Wales vs England Euro 2025
We're going to wrap up the live blog now – thanks for joining us and we'll do it all again on Thursday when England face Sweden in Zurich. Goodnight!
Here's how the last eight looks:
Norway v Italy (Wednesday, 8pm, Geneva)Sweden v England (Thursday, 8pm, Zurich)Spain v Switzerland (Friday, 8pm, Bern)France v Germany (Saturday, 8pm, Basel)
France have won group D thanks to a 5-2 win over the Netherlands in Basel — their final goal coming from the penalty spot through Karchaoui on 92 minutes. They will meet Germany next Saturday — also in Basel.
It was comfortable for England in St Gallen and really a complete mismatch as they stroll into a last-eight clash with Sweden in Zurich on Thursday — the team they beat in the semi-finals on the way to winning Euro 2022 (remember the Russo backheel goal?) Wales barely laid a glove on the Lionesses but that isn't a criticism of them — England were just ruthlessly clinical. Sweden will be a different prospect entirely.
Having set up Mead's goal, Beever-Jones heads in England's sixth and it really is a thing of beauty. A raking pass from Williamson is headed on to Mead, who chips a cross over to ABV (it's easier to type) and she heads down into the ground and past the beleaguered Clark.
Wales have a consolation and what a goal it was too. Jess Fishlock went on a barnstorming run through a non-existent England midfield and slotted a pass through for substitute Hannah Cain, who applied a great finish on the stretch. The ear-cupping celebration was a bit much, but each to their own.
Meanwhile England have brought on Niamh Charles for Lucy Bronze, and Wales have replaced Ffion Morgan with Elise Hughes.
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And that is five! Beever-Jones shows good feet to find Beth Mead inside the area and the substitute applies a simple finish. She goes over to the England bench to celebrate — the Arsenal player enjoyed that one.
Kit Shepard: Park nearly got England's fifth with a cushioned volley from Keira Walsh's brilliant diagonal, but Clark tipped it onto the post and Russo could not slide the rebound in.
The goals are raining in in Basel now! France retake the lead through Delphine Cascarino on 64 minutes and scores again three minutes later to make it 4-2. What a six minutes it's been for the French – they are going to play Germany in the last eight.
Let them eat cake! Marie-Antoinette Katoto has equalised for France in Basel, putting them back to the top of the group and moving England down to second — that puts them on course to face Sweden, the winners of group C.
As expected, Sarina Wiegman really making the most of this cushion to give her stars a break and give the substitutes some minutes. Chloe Kelly comes on for Lauren James and Aggie Beever-Jones for Alessia Russo.
Ella Toone has been having a great game so far but she goes off at half-time for Jess Park, while Beth Mead comes on for another of England's goalscorers, Lauren Hemp. For Waes, Josie Green is on for left back Lily Woodham. Second half under way.
It's 2-1 to the Netherlands now in Basel – they have turned it round, and it's a calamity for Selma Bacha, who puts through her own net after the ball squirts through to her from a low cross. They'd need two more goals to send the French out on goal difference but it currently means England would top the group.
That was brutal for Wales, and brilliant for England. The job is now damage limitation for the Welsh but Sarina Wiegman can look to use her bench and rest some of her key players with either Germany or Sweden awaiting them in the last eight.
Alessia Russo's first goal of this European Championship and it's probably England's best of this game. A threaded pass through by James to Toone, who cuts back for Russo and the Arsenal player had time to take a touch six yards out before slotting home. We saw a 6-0, 6-0 Wimbledon final yesterday — and this already has that feel about it too.
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Kit Shepard: Let's not bother with the caveats, England are heading through here. All eyes are now on France and the Netherlands' game. It is currently 1-1 but the Dutch would go through with a win by a three-goal margin, knocking out their opponents tonight. In that scenario England would top the group and play Germany in the quarter-finals. England are going through because, in the event of all three finishing on six points, it goes down to goal difference only from games involving two of the three teams (i.e. take the Wales results out). Only one (at most) of France and Netherlands can better England's goal difference.
If it stays level in Basel, France will finish first with at least a point, and in this situation England would face Sweden in the last eight.
The gulf in class is beginning to tell already — Lauren Hemp makes it 3-0 after half an hour. England's place in the last eight looks safe already.
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It's 1-1 in Basel — Real Madrid's Sandie Toletti put France ahead after 22 minutes but Victoria Pelova of Arsenal equalised with a fine strike from outside the area four minutes later.
Bit of a messy one but Ella Toone won't care — she converts at the second attempt after her initial shot was blocked on the line following Russo's toe-poked cut-back. Russo had seized on Welsh defensive uncertainty, a lot of that was down to her determination.
