In a thrilling game, England’s women’s team defeated France 2-1 in Saint-Etienne, securing a vital win in their Euro 2025 qualifying campaign. Alessia Russo and Georgia Stanway scored crucial goals, while Jess Carter and Lauren Hemp impressed with their performances.
First-Half Dominance
The Lionesses dominated the first half, with Russo, Ella Toone, and Beth Mead creating scoring opportunities. Stanway broke the deadlock with a stunning strike, and Russo added a clever header before halftime. The Lionesses’ attacking play was crisp and decisive, with Hemp’s pace and skill causing problems for the French defense.
France’s Second-Half Resurgence
France pushed hard for an equalizer in the second half, with Kadidiatou Diani converting a penalty. However, Hannah Hampton’s heroic save at the death ensured England’s victory. The French team’s pressure was intense, but the Lionesses’ defense held firm, with Carter and Bronze making crucial blocks and tackles.
Player Ratings
Goalkeeper & Defence
- Hannah Hampton (8/10): Made several crucial saves, including a heroic stop at the death.
- Lucy Bronze (7/10): Solid in defense and attack, causing problems for France with her pace and skill.
- Millie Bright (6/10): Looked more assured than in recent games, but still had some shaky moments.
- Leah Williamson (6/10): Played some great passes to feed the attack, but gave away the penalty with a poor tackle.
- Jess Carter (8/10): Reliable as ever, making crucial blocks and tackles to help secure the win.
Midfield
- Keira Walsh (6/10): Looked in danger of being marked out of the game early on but grew into it without standing out.
- Georgia Stanway (7/10): Bounced back from a quiet game on Friday to score a stunning goal.
- Ella Toone (5/10): Made some great runs from midfield but gave the ball away cheaply in the phase that led to France’s penalty.
Attack
- Beth Mead (5/10): Some nice moments on the attack but was also let down by a poor touch or wrong decision.
- Alessia Russo (7/10): Strong in her hold-up play, clever in her movement, and produced an excellent finish for her goal.
- Lauren Hemp (8/10): Two great assists in different ways, lively throughout, and caused problems for the French defense with her pace and skill.
Subs & Manager
- Chloe Kelly (N/A): Replaced Mead with 15 minutes to play and did her bit to see the game out.
- Fran Kirby (N/A): On in stoppage time, didn’t have enough time to make an impact.
- Sarina Wiegman (6/10): Decision not to make changes from Friday, other than the enforced switch in goal, was a surprise given how poor the Lionesses were in Newcastle, but she trusted her players to deliver an improved display, and they did that in the first half. Needs to address the all-too-common drop in level that came in the second period.