It all comes down to this. Local rivals England and Wales will meet on Sunday in the finale of Group D at the Women’s Euro 2025. The Lionesses will need a win to guarantee a spot in the quarterfinals, although there are several ways they could qualify for the next round.
England arrives at Sunday’s finale with a 1-1-0 record, holding onto second place in Group D, after a 2–1 defeat to France and a 4-0 win over the Netherlands. Meanwhile, Wales is 0-2-0, after a 3–0 loss to the Netherlands and a 4–1 humbling to France.
However, it’s not all doom and gloom for Wales, which is competing at its first major tournament. There has been plenty of history made, with Jess Fishlock scoring Wales’ first goal at the Women’s Euros against France. At 38, she is also now the oldest scorer in the history of the competition.
As the defending European champions, England will be heavily favored to take care of business against Wales. But the beauty of soccer is that anything can happen. And Wales would love nothing more than to secure its first Women’s Euro tie or win, and, by doing so, spoil the chances of its neighbor to the East.
England has won all of its recent meetings against Wales, apart from a 0–0 tie in 2018.
What time does England vs. Wales kick off?
- Location: St. Gallen, Switzerland
- Stadium: Arena St. Gallen
- Date: Sunday, July 13
- Kick-off Time: 3 p.m. ET / Noon a.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST
How to Watch England vs. Wales on TV
England team news
England head coach Sarina Wiegman was credited with a masterstroke for swapping Ella Toone for Beth Mead, and then also deploying Lauren James on England’s right wing for the 4–0 win over the Netherlands.
The question now is, will Wiegman stick with the same lineup? During her four years as England’s head coach, Wiegman has had a penchant for keeping a steady lineup during tournaments. After all, it is rare to see coaches change a winning XI.
However, another thing to keep an eye on is that Toone is one yellow card away from a suspension. So perhaps Wiegman could tinker once more, and preserve her best XI for a prospective quarterfinal.
England predicted lineup vs. Wales
England (4-2-3-1): Hannah Hampton; Alex Greenwood, Jess, Carter, Leah Williamson, Lucy Bronze; Keira Walsh, Georgia Stanway; Lauren Hemp, Ella Toone, Lauren James; Alessia Russo
Wales team news
Head coach Rhian Wilkinson made a bold move to switch goalkeepers between Wales’ 3–0 defeat to the Netherlands and the 4–1 defeat to France.
Against the Netherlands, Olivia Clark had the starting job, while Safia Middleton-Patel took over for the France game. Clark is viewed as the more experienced shot-stopper, but Middleton-Patel offers more with her feet if Wales does look to pass its way out of the back.
Wales needs to win to keep its faint hopes of a quarterfinal alive, so Wilkinson will likely need to put out the team’s best XI. An XI capable of limiting England's attack and creating attacking opportunities.
Prediction: England 2–0 Wales
This article was originally published on www.si.com as England vs. Wales: How to Watch, Preview and Lineups.
