ZURICH, Switzerland — France surprised defending champions England to win their Euro 2025 Group D opener 2-1 in Zurich on Saturday.
Laurent Bonadei’s aspect have loved a outstanding run of kind in 2025 they usually continued this on a balmy night in Switzerland as targets from Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Sandy Baltimore handed England a chastening defeat, who bought a late comfort from Keira Walsh.
England headed into this event as one of many favorites, however have been outclassed by the French for a lot of the sport as they handed Sarina Wiegman’s crew a painful defeat.
England did take an early lead by Alessia Russo after 13 minutes, however the effort was chalked off as a result of Beth Mead being a toe offside.
From there, France dominated and England began to make a sequence of errors. Katoto pounced to faucet dwelling a Delphine Cascarino cross after 36 minutes whereas Baltimore exploited defensive chaos within the English ranks to double their lead three minutes later.
Regardless of England making their ordinary modifications on the hour mark, it did little to stem the tide and France have been not often threatened within the second half till the closing phases. Wiegman launched Michelle Agyemang on the eighty fifth minute mark and her presence within the field helped create house for Walsh to steer a shot dwelling.
England pushed for a late equalizer, that by no means got here. They now face a must-win match towards the Netherlands, whereas France will look to go two from two towards Wales on Wednesday. — Tom Hamilton
England’s error depend was punishing
Heading into this opener, England have been eager to push their message that they are not likely right here as defending champions, however as a substitute trying to do one thing no England senior crew has ever achieved: win a serious event on international soil.
The group have been quietly optimistic and in a superb place.
However towards France, for many of the match, they froze. The error depend was outstanding. Gamers who’re often so dependable have been making uncharacteristic, poorly judged passes, they have been giving the ball away in harmful areas, and the crew misplaced any early momentum that they had.
The midfield was far too uncovered whereas Cascarino and Baltimore had the liberty of the wings, with Jessica Carter and Lucy Bronze struggling to include these threats. France’s first aim from Katoto got here off a free cross from Georgia Stanway to Lauren Hemp, which allowed France to counter, whereas Bronze was out of place for France’s second, an unlucky ricochet permitting Baltimore loads of time to fireside dwelling.
Each had far an excessive amount of house. There have been free passes from gamers like Mead, whereas at one level Leah Williamson and Alex Greenwood collided to present Élisa De Almeida an opportunity. All of it contributed to France’s commanding maintain on the match.
Although England rallied late on, for a lot of this, it was jarring to look at. They merely have to chop out these errors towards the Netherlands, or they’re heading dwelling early. — Hamilton
France’s midfield battle was key in win
Previewing this match, it was clear that midfield management would decide the winner.
With two entrance threes dealing with one another — Hemp-Russo-Mead for England and Cascarino-Katoto-Baltimore for France — it was all about dominance in midfield to feed good balls to your forwards, which means that whoever would try this greatest would win the sport.
In the long run, it wasn’t even a contest. After a balanced opening ten minutes, France’s midfield overwhelmed their English counterparts.
Supervisor Bonadei determined to start out with Oriane Jean-François alongside Grace Geyoro and Sakina Karchaoui, and he made the proper selection. The Chelsea participant was all over the place, so impactful with and with out the ball, whereas Geyoro dictated play and Karchaoui’s motion triggered fixed issues.
Walsh and Stanway by no means bought into the sport, and Lauren James grew to become a bystander. France’s 4-3-3 formation all the time provided an additional participant towards England’s 4-2-3-1. — Julien Laurens
France’s Baltimore and Cascarino, essential on the wings
Apart from Spain — who may damage you thru the center — the primary attacking menace among the many event favorites at these Euros continues to return from the wings.
We noticed it with Germany on Friday, as Klara Bühl and Jule Model ran riot. And we noticed it once more with France. Cascarino on the proper and Baltimore on the left completely tormented England throughout the hour they spent on the pitch.
Bronze and Carter had no solutions to their expertise and tempo. Cascarino, who performs for San Diego Wave within the NWSL now, gave an ideal help on the primary aim whereas the Chelsea ahead scored the second.
As a result of France have been so dominant in midfield, Les Bleues‘ two vast gamers noticed loads of the ball in nice conditions too, usually remoted one-on-one, precisely the place they thrive.
They went on the England protection nonstop. The tempo of Cascarino, perhaps the quickest participant within the event, is frightening, and Baltimore has develop into such an ideal all-around participant since her transfer to the Girls’s Tremendous League.
They may go once more now towards Wales on Wednesday, with the opportunity of already qualifying their crew for the quarterfinals. — Laurens
The Lauren James gamble
At her greatest, James is among the greatest attacking abilities in world soccer. However since injuring her hamstring towards Belgium again in April, James has had about half-hour of soccer, and that got here towards Jamaica final Sunday.
In opposition to France, she confirmed flashes of her attacking menace, however this was an enormous gamble from Wiegman to start out James from the outset, given her lack of match motion. James had a superb probability after simply 43 seconds to open the lead for England, however her effort flew over the bar, after which after three minutes, her curled cross simply missed Russo’s head.
However James is an out-and-out attacker. Wiegman’s system extra generally sees the No.10 play as a hybrid No.8, becoming a member of Stanway and Walsh in defensive duties.
Having been given loads of house early on, France reduce down James’ house after which began dominating the center of the pitch, successful the midfield battle, and leaving England defensively susceptible. James lasted 60 minutes earlier than being changed with Ella Toone coming into the center of the pitch. That gave England extra defensive cowl and helped construct extra attacking momentum.
Both Toone or Grace Clinton have to start out towards the Netherlands in midfield with Wiegman dealing with a call on whether or not she begins James or Chloe Kelly on the wing, or retains the religion with Mead. –– Hamilton
Wiegman and England are actually below large strain
Wiegman’s main event report is outstanding. In her two European Championships so far heading into this one, she gained the 2017 version with the Netherlands, then guided England to their triumph in 2022. So we’re in uncharted territory right here.
This was Wiegman’s first-ever defeat as head coach at a European Championship. England’s run of main event success below Wiegman has been outstanding. However in each the Euros in 2022 and the World Cup in 2023, they began slowly. However on each these events, they discovered a solution to win 1-0. Sadly for them, that run got here to an abrupt halt in Zurich.
This was not a efficiency from a Wiegman crew we’ve come to anticipate. For a lot of the match — regardless of their late rally — the errors have been plentiful, the protection shaky, the fullbacks backpedaling, and the attacking menace negligible. England solely registered their first shot heading in the right direction when Walsh guided the ball dwelling late on.
They’ve a lot to repair forward of the Netherlands on Wednesday, who might be driving their very own wave of optimism after defeating Wales 3-0. England are basically in must-win territory now, or their event might be over earlier than it ever bought going. — Hamilton
Geyoro celebrates centenary cap in fashion
Of the 2 gamers celebrating a landmark a hundredth cap on this recreation, Geyoro is clearly the happiest.
Alex Greenwood, the England middle again, will not hold a superb reminiscence of this evening regardless of reaching a uncommon feat.
100 matches to your nation may be very particular, and for Geyoro to take pleasure in it with a win over England — the reigning European champions — felt even higher. The 28-year-old PSG midfielder made her debut eight years in the past and has been by all of the disappointments, all of the losses in quarterfinals regardless of Les Bleues usually having a standing of favorites.
She has cried greater than she has laughed together with her nation. However she has additionally all the time given 100%, taking nice delight in carrying the No. 8 shirt. On Saturday, she bossed the sport once more. She gained all her duels by recovering 5 balls, greater than anybody else on the pitch. For greater than 90 minutes, she was the proper centurion. — Laurens