England‘s hopes of a successful Women’s Euros title defence are very much alive, with Sarina Wiegman’s side now set to face Sweden for a semi-final place following the group phase’s conclusion, which ended with another ruthless showing as they brushed neighbours Wales aside 6-1 in St. Gallen.
Alessia Russo stole the headlines in their rampant 4-0 win over the Netherlands earlier in the week, but it was her former Manchester United teammate Ella Toone who the Dragons could not get a grip on. The midfielder would net the Lionesses’ second following Georgia Stanway’s converted penalty — which means she joins Lauren James as England’s joint-leading goalscorer in Switzerland on two goals — before creating for Lauren Hemp and the aforementioned Russo, who netted her first goal at these championships.
Before kick-off, Wiegman explained why Toone had kept her starting place from the second game: “She understands the game; she really connects with the forwards, but also with the other midfielders behind her.” Toone and Russo were very much in tune for England’s third goal, proving the England coach right.
However, that proved to be the end of her contribution, as Wiegman rang in the changes at half-time, with Hemp, Lauren James, and Russo all departing either at the break or before the hour mark.
By leaving the game at halftime, Toone became the only player on record (since 2013) to score a goal, assist on another, and complete all her passes in a Women’s Euro match. Against the Welsh, she produced one goal, two assists, and a perfect record of 20 completed passes out of 20 attempts.
A superb finish from Beth Mead, breaking her tournament duck, would bring up a fifth for England, though moments later Hannah Hampton would be denied a second consecutive shutout as when her namesake Hannah Cain grabbed a consolation for the championship debutants.
Jess Fishlock, who netted Wales’ inaugural Women’s Euros goal during their 4-1 defeat to France on matchday two, showcased her skills by receiving a pass just within her own penalty area. She then initiated a strong run into the attacking third, ultimately delivering a precise through ball into space for Cain, who had recently entered the match as a substitute.
In the 89th minute, Aggie Beever-Jones restored the five-goal margin by scoring England’s sixth goal, having previously assisted Mead for their fifth. This combination proved effective once more, culminating in England’s impressive tally of 11 goals across their three Group D matches. While this total falls short of the 14 goals achieved during the Women’s Euro 2022 group stage, it nonetheless provides a significant boost of confidence as they prepare for the knockout rounds.
Having recovered from their opening-round loss to France — who ended their own group campaign with a perfect record, having rounded things off with a 5-2 success over 2017 champions Netherlands — the defending champions recovered in style and will now find themselves on the opposite bracket of Spain and Germany.