances this tournament have been a little shaky.
If she cannot play, the Lionesses would be in a bit of a pickle. Carter would make sense to take this spot then, unless Wiegman wants to take her out of the firing line. Then, she’d be turning to Maya Le Tissier or Lotte Wubben-Moy, neither of whom have played any minutes since the 2024-25 club season concluded.
The biggest reason why a formation change is necessary is because England are being too easily exposed at left-back. Against France, Carter played there and was torn apart by Delphine Cascarino. Against Sweden, Alex Greenwood failed to cover the position well enough, which allowed the opposition to get at left centre-back Carter regularly. There’s no natural option for the orthodox left-back role in the Lionesses’ squad – so why set-up in a shape that needs it filling?
Instead, Wiegman can change to a 3-5-2 and put Greenwood back into a back three that she thrived in at the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
Also capable of playing in the back three if desired, Lucy Bronze fits the wing-back role nicely with her excellent work rate and ability to be effective in attack. She’s played there this season with Chelsea and she’s also thrived in the position with England in the past.
One of the arguments against the 3-5-2 shape is that when England played in it at the 2023 World Cup, it didn’t seem to bring the best out of Keira Walsh. However, we’re talking about a world-class player, someone who you would certainly back to adapt and thrive in whatever system she’s in.
It might actually help with one of the problems England had against Sweden, too, when Walsh was marked out of the game. This shape would give the Lionesses some different looks when playing out from the back and allow the right and left centre-backs to drive forward with the ball with less risk, thus opening up new angles.
There’s a case to be made for rotation in this position, as Georgia Stanway has started all of England’s games at this tournament despite only returning from four months out with a knee injury at the end of May. It would also help freshen up an area of the park that failed to impact the game much against Sweden.
However, Stanway excelled in the 3-5-2 shape at the last World Cup and she was one of the first players subbed off in the quarter-finals, so she should have plenty in the tank.
Neither Ella Toone nor Lauren James were worryingly poor in England’s quarter-final win, but neither impacted the game quite as they’d have liked. Whether that is because they’ve both played a lot of football at this tournament, it’s unclear, but it wouldn’t hurt to freshen up the midfield and this position feels like the best one to change up, so not to break up the understanding at the base between Walsh and Stanway.
Grace Clinton has showed a lot of good things in an England shirt this year, deputising for Stanway during her injury, but has seen opportunities dry up in recent weeks. She’ll be chomping at the bit to get her chance and can be dangerous in this system, with her creativity, tenacious battling and eye for goal.
Toone and James will be there are worthwhile impact subs if it doesn’t work out, too.
Niamh Charles has struggled for form this past year. She’s not a natural left-back, which is part of the reason for that, and Sandy Baltimore, her Chelsea team-mate, thrived in that role during her first season at the club, leaving Charles on the bench for spells. However, when the Blues changed to a back three towards the end of the 2024-25 campaign, the England international was deployed as a wing-back and it proved to be a role that suited her strengths much more.
Naturally a winger or a No.10, it allowed Charles to be an asset in the final third while not being exposed defensively. She was able to showcase her excellent crossing ability, great athleticism and good decision-making in crucial areas – qualities she could express with the knowledge that there was ample protection behind her if the opponent regained possession and countered.
Given the issues that continue to come from that orthodox left-back position, it would make total sense for Wiegman to change shape to mask this huge issue, and Charles is the best option for the wing-back role.
Alessia Russo has taken big steps forward as a No.9 in recent years, with this past season in particular a real highlight. However, she can still be isolated in that position at times, with her lack of service against Sweden evidence of that.
When she plays in a front two, that’s not as much of an issue. It is no coincidence that England continue to look much more threatening when Wiegman plays Michelle Agyemang alongside her, as she did in the latter stages against France and Sweden.
Despite the mark Agyemang continues to make alongside Russo, it would be something of a surprise if Wiegman handed the teenager her first senior England start in a major tournament semi-final. There is use in having her come on as a substitute to make an impact, too, something made easier if the Lionesses are already in a 3-5-2 shape.
Moreover, Hemp has shown regularly in the past that she can be effective as a striker for England, both as a lone No.9 and as part of a front two. The Manchester City star partnered Russo effectively at the World Cup and she can use her pace and directness to trouble the Italy defence, which can lack speed.
