Match preview for England v Wales
Lauren Hemp is relishing England renewing their “nice rivalry” with Wales after they meet of their Group D finale at Euro 2025 on Sunday.
Having slumped to a shocking 2-1 defeat to France to start out the match, the defending European champions responded in type by thrashing the Netherlands 4-0 in Zurich on Wednesday.
Beautiful targets from Lauren James and Georgia Stanway gave England command earlier than a second from James and a late Ella Toone strike wrapped up a dominant win.
It means England want solely to match the Netherlands’ outcome in opposition to France to progress to the quarter-finals, and they are going to be heavy favourites to take action.
England and Wales are acquainted opponents, having been drawn collectively in qualifying for the 2015 and 2019 Girls’s World Cups.
The Lionesses received three of the 4 conferences throughout these qualification campaigns, drawing the opposite, and didn’t concede a aim to the Dragons.
Whereas a lot has modified since then, historical past is firmly on England’s aspect in opposition to the match debutants, although Hemp is taking nothing without any consideration.
“It’s an ideal rivalry,” Hemp instructed a press convention on Friday. “These are the video games you wish to be concerned in … It’s a derby, we wish to win, finish of.
“We’re going to do no matter we will to do this. It’s going to be a extremely powerful match. We’ve acquired a lot respect for Wales.”
Able to go once more on Sunday 💪 pic.twitter.com/5VljqYt35d
— Lionesses (@Lionesses) July 11, 2025
Of the efficiency in opposition to the Netherlands, Hemp added: “That simply proves when this workforce are at their finest what we will obtain.
“That has proven confidence in everybody, everybody performed to their strengths, everybody did their job and did it very well.
“Main into the sport nobody was fazed. Everybody was calm, relaxed and we knew what job we would have liked to do. It didn’t scare anybody and also you positively didn’t see [anyone scared] on the pitch. It made everybody excited and it made the followers excited hopefully from that efficiency we put in and that’s the England we wish to present each single sport we play.
“We’ve felt that [France] loss, we’ve felt it as a workforce, and we’ve tried to show it round and now we have accomplished, and looking out again on the final sport, how effectively we’ve accomplished, we’re hoping to take that momentum into the subsequent … I believe everyone seems to be simply so constructive and so assured and, when this workforce is like that, we play very well.”
Wales are on the point of elimination following their 4-1 defeat to France.
That was nonetheless an historic sport for Wales, for whom Jess Fishlock scored their first main match aim in netting the equaliser.
And coach Rhian Wilkinson was thrilled with what her aspect confirmed regardless of a outcome that may imply they are going to nearly actually be heading house after dealing with England. Wales must beat the Lionesses by 4 targets and hope France beat the Netherlands.
“Outcomes are secondary to efficiency, I say that on a regular basis. I’d relatively lose 4-1 and play and present braveness than lose 1-0 and simply sit and never truly give our followers one thing to cheer, and boy did we cheer,” Wilkinson instructed BBC Sport Wales after the France loss.
“It was an enormous, massive enchancment performance-wise from the primary sport. I suppose as soon as once more it’s simply little errors, particular person errors, and at this degree clearly you’re punished to the fullest extent.
“Wales is a minnow on the world stage they usually’ve earned the correct to be right here and to symbolize our wonderful nation and now we get to see the distinction. The distinction between the highest groups and the place we’re at.
“This can be a very new nation to the soccer world and we confirmed everybody how proud we’re to symbolize Wales.”
With nothing to lose and loads of delight to play for, Wilkinson might be hoping her gamers present the identical braveness as they appear to drag off an enormous shock and finish England’s defence.
