England and Wales lock horns in St. Gallen on Sunday evening in a crucial Group D fixture at the 2025 Women’s Euros, with both sides' tournament hanging in the balance. For England, they know a win guarantees a place in the quarter-finals, while a draw or defeat could leave them relying on results elsewhere. Wales, however, are looking to extend their run at their first ever tournament and upset the odds against the defending champions.
The Lionesses come into this game buoyed by a thumping 4-0 win over the Netherlands, a performance that reignited their title defence after a poor showing in a 2-1 defeat to France in their opener. Lauren James starred with a brace, while Georgia Stanway and Ella Toone also found the net, with the team showing a far greater balance than in their tournament opener, particularly in midfield.
Throughout Weigman's tenure as England boss, England have shown a remarkable ability to bounce back from setbacks, and the resounding win against the Dutch could give them the confidence they need to kickstart their title defence and make a deep run in the tournament.
Wales, under coach Rhian Wilkinson, have already made history by reaching the finals (for the first time ever) and will relish the opportunity to test themselves against their neighbours. Led by captain Angharad James, the Dragons have had a rough start to the tournament, losing 3-0 to the Netherlands and 4-1 to France, but they'll consider themselves unlucky to have been drawn into such a tough group. While ranked significantly below England, Wales will not be short of spirit and the incentive to get one over on the team they regard as their biggest rivals will be huge. This team is largely defined by defensive discipline and collective spirit, but it's hard to argue that quality is sometimes at a premium.
The last competitive meeting between these sides saw England run out 3-0 winners in Newport in 2018, but the context is very different this time, with Wales now established as a tournament side and England under pressure to deliver. England’s chances are likely to hinge on their ability to break down a compact Welsh defence, with Lauren Hemp and James expected to provide width and creativity. For Wales, set pieces and counter-attacks may offer their best route to an upset.
With the group’s other fixture pitting France against the Netherlands, the permutations are complex. England know that a win will secure their progress, while Wales must win and hope other results go their way to keep their dream alive.
With so much at stake, Sunday’s “Battle of Britain” promises an intriguing contest that will not be short on intensity, but it's hard to look past England as far as the likely winner is concerned.
England 3-0 Wales
