England bounce back to thump Netherlands and put one foot in Euros quarter-finals

England went into their match against the Netherlands at risk of elimination from Euro 2025, but ended up with their fate very much in their own hands. A crushing victory for the Lionesses means a win against Wales in their final group game will see them through - and they still have a chance of winning their group

Two first half goals set Sarina Wiegman’s team on their way, with Lauren James and Georgia Stanway both firing home from distance. James got her second around the hour mark, with Ella Toone rubbing salt into Dutch wounds.

Wiegman made just one change to the starting XI which began the game against France. Toone started in the number 10 role, with James moving out to the right and Beth Mead dropping to the bench.

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England also mixed things up positionally. Jess Carter moving into the middle after a tough evening against France and Alex Greenwood shifting to left-back.

The Dutch also made one change to their personnel, with Danielle van de Donk dropping out for Chasity Grant in an attacking formation. Both teams had chances in the opening 10 minutes, and Alessia Russo will feel she might well have put the Lionesses in front when she rose highest to meet a Lauren Hemp cross but nodded just wide of the far post.

England had the edge in the first quarter of the game, but the same was true on Saturday. It was imperative that they took advantage of that promise, and James provided a moment of real quality to put them in front.

Russo’s running from the front has been a real asset, and the Arsenal star helped set things in motion once more after collecting a fantastic long ball forward from goalkeeper Hannah Hampton. She waited until the right moment to feed James, who was allowed to find that tiny bit of extra space she needed before sending an unstoppable effort into the top corner of Daphne van Domselaar’s net.

A 1-0 lead at the break would have been encouraging, but a second goal would provide breathing space. And that’s exactly what we got in stoppage-time when Georgia Stanway rifled one into the bottom corner from 25 yards after a bit of uncertainty in and around the Dutch box.

Russo thought she had a third for England just five minutes after the restart, only for an offside flag to intervene. As with her disallowed effort against France, it was a player in the build-up who was the offender, in this instance Leah Williamson, rather than Russo herself.

The Netherlands started to find their groove after that let-off, with Victoria Pelova seeing a shot deflected for a corner and Chasity Grant getting in behind but choosing the wrong option. England were always capable of a third, though, and it came around the hour mark.

All members of the Lionesses’ front four were involved, Lauren Hemp spinning away from her marker and sending in a cross which Russo couldn’t get a clean contact on. Toone was waiting and perhaps could have done better with her effort, but a Dutch block saw the ball drop to James and she did the rest.

Next it was Toone’s turn to get in on the act, and willing runner Russo had a part to play yet again. The striker took her time to offload the ball, ignoring one option before deciding on Toone, and the number 10 rode a challenge before firing low across Van Domselaar and into the far corner.

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