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After a VAR check the referee points to the spot – Georgia Stanway was tripped and initially a free kick was given, but the contact was inside. Stanway dusts herself off and tucks the penalty past Clarke, although the goalkeeper went the right way.
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We're underway in St Gallen! Leah Williamson already knocking Fishlock over, looks like it might be a physical one.
Kit Shepard writes: At every Euro 2025 game, the squads are read out over The Alan Parsons Project's Sirius, the music that was popularised by the Chicago Bulls, immortalised by Michael Jordan, and introduced to the younger generations through The Last Dance documentary.
It's a nice idea, but does not quite have the desired effect. Turns out the music does not sound quite as epic when it's Wales's back-up goalkeeper being introduced rather than Jordan's Bulls. Once everyone knows the squads, the DJ pivots to Yma o Hyd. That gets a much more rousing rendition from the red side of the stadium. The Wales fans know their tournament will surely end tonight, but they are going to enjoy their last hurrah regardless of the result.
Kit Shepard: White shirts in one end, red shirts and bucket hats in the other, Abba blaring out from the loudspeakers. This is very much 'Brits abroad' night in St Gallen. The Lionesses have never lost in ten meetings to Wales, winning nine of them. Tonight would be a really, really bad time for that streak to end.
Kit Shepard: The England team are greeted with loud cheers as they emerge for their warm-up in St Gallen. Lauren James is sporting a black eye, having picked up the knock while challenging for a header against the Netherlands. However, she and the rest of the squad appear in good spirits as they begin to limber up.
While you are assembling the snacks trolley and pouring drinks, may we run a little bit of pre-match reading under your nose — it's our guide to the Wales team, how you might go about beating them and how (if you're not careful) they could beat you. Read it and impress your friends and family.
Kit Shepard: Wales make three changes from the team that started the 4-1 defeat by France. Olivia Clark replaces Safia Middleton-Patel in goal, Rhiannon Roberts comes into the back line for Josie Green, and the midfielder Carrie Jones is in for Kayleigh Barton. The 38-year-old Jess Fishlock, Wales's record goalscorer and most capped player, starts what could well be her final international.
Wales (4-2-3-1): O Clark — E Morgan, R Roberts, G Evans, L Woodham — J Fishlock, A James — C Holland, C Jones, R Rowe — F Morgan. Subs: Middleton-Patel, Kelly, Ingle, Green, Barton, Cain, Ladd, Hughes, Estcourt, Joel, Powell, Griffiths.
Kit Shepard: England are unchanged from Wednesday's 4-0 win over the Netherlands. That means Lauren James stays on the right wing after struggling in the No 10 role against France, while Ella Toone retains her place. Presumably, Jess Carter will start at left centre back and Alex Greenwood at left back, as they did against the Dutch. The pair started the other way around in the France game and both played poorly, before swapping positions for the Netherlands match and delivering much-improved performances.
England (4-2-1-3): H Hampton — L Bronze, L Williamson, J Carter, A Greenwood — K Walsh, G Stanway — E Toone — L James, A Russo, L Hemp. Subs: N Charles, B Mead, M Le Tissier, A Moorhouse, G Clinton, E Morgan, M Agyemang, C Kelly, A Beever-Jones, J Park, K Keating, L Wubben-Moy.
Kit Shepard, women's football reporter
The picturesque university town of St Gallen has been full of England and Wales fans today. The city's cathedral and Abbey Library proved popular landmarks for supporters with plenty of wiggle room for sightseeing before the 9pm kick-off (local time). Arena St Gallen is about three miles out of the city, and the trains and buses were packed by 6pm. There's a lot of people to shift from city to stadium, but Switzerland's immaculate public transport appears more than ready for the challenge. Fans of each nation have mingled harmoniously, be it in the city, on the train or at the ground. There has been plenty of light-hearted banter, of course.
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First things first — let's remind ourselves how the Group D table looks. France are home and hosed, obviously — but need a point against the Netherlands to secure top spot. As for everyone else, England are through if they equal or better the Netherlands' result against France, unless both sides lose and Wales win by four or more goals against the Lionesses. The Dutch qualify if they better England's result — if they were tied on points then England go through as it then comes down to the result between the teams.
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the final two games of the Euro 2025 group stage as we discover which of Netherlands, England and Wales will join France in the last eight. Admittedly Wales's chances are such a long shot that they make the David Beckham goal against Wimbledon seem like a tap-in, but we'll get to that if they suddenly find themselves 4-0 up against England, who have given themselves a great chance by thrashing the Dutch 4-0 in midweek. Kit Shepard is our man watching the Lionesses in St Gallen so will be your eyes and ears for analysis and the bits you might not have noticed from TV. On we go.
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