England lost 2-1 to France in their Euro 2025 qualifying campaign, leaving them four points behind the group leaders with three matches played.
Friday night’s contest at St. James’ Park was thrust into early disarray as goalkeeper Mary Earps, celebrating her 50th international cap, was injured within minutes. England’s backline appeared shaky in the opening exchanges, and the hosts were fortunate that France did not capitalize on their lapses, reports Football Scores Today.
An eventful first half, marked by a sloppy defensive display from England and low energy, eventually saw Beth Mead open the scoring after half an hour. The Arsenal striker pounced on Lauren Hemp’s cross, sending a low shot past France keeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin. Ten minutes later, defender Elisa De Almeida levelled the score with a terrific looping volley from Kenza Dali’s corner.
In a fiercely contested affair lacking the usual quality due to tired legs, both sides had chances, with both keepers producing impressive saves. However, France made the most of theirs when Marie-Antoinette Katoto swivelled in the box and lashed her shot into the bottom corner beyond Hampton with 20 minutes left. England pushed hard to find an equalizer, with defender Millie Bright sprinting forward into the six-yard box at times, hoping to create some magic. Below are the talking points.
France Grows Gap at Group’s Top
England’s defeat to France means the European champions have plenty of work to do in the qualifying group if they are to reach Switzerland the easy way.
France remains at the top of England’s qualifying group, having won all three matches thus far. England now sits third, four points behind Hervé Renard’s side, having salvaged a draw against Sweden and defeating the Republic of Ireland.
A rematch against France next week could bridge the gap, but England’s vulnerability in set-pieces, a strength for France, was stark, leaving Wiegman with plenty to consider before next Tuesday’s clash in France.
England’s Shaky Defence
England’s defensive display was far from convincing and arguably the root cause of Friday night’s defeat.
With Millie Bright returning for the first time since October, facing France’s strong attacking line, Wiegman’s side faced a tough test and showed signs of vulnerability as the visitors piled on the pressure. Jess Carter struggled to handle Delphine Cascarino while Bright slowly grew confident, attempting to manage the towering Katoto. Even so, a natural left-footer was clearly missing, and France should have capitalized more on England’s cheap concessions of possession from the start.
