logo
Three big decisions Sarina Wiegman has to make for England's Euro 2025 semifinal

Three big decisions Sarina Wiegman has to make for England's Euro 2025 semifinal

Metro2 days ago
England take on Italy tonight for a spot in the Euro 2025 final, as the Lionesses edge closer to defending their European Championship crown.
The journey to the last-four has been very nervy, after they lost their opening game to France, finished second in their group, and staged a stunning comeback against Sweden in the quarter-finals.
A shockingly bad first-half saw the Lionesses go into the break 2-0 down but a quick-fire double from Lucy Bronze and Michelle Agyemang levelled the game before Hannah Hampton's heroics helped them advance on penalties.
Sarina Wiegman now has a number of difficult decisions to make before the semi-final in Geneva, including whether to drop several underperforming stars and switch up the tactics against an impressive Italy side.
We take a look at what changes the Lionesses manager could make for England's huge clash tonight:
Having named the same starting XI for the last three games, Wiegman is unlikely to make sweeping changes to her team, even after several disaster-classes against Sweden.
The defence was error-prone with Jess Carter, Alex Greenwood and Keira Walsh enduring a torrid time, while Georgia Stanway, Ella Toone and Lauren James failed to make much of an impact.
There are also question marks over the fitness of captain Leah Williamson after she injured her ankle in the last match, though the centre-back did return to training on Monday.
'Everyone is fit,' Wiegman said in her pre-match press conference. 'Leah really wants to play, she did everything to recover as good as possible, and she has. If she recovers well she can play.'
If a change at the back is needed, Esme Morgan is more than capable of stepping up to the plate, while there is much clamour for Maya Le Tissier to get a run out.
Wiegman prefers to use the term 'finishers' rather than 'substitutes' and those who have come off the bench this tournament have looked sharp, especially newcomer Michelle Agyemang.
The 19-year-old scored the equaliser against Sweden and now has two goals in just three caps. She's raw but maybe that's what the Lionesses need right now.
And of course there's Chloe Kelly, who came off the bench to score the winner in the Euro 2022 final and is still being used as an impact sub (sorry, finisher). Maybe it's time the forward is given a chance from the start.
If the personnel won't change, perhaps the formation will.
The 4-3-3 shape hasn't looked all that convincing, with the opposition knowing that if they can target and pressurise midfield anchor Walsh, they have a way through to goal.
A switch to 3-5-2, as seen at the 2023 World Cup, may help remedy that, with an extra body at the back relieving the pressure on Walsh and the back-line.
It should also allow quarter-final hero Lucy Bronze more opportunity to maraud forward and create chances for herself and others.
The change would likely require sacrificing either Lauren Hemp, James or even Toone for left-wingback Niamh Charles, but it would also see England match up against Italy who notably play with a back-three formation.
The penalty shootout between England and Sweden was exhaustingly nerve-wracking for supporters. For the neutral, it was utterly hilarious and not in a good way.
14 penalties taken, five found the back of the net. Some credit must be given to goalkeepers Hannah Hampton and Jennifer Falk, but it speaks to a larger trend at Euro 2025. More Trending
Just 24 of the 41 spot-kicks at the tournament have been scored, a conversion rate of only 58.5 per cent.
Safe to say, Wiegman needs to have scheduled some extra penalty drills in training, especially as Falk dived the right way for five of England's seven spot-kicks.
And with the experienced James, Mead and Greenwood all having their efforts saved, a shake-up of the order may also be required.
Alternatively, just win the game in 90 minutes and save everyone a lot of stress. Easier said than done of course…
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
MORE: I stayed in one of Europe's grandest hotels — a time warp of Old World glamour
MORE: Sarina Wiegman drops hint on major Jess Carter decision and slams racist trolls
MORE: Pubs can stay open until 1am for England vs Italy
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Aitana Bonmati reveals Spain ‘studied' goalkeeper before stunning Euro 2025 goal
Aitana Bonmati reveals Spain ‘studied' goalkeeper before stunning Euro 2025 goal

