Jubilant English, disappointed Dutch: The duel was a clear-cut affair. © APA/afp / FABRICE COFFRINI

England overwhelms defensively overwhelmed Dutch women

The top match between England and the Netherlands turned into a show of force for the "Three Lionesses." Alessia Russo and Co. didn't give the Dutch a chance, winning a well-deserved 4-0 victory. This gives Sarina Wiegman's team a strong chance of reaching the quarterfinals.

July 09, 2025

From: sn

Co-favorite England was under pressure after their narrow 1-2 defeat to France at the start of the 2025 Women's European Championship. Against the Netherlands, Beth Mead, the partner of Dutch star Vivienna Miedema, was relegated to the bench by England coach Sarina Wiegman.

The Dutch, who had started the European Championship with a convincing 3-0 victory, were without the slightly injured Danielle van de Donk, who had impressed throughout against Wales. England star Russo narrowly missed the early lead with a header (9'). A short time later, Russo found himself unmarked after a long ball and set up James, who fired home a powerful left-footed shot from 16 meters to give the Three Lionesses the lead (22'). Shortly before halftime, Stanway doubled the lead with a long-range effort (2'+0').

Georgia Stanway scored before halftime to make it 2-0. © ANSA / MICHAEL BUHOLZER

Andries Jonker's team, who made three substitutions at halftime, was still defensively overwhelmed after the break and couldn't build on Saturday night's strong performance. James (60') and Toone (67') doubled the lead, ultimately securing a convincing 4-0 victory for England.