France 2-1 England: Lionesses left with loads of soul looking out after opening night time disappointment at Euro 2025 | Soccer Information

The digital camera panned to Sarina Wiegman within the 82nd minute of England’s opening night time loss to France. She was deep in thought.

However a ponderous expression had emerged on her face a very long time prior, as she tried to make sense of how and why her reigning champions had been being dominated so comprehensively.

France appeared like a complete workforce on the night time. A squad all in sync, recent and sharp, able to run more durable, transfer smarter and move slicker. England, in the meantime, had been caught for a spark, not touchdown a single shot on the right track till the 87th minute when Keira Walsh provided a half-hearted lifeline and a short purpose to cheer.

For the following five-minute spell, the Lionesses really performed like a facet with perception. They turned the French round for the primary time within the recreation; Grace Clinton was tenacious in harmful areas and Michelle Agyemang gave defenders one thing to consider. However these sparkles of menace got here too late. Actually, they had been solely passing fragments.

England had lengthy misplaced this contest. Maybe the battle had subliminally been misplaced by half-time. By the ultimate whistle the numbers informed a compelling story.

France received the general head-to-head duel depend by 53 to 36 and the anticipated targets tally by 2.22 to 0.91. The ‘massive probabilities created’ column was a whitewash: 4-0. Not solely had been England much less aggressive than their French counterparts, they had been far sloppier too.

Dropping the bodily and technical battle will notably irk Wiegman. Talking to ITV post-match she mentioned her facet “performed themselves out of the sport”, which is conceptual discuss for “didn’t execute the sport plan”.

Clearly the Dutchwoman had not instructed her workforce to be passive out of possession and untidy in it, but England had been each of these issues, turning the ball over much more ceaselessly than it was retained and opting to play brief when the necessity to go longer was so apparent.

“We weren’t tight sufficient,” Wiegman continued. “They needed to press, and are robust on the counter-attack. We had been sloppy in possession and prompted a bit our personal issues. We are able to do higher.”

Captain Leah Williamson reeled off comparable shortcomings. “Low cost defending one-vs-one. We weren’t adequate on the ball. I’ve not seen us like that for a very long time, when it comes to turning over the ball a lot, it is irritating.”

The three-minute first-half implosion was certainly uncharacteristic. Wiegman’s England have not often been undone so simply at a serious match finals. With all of the expertise and expectation of a knockout tie, this was as one-sided a recreation as you might be more likely to see between two European heavyweights. Holders vs hopefuls this was not.

England have turn into the primary reigning champions to lose their opening recreation of a Euros group stage. An undesirable tag to match an unwelcome end result. For Wiegman – whose groups have featured within the ultimate of every of the previous 4 main tournaments – this represents her first ever loss at a Euros finals. The ‘readiness’ she spoke of pre-match merely didn’t exist.

And lots of of Wiegman’s gambles didn’t repay both. Beginning Lauren James, who had performed solely 40 minutes since April, over Ella Toone was the primary mistake. Not correcting that call till the sixtieth minute could be thought-about the second. There was no steadiness and little construction to England’s play. Modifications to handle that arrived too late.

And but Wiegman may nicely level to the marginal offside that eradicated Alessia Russo’s opener, or the clear foul on her that was by no means given, which grew to become the precursor to France’s second purpose. However in fact VAR merely mirrored the despondency of England’s show.

There isn’t a disgrace in shedding 2-1 to Laurent Bonadei’s facet, filled with an abundance of expertise and buoyed by wealthy type. France have received 9 from 9 in 2025. Within the recreation previous these finals they got here from behind to defeat Brazil 3-2.

Life has merely moved on this ‘new England’ workforce quick. Their skill to get it collectively earlier than dealing with the Netherlands on Wednesday now turns into extra salient than ever. Lose, and fairly merely, their Euros defence is in tatters.