Euro 2025 daily newsletter: Day five
Losses for both England and Wales
Group D played on day four, and it means that every team has now played in the competition.
The tournament’s final group had been viewed as the most difficult and these two matches really demonstrated just how competitive it is.
Wales made history in their first ever Euros appearance but lost to the Netherlands by three goals. Meanwhile, France made a huge statement as they were in complete control in a 2-1 win over England.
The Lionesses had an early disallowed goal which was ruled out by VAR as Beth Mead was offside leading up to Alessia Russo’s finish. That was one of the few bright sparks in a poor performance from Sarina Wiegman’s side. Keira Walsh scored a consolation goal in the last minute but it was ultimately not enough to rescue the game.
In this first round of games we’ve had incredibly tight contests, red cards, missed penalties, numerous goals, injuries, and contentious offside calls. It’s been some start to Euro 2025.
Results
Wales 0 Netherlands 3
Wales fell to a 3–0 defeat in their Euros debut against the Netherlands, but they should hold their heads high — their presence on this stage is already a milestone, and there are still two games to go. They proved worthy and resilient opponents to the Netherlands as their defensive line challenged the Dutch players until Vivianne Miedema scored in the final minute of the second half. It was her 100th goal for her country in just 126 appearance, an impressive milestone for one of the best strikers in the women’s game. Victoria Pelova and Esmee Brugts added two more for the Dutch and it could have been more damaging for Wales had they not been rescued by VAR, the crossbar and post.
France 2 England 1
Not the start that the defending champions wanted. The Lionesses were defeated by a French team who were much sharper, physical, and dominant, particularly in the midfield. France’s quality on the ball was evident, and they won the majority of the 1v1 challenges, leaving England stunned and ineffective at times.
The turning point came after Russo’s disallowed goal when France seemed to wake up and rise to another level. They scored two quick goals through Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Sandy Baltimore and England seemed stunned.
Wiegman made all five of her substitutes to try and influence the game in the second half. The sense of urgency and determination eventually arrived in the last 10 minutes and England pulled a goal back through a rare Walsh finish into the top corner. In the end, the better side deservedly gained three points. If England want to make it out of the group stage, they will have to beat the Netherlands on Wednesday.
News
An injury update from Germany- captain Giulia Gwinn suffered a medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury on her left knee during Germany’s 2-0 win over Poland. Thankfully, it is not another ACL injury for her, but she will miss the rest of the tournament
Esmee Brugts scored her first-ever goal at a European Championships in the Netherlands’ 3-0 win over Wales
England’s Alex Greenwood earned her 100th international cap in her match against France
What’s on today
Norway vs Finland, 17:00 BST- Stade de Tourbillon, Sion
Switzerland vs Iceland, 20:00 BST- Stadion Wankdorf, Bern
Both Norway and Finland won in their previous games, so they will both be battling to take control of Group A. Switzerland and Iceland need a point to stay in contention, and Switzerland will be hoping they can use their home crowd to lead them to a win.
Catch up on The Cutback
Read the instant analysis from England’s 2-1 defeat to France.
Sion Misra on an emotional but tough debut for Wales - Trailblazing Wales can't quash the quality of Dutch stars.