England Surge Into Last-eight After Stanway Sparks Emphatic Win Against Wales

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An progressively formidable-looking England swept Wales speech to scope nan Euro 2025 quarter-finals and nonstop nan tourney debutants location without immoderate points, arsenic nan Lionesses booked a last-eight gathering pinch Sweden.

The Lionesses vanished arsenic nan runners-up successful Group D aft nan French’s triumph complete nan Netherlands successful Basel, but they will heads into nan knockout stages pinch a beardown emotion of positivity and optimism aft notching up six goals successful St Gallen, while Wales gave their loyal supporters a infinitesimal to savour erstwhile Hannah Cain netted a second-half consolation successful beforehand of their reddish wall.

The consequence condemned Wales to elimination, though only nan astir naively hopeful of Wales fans could person genuinely believed they would triumph this title by nan four-goal separator that was required for them to person immoderate chance of staying successful nan title aft their losses to nan Netherlands and France.

It would beryllium incorrect to beryllium excessively captious of Wales’ results, though, arsenic nan tie for nan tourney had pitted them against surely nan 3 toughest opponents that immoderate azygous federation has faced successful nan group stages passim nan history of this competition. They person performed pinch pridefulness present successful Switzerland but nan gulf successful value and awesome tourney acquisition has been undeniable. The second was evident connected Sunday arsenic England demonstrated their superior velocity of passing, activity and adjacent power successful a very one-sided affair.

Having started nan lucifer successful comparatively untidy manner pinch a fewer bad boy passes for nan first 10 minutes, England were handed a priceless opportunity to break nan deadlock erstwhile nan video adjunct referee controversially awarded them a penalty.

The referee Frida Klarlund primitively gave England a free-kick connected nan separator of nan container aft Carrie Jones tangled pinch Georgia Stanway, but replays showed that nan interaction – nevertheless minimal it appeared to beryllium – had taken spot wrong nan area. Wales were baffled. England were grateful. Stanway confidently dispatched nan punishment debased to her left, and from thereon nan Lionesses ne'er looked back.

There was abruptly much of a zip to England’s passing and nan goals were soon flowing. After Wales grounded to clear their lines, Alessia Russo pounced and slipped nan shot into nan way of Ella Toone, who saw her first effort blocked connected nan statement but followed up connected nan rebound to double nan defending champions’ lead, and abruptly Sarina Wiegman’s broadside were brimming pinch confidence. Keira Walsh fired narrowly wide and Russo missed a headed chance from a Lauren James cross.

Beth Mead scores England’s 5th extremity against Wales.
Beth Mead fires location England’s 5th extremity from adjacent range. Photograph: Eddie Keogh/Getty Images

Consecutive England attacks came down their correct flank and James was toying pinch her markers, astatine 1 shape simply trapping nan shot dormant earlier uncovering Toone’s overlapping run, and nan Manchester United midfielder’s nicely-weighted transverse was nodded successful astatine nan acold station by Lauren Hemp.

More neat combinations betwixt James and Toone led to Russo slotting successful her first extremity of nan tournament, arsenic nan Lionesses coasted towards a 4-0 half-time lead. Wales had their moments, Angharad James forcing Hannah Hampton into a debased prevention to nan goalkeeper’s left, earlier Jess Fishlock rolled a changeable wide, but by this stage, nan consequence was already beyond doubt.

The quality of nan rules for really group positions are ordered if immoderate teams are level of points – which prioritises head-to-head records – meant that extremity quality successful this lucifer was not going to beryllium a facet successful nan Group D last standings if England won, truthful by nan midway point, it go somewhat irrelevant whether they won narrowly aliases by a hatful.

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Try telling that to nan players connected some teams, though. And effort telling that to some sets of fans, who had dressed up nan historical aged municipality centre successful St Gallen pinch their respective achromatic and reddish flags, banter-themed songs and a good-natured rivalry, bringing a existent consciousness of ambiance to this pretty, ancient metropolis successful north-eastern Switzerland.

Sensing her broadside were through, Wiegman began to ringing nan changes, introducing an energetic Jess Park astatine half-time and, earlier long, affording James a rest. The England winger was applauded disconnected pinch awesome enthusiasm aft her magical display.

Her replacement, Chloe Kelly, went close, arsenic did Park, earlier different England substitute, Beth Mead, added nan fifth, twisting wrong nan punishment area earlier slotting successful pinch her near ft and rushing to observe pinch nan remainder of nan bench.

Fishlock, nan people of Wales’ first awesome tourney extremity past clip out, slipped a bully shot done to Cain, whose objective decorativeness temporarily reduced nan deficit, but soon nan Chelsea striker Aggie Beever-Jones – who had replaced Russo –headed successful her ain first major-tournament extremity arsenic Wiegman’s squad demonstrated their spot successful extent arsenic good arsenic their unrelenting determination to proceed scoring, pinch Walsh forcing Olivia Clark into a good precocious prevention to forestall a seventh goal.

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