On the eve of England’s critical EURO 2025 qualifier against France, captain Leah Williamson took a proactive stance, galvanizing her team with an impassioned speech. This pivotal moment came after a recent defeat to France at St James’ Park, which left the Lionesses facing the grim prospect of having to secure their place in the tournament finals through the playoffs. A victory at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard was essential to keep England in contention for one of the top two spots in their group and to rekindle their confidence in defending their European title in Switzerland the following summer.
With the team in dire need of a morale boost, Williamson convened a meeting. Whatever she said in her stirring address had a profound impact, as it translated into a commanding performance against France. The Lionesses triumphed on French soil, sending a clear message to their rivals about their enduring championship aspirations.
Georgia Stanway, who scored the opening goal in the match against France, reflected on Williamson’s influence post-game. “Leah just rounded us all up and we said this week we weren’t satisfied with the way it’s been,” she explained. “We need to up our level. We know it will take an even better, faster, more physically stronger team and more technical team to win the Euros next year. Today is a massive step in the right direction.”
England’s performance in Saint-Etienne was a significant improvement over their recent outings, arguably their best showing since their World Cup semi-final victory over Australia the previous summer. The match started energetically, with Stanway breaking the deadlock with a powerful long-range shot. Alessia Russo’s header before halftime provided England with a crucial cushion.
However, the game took a tense turn when Kadidiatou Diani converted a penalty 18 minutes from time, awarded after Williamson was penalized for tripping Grace Geyoro. Despite the pressure, England held on for a valuable win, with goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, standing in for the injured Mary Earps, making a crucial save to deny Marie-Antoinette Katoto in the dying moments.
“We wanted to show our standards, we wanted to show where we want to go as a team. We saw that,” Russo told BBC Radio 5 Live. “We knew there was no other thing than three points. We knew it was business. As soon as we scored, we went to get the ball to start again. We’re England, we’re the champions of this tournament. Our standards probably haven’t been where we want them to be.”
The past year has been challenging for the Lionesses, marked by several setbacks since their World Cup final loss to Spain the previous August. Autumn defeats to Belgium and the Netherlands dashed their hopes of qualifying for the summer Olympics, and they had to settle for a draw against Sweden in their Euros qualifying opener in April. Even their subsequent win over the Republic of Ireland was far from convincing, and they struggled in the first leg of their double-header against France, where they squandered a lead to lose the match.
Manchester United midfielder Ella Toone asserted that the Lionesses had been the better side but fell victim to costly lapses in concentration. Head coach Sarina Wiegman deemed the defeat “unnecessary.” While Wiegman refrained from labeling the return fixture as a must-win, describing it instead as a “want-to-win,” Sweden’s late victory over Ireland heightened the necessity for England to secure the three points.
In a surprising move, Wiegman made only one change to the lineup for the match, necessitated by Earps’ minor hip injury. Hampton, who had impressed off the bench at St James’ Park, continued to show her worth, commanding her area well and initiating attacks with her accurate distribution. Hampton’s performance poses a welcome dilemma for Wiegman regarding the starting goalkeeper position when Earps is fit.
The most unexpected decision was Wiegman’s choice to retain the center-back pairing of Williamson and Millie Bright. Although they had been formidable at EURO 2022, both players had seen limited action due to injuries over the past year. Their struggles were evident in the previous match against France. Despite Manchester City defender Alex Greenwood’s impressive form, Wiegman stuck with the same backline, a decision that ultimately paid off as both Williamson and Bright delivered improved performances.
Up front, Russo excelled in the No. 9 role, consistently troubling the French defense and providing relief for her teammates as France pressed for an equalizer. Lauren Hemp, playing on the left flank, set up both goals and reinforced her status as England’s key player.
The collective effort of the Lionesses resulted in a historic victory, handing France their first home defeat in 21 matches and marking England’s first away win against France in 51 years. Defender Jess Carter noted the team’s renewed spirit, saying, “There was a bit of extra fight. The standards haven’t been good enough for a while. It’s not out of a lack of trying but we just haven’t found something else to lift us when things aren’t necessarily going our way.”
Carter emphasized the importance of maintaining this momentum, “We’ve got to keep fighting and grind our way through it, which is what this team has shown we can do. That was the difference – the fight. (Going forward) I think the mindset’s got to be even more aggressive – we’ve got to do even better, we can’t take our foot off the gas at all. Today was just a step in the right direction, we’ve got to improve on this performance.”
The journey is far from over for the Lionesses. They have five weeks to recover before facing Ireland at Carrow Road in Norwich, followed by a crucial match against Sweden in Gothenburg on July 16 to conclude their qualifying campaign. Their mission is clear: win both games to secure their place at EURO 2025, or face the uncertainty of the playoffs. Despite a challenging year, the Lionesses finally appear to be on the right path.
