Sarina Wiegman Calls for a Comeback After Tough Euro 2025 Opener Against France
Sarina Wiegman, the head coach of the Lionesses, has rallied her team following a challenging start to their European Championship title defense. England faced a tough defeat against France, losing 2-1 in Zurich on Saturday night. Despite a late consolation goal from Keira Walsh, who found the net from the edge of the box, the Lionesses struggled to keep pace with their opponents throughout the match.
France’s Marie-Antoinette Katoto struck first, capitalizing on a cross from Delphine Cascarino to score after England was caught off guard during a transition. Just moments later, Sandy Baltimore extended France’s lead with a powerful shot that zipped past England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton after outmaneuvering Lucy Bronze.
This defeat marks the end of Wiegman’s impressive unbeaten record in European Championships, which spanned two tournaments, and leaves England with a challenging road ahead to advance from their group. The Lionesses failed to register a shot on target until the 80th minute, while France dominated with 14 attempts on goal.
In a post-match interview with ITV, Wiegman expressed her disappointment with both the result and the team’s performance. "I’m very disappointed with the outcome. We started well and even scored, but it didn’t count. We played ourselves out of the game," she said.
Wiegman noted that the team struggled with short passing, which played into France’s pressing strategy. "When we escaped their press, we were too careless. I believe we can perform better. We know France is a strong team, but we contributed to our own difficulties," she added.
Looking ahead, Wiegman emphasized the importance of regrouping for their next match against the Netherlands on Wednesday. "We need to step up. Tomorrow, we’ll review the game, recover, and refocus on our upcoming challenge," she stated.
England captain Leah Williamson echoed Wiegman’s sentiments, providing a candid assessment of the team’s performance. "We lost due to poor one-on-one defending. While we learned from our mistakes, we weren’t good enough with the ball," she admitted. "The positive takeaway is that we haven’t turned over the ball like that in a while. Everyone needs to take responsibility and assess their individual performances. We’ll have a new game plan moving forward."
The match had started on a promising note for England, as Alessia Russo found the back of the net early on, only for VAR to disallow the goal due to a marginal offside in the buildup. From that point, France took command of the game. The opening goal came after Georgia Stanway lost possession in midfield, allowing Cascarino to sprint down the right before assisting Katoto for an easy finish. Baltimore’s goal, which came from a tight angle, effectively sealed the match before halftime.
England’s struggles may have been foreshadowed by a rocky pre-tournament buildup, which included key retirements from players such as Mary Earps and Fran Kirby, while Millie Bright opted out of the tournament. The Lionesses now face the Netherlands, who are currently leading the group after defeating Wales 3-0 in their opening match.
As the team prepares for the next challenge, the focus will be on bouncing back and reclaiming their competitive edge in the tournament.
