England’s women’s football team, the Lionesses, secured a crucial victory over France in their Euro 2025 qualifying campaign. This win came just days after they were defeated 2-1 by France in the previous fixture. The Lionesses showed significant improvement in their performance, winning the match by the same scoreline in Saint-Etienne.
The victory was made possible by standout performances from Georgia Stanway and Alessia Russo. Stanway opened the scoring with a superb strike in the 21st minute, while Russo doubled the lead before half-time with a well-placed header. France managed to rally after the break and pulled one back from the penalty spot through Kadidiatou Diani. However, England held on to secure a crucial win in Group 3.
Despite this important victory, England remains in third place in Group 3, level on points with Sweden. Sweden secured a 1-0 win against the bottom-placed Republic of Ireland earlier in the day. France’s lead at the top of the group has been reduced to just two points as a result of their defeat to England.
Looking ahead, England’s next group game is against Republic of Ireland on July 12. A victory in this match would propel them into the top two positions in the group, regardless of the outcome of the game between France and Sweden on the same night.
To qualify for Euro 2025, England needs to finish in the top two positions in their group. However, there is still a chance for them to make it to the tournament even if they finish third or fourth. In that scenario, they would enter the play-offs, where they would face one of the five group winners and three best-ranked runners-up in League C. If they progress from this round, they would enter the final round play-offs as one of seven seeded teams.
Sarina Wiegman, the head coach of the Lionesses, praised the team’s effort after the victory over France. She highlighted the importance of the win and stated that it puts England in a better position for the final two qualifying games next month. Wiegman acknowledged the tough competition in Group 3 but emphasized that the team performed better than in their previous match against France.
Alessia Russo expressed her satisfaction with the team’s performance and their ability to regain their standards following the defeat to France. She acknowledged the high level of competition and the difficulty of qualifying for the Euros.
Following their match against Republic of Ireland, England will conclude their Euro 2025 group campaign with a game against Sweden. The team will be aiming to secure another victory and solidify their chances of qualifying for the tournament.
Overall, England’s victory over France has significantly boosted their Euro 2025 hopes. They have shown resilience and improvement, and with upcoming important matches, their qualification for the tournament is within reach.