What went wrong? Lionesses stumble to France defeat | OneFootball

A lacklustre showing in their Women’s Euro 2025 opener saw England fall to a disappointing 2-1 defeat at the hands of France.

England thought they had their breakthrough in the early stages as Lauren Hemp’s deflected shot dropped nicely to Alessia Russo, who fired home the scraps. However, VAR was quick to intervene and rule the goal out for an offside in the build up.

It was France who then took charge, as Delphine Cascarino smoked Jess Carter down the left channel before serving up a perfect cross that was hammered home by Marie-Antoinette Katoto.

Despite the strong start from the Lionesses, France stole the story as Sandy Baltimore sent Chelsea teammate Lucy Bronze spinning before firing a phenomenal strike into the top right corner.

Keira Walsh managed to pull back a consolation goal in the 85th minute, burying a rocket strike into the top right corner from the edge of the area. Despite the excellence of the finish, the Lionesses were forced to withhold their celebrations as the final whistle blew in Zurich.

The defeat leaves much to be desired as England must now analyse what went wrong in their Women’s Euro 2025 opener.

England fullbacks exposed on the biggest stage

The biggest flaw in Sarina Wiegman’s system on the night was the wide defenders. Both Jess Carter and Lucy Bronze were exploited down the flanks, as Delphine Cascarino and Sandy Baltimore ran rampant in Zurich. The French were able to identify the space in behind England’s defenders, smoking them for pace and controlling the tempo entirely.

Bronze’s attacking prowess allows England to flourish in the final third, but she is too often than not exiled in forward positions whilst France pounce forward on the counter-attack. As for Carter, the left-back was just not up to it in Zurich.

Wiegman’s 60th minute change to bring on Niamh Charles offered little to no help, as France manager Laurent Bonadei counteracted the decision by bringing on Lyon winger Kadidiatou Diani. Charles was thrown in the deep end and did her very best to try and float.

Leadership amiss in Zurich

When the news broke that Mary Earps, Fran Kirby and Millie Bright would not be a part of England’s squad heading to Women’s Euro 2025, the biggest concern surrounded the loss of leadership. England’s lacklustre showing against France proved exactly that.

When the offside decision ruled out Alessia Russo’s opener, England’s fast start turned into a very slow jog. The Lionesses seemed to lose all momentum, and no player on the pitch was willing or able to lift the energy.

England’s glaring lack of leadership become all the more obvious as the clock ticked down. A head collision saw captain Leah Williamson receiving treatment, whilst the other 10 English players remained dotted around the ground staring at their boots. 2-0 down at a Women’s Euro opener and not one player decides it could be time to bring the group in and reset the instructions.

What is next for the Lionesses?

After the Netherlands saw off Wales in a 3-0 victory elsewhere in Group D, England must now prepare to come head-to-head with an in-form Dutch outfit on Wednesday July 9. If they are to lose and France beat Wales, that would confirm an early Euros crash out for the Lionesses.

However, all hope is certainly not lost. If England manage to claim victory over the Netherlands, it all comes down to the final day when they meet home nation Wales in St Gallen.