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 stunning 2-1 defeat to France to begin the event, the defending European champions responded in model 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’ end result towards 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 objective to the Dragons.
Whereas a lot has modified since then, historical past is firmly on England’s aspect towards the event debutants, although Hemp is taking nothing as a right.
“It’s an excellent rivalry,” Hemp advised 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 are able to to do this. It’s going to be a very powerful match. We’ve received a lot respect for Wales.”
Able to go once more on Sunday 💪 pic.twitter.com/5VljqYt35d
— Lionesses (@Lionesses) July 11, 2025
Of the efficiency towards the Netherlands, Hemp added: “That simply proves when this staff are at their greatest what we are able to 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 wanted 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 recreation we play.
“We’ve felt that [France] loss, we’ve felt it as a staff, and we’ve tried to show it round and we’ve executed, and looking out again on the final recreation, how effectively we’ve executed, we’re hoping to take that momentum into the following … I believe everyone seems to be simply so constructive and so assured and, when this staff 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 recreation for Wales, for whom Jess Fishlock scored their first main event objective in netting the equaliser.
And coach Rhian Wilkinson was thrilled with what her aspect confirmed regardless of a end result that may imply they are going to virtually definitely be heading dwelling after dealing with England. Wales have to 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 moderately lose 4-1 and play and present braveness than lose 1-0 and simply sit and never really give our followers one thing to cheer, and boy did we cheer,” Wilkinson advised BBC Sport Wales after the France loss.
“It was a giant, large enchancment performance-wise from the primary recreation. 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 and so they’ve earned the correct to be right here and to signify our wonderful nation and now we get to see the distinction. The distinction between the highest groups and the place we’re at.
“It is a very new nation to the soccer world and we confirmed everybody how proud we’re to signify Wales.”
With nothing to lose and loads of pleasure to play for, Wilkinson shall be hoping her gamers present the identical braveness as they appear to drag off an enormous shock and finish England’s defence.