The Independent

time22 minutes ago

  • The Independent

Aitana Bonmati reveals Spain ‘studied' goalkeeper before stunning Euro 2025 goal

Aitana Bonmati revealed Spain had spotted Germany goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger 's tendency to step away from her near post after scoring from the tightest of angles to send the world champions into the Euro 2025 final. The two-time Ballon d'Or winner broke the deadlock in the 113th minute of the semi-final when she squeezed a shot from close to the byline past the Germany goalkeeper, as Spain set up a World Cup final rematch with European champions England on Sunday. Barcelona midfielder Bonmati confirmed after the match that she intended to shoot after Spain had studied Berger's positioning and found she often left the near post uncovered in anticipation of a cross or a pull-back. Berger had signalled to her defenders with her right arm, pointing towards the space in the penalty box, just as Bonmati unleashed a fierce strike of power and accuracy to find the narrow gap Berger had left behind. Breakthrough for Spain as Aitana Bonmati puts them ahead in extra-time! 👊 #BBCFootball #WEuro2025 — BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 23, 2025 "We had studied Berger and sometimes the first post was left empty,' Bonmati told Spanish TV station RTVE, as world champions Spain progressed to their first ever European final. Berger had been Germany's hero in their penalty shoot-out win over France in the quarter-finals and had kept Germany in the game during the first half with a string of saves to deny Spain forward Esther Gonzalez. With the semi-final heading towards penalties, Bonmati broke the deadlock and the 1-0 victory meant that Spain defeated Germany for the first time at a major international tournament. "I'm proud because we deserve it,' Bonmati said. 'We had a tremendous championship. It was the first time we beat Germany, and on top of that, we reached the final." Bonmati has reached the Euro 2025 final after she was taken to hospital for treatment for viral meningitis the week before the tournament began. The 27-year-old only joined up with Spain's squad a few days before their opening game against Portugal but did not make her first start of the tournament until the third game against Italy. Bonmati has now produced magic moments to unlock both the quarter-finals and semi-finals for Spain, first setting up Athenea del Castillo's opener in the 2-0 win over Switzerland with a clever assist and then scoring from a tight angle to send Spain into the final.

Fulham readying bid for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall as Chelsea set to flog SIX outcasts to meet Uefa restrictions
Fulham readying bid for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall as Chelsea set to flog SIX outcasts to meet Uefa restrictions

The Sun

time23 minutes ago

  • The Sun

Fulham readying bid for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall as Chelsea set to flog SIX outcasts to meet Uefa restrictions

FULHAM are interested in Chelsea's Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Cottagers are preparing an approach to take the midfielder on loan with a view to a permanent move. 3 Dewsbury-Hall, 26, has struggled for Premier League minutes following a £30million move from Leicester last summer. Fulham also remain in talks with Arsenal over a move for Reiss Nelson, who came off the bench against AC Milan in the Gunners' Singapore friendly. Dewsbury-Hall is not the only Chelsea man attracting interest. Atletico Madrid are closing in on a deal to take Renato Veiga to Spain. The Blues are ready to sell the Portuguese midfielder, who spent the second half of last season on loan with Juventus. Chelsea want around £35million for the man who arrived from Basel for £11.7m last summer. Veiga, who made 18 Chelsea appearances last season, has made it clear he wants to make the move to Madrid. Atletico, however, are trying to negotiate the Blues down to £25m. 3 The two clubs have a close relationship, with Conor Gallagher having moved from London to the Spanish club last summer and Joao Felix going the other way. Felix himself is moving closer to an exit back to former club Benfica. Topless hakas and wild celebrations - how rugby legend is bringing winning culture to Chelsea's billion pound youngsters Carney Chukwuemeka is another expected to leave having spent last season on loan with Borussia Dortmund. The midfielder is keen on another loan with the German club, though Chelsea would prefer a sale. RB Leipzig, who the Blues are speaking to about a deal for Xavi Simons, are interested and talks are ongoing. The Blues are in need of a summer sale in order to meet Uefa restrictions and register players for next season's Champions League. Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell and Axel Disasi are all also expected to be sold. 3

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store