Euro 2025 Daily: France cruise past Wales, England bounce back

The 2025 Women's European Championship has officially kicked off. Let's drawback you up connected what's happening, what you've missed and what's inactive to come.

We volition update this record passim each matchday with the latest reporting, investigation and amusive from the competition.

- Women's Euro 2025 bracket, results and fixtures schedule

The lead: France get win, but not successful comfy fashion

After a faultless show against England, France were sloppy against Wales 3 days later.

What Les Bleues produced successful St. Gallen connected Wednesday was rather worrying. Yes, caput manager Laurent Bonadei made 7 changes to the starting lineup -- lone Pauline Peyraud-Magnin, Alice Sombath, Selma Bacha and Grace Geyoro kept their spot -- but this was a squad inactive bully capable to comfortably bushed Wales, who ended up winning 4-1 connected the night.

Instead, it was a conflict for the French. No rhythm, nary flow, nary creativity, nary desire, nary aggression, atrocious touches and atrocious passes. They conceded 1 of the worst goals of the tourney and, until the 44th minute, were drafting against the minnows of these Euros.

It started good with Clara Mateo's opener aft conscionable 8 minutes, but everything stopped then. A spot of naivety defensively with 1 20-year-old and 2 21-year-olds astatine the back, and they fto the Welsh broadside and Jess Fishlock backmost successful the crippled aft 15 minutes.

The neophytes turned the crippled into a battle, winning tackles and duels -- everything the French didn't privation to do. It took a punishment conscionable earlier the interruption to reconstruct France's lead, earlier Safia Middleton-Patel, the Wales goalkeeper, talented them a 3rd and a 4th extremity successful the 2nd half.

The triumph was expected, but the show disappointed, and Bonadei didn't look that blessed connected the bench. At slightest Mateo, with a goal, an assistance and a punishment won, would person impressed Bonadei.

For the rest, particularly the accustomed subs similar Kadidiatou Diani, Melvine Malard oregon Amel Majri, it was the aforesaid feeling. They didn't prehend the accidental to impressment him.

Meanwhile, Fishlock came disconnected nether a lasting ovation from the full stadium and with a monolithic grin connected her look arsenic she wrote a caller section successful her country's past by becoming the archetypal Welsh women's subordinate to ever people successful a large tournament. -- Julien Laurens

Today's apical Euro 2025 news

- Wales players, unit 'OK' aft autobus clang astatine Euros
- Russo: England indispensable play Dutch 'without fear'
- Spain, Putellas enactment Belgium manager connected brink of tears

Sights and sounds astir Euro 2025

Hamilton connected England

As England celebrated their opening extremity against the Netherlands, Leah Williamson and Alex Greenwood went implicit and congratulated goalkeeper Hannah Hampton.

The communicative astir England's No. 1 spot has been rather the saga heading into this tournament, with Mary Earps' status 1 of the large distractions. Hampton played her archetypal large tourney minutes against France connected Saturday, and could bash small to forestall either goal. Against the Dutch, she faced much unit successful the 2nd half, but it was her relation successful the archetypal England extremity which showed wherefore Wiegman has chosen her.

From the borderline of her six-yard box, Hampton bisected the Dutch defence with a pinpoint pass. Alessia Russo dropped a enarthrosis disconnected the defender and seconds later, Lauren James had scored a singular goal. But it originated from the imaginativeness and accuracy of Hampton's pass. Hampton besides helped tee up James' 2nd aft the break.

It was a near-perfect day for England. For each the unit they've been under, there's been unwavering assurance successful the radical they could present against the Dutch. James and Georgia Stanway gave England a 2-0 pb astatine the break, with James and Ella Toone bringing up their 4-0 win. -- Tom Hamilton

Zurich turns Oranje

On paper, England vs. Netherlands was the tastiest crippled of the tourney truthful acold and the enormity of the juncture was reflected successful the immense numbers of fans -- of some teams -- gathering connected the streets of Zurich successful the hours earlier footwear off.

Outside the Kraftwerk barroom connected Selnaustrasse, hordes of England supporters queued astir the artifact to summation introduction to Lionesses HQ, wherever fans tin stitchery to ticker the crippled and bask food, drinks and unrecorded music.

Meanwhile, those present to enactment Netherlands got unneurotic successful numbers to instrumentality portion successful a instrumentality locomotion to the stadium. Decked retired successful orangish shirts and waving scarves, banners and flags, Oranje supporters brought the sound and helped acceptable the signifier for 1 of the games of the tourney truthful far. -- Beth Lindop

I privation I was Dutch. pic.twitter.com/IDYsYhvrQW

Reading betwixt the lines

Athenea del Castillo looked astatine the property officer, enactment her caput successful her hands and started giggling. The Spain and Real Madrid guardant had conscionable been asked what publication she was speechmaking portion astatine the Euros.

"You've caught maine out," she laughed. "I can't retrieve the rubric now."

She went connected to explicate that it was a publication connected enactment and teamwork, detailing however she wants to go a person astatine Madrid adjacent play and adding however she's soaking successful everything she can.

Still, the 24-year-old wasn't definite that everyone believed her, truthful conscionable to marque definite she posted a selfie with the book erstwhile she got backmost to the squad hotel. The title? "Trae, que ya lo hago yo, idiota (I'll bash it myself, idiot)." -- Sam Marsden

Swed en soaring

Sweden are playing to their aerial strengths erstwhile again. At the Women's World Cup, the set-play operation betwixt Jonna Andersson (taker) and Amanda Ilestedt (scorer) undid galore teams. This time, the assists and the goals are being shared around, but they're inactive arriving via headers.

Three of the 4 goals scored by Peter Gerhardsson's squad truthful acold person been nodded in. There person lone been 7 headers scored astatine this Euros successful full and nary different squad has scored much than 1 (Spain, Belgium, Norway and Germany each person 1 each).

With 2 wins truthful far, Sweden, who person reached the semifinals of the past 3 large tournaments, are showing they are a unit to beryllium reckoned. To bushed them, you volition apt person to bushed them successful the aerial -- oregon astatine slightest chopped disconnected the supply. -- Marsden

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Sweden predominate Poland to apical radical C

Sweden bushed Poland 3-0 to apical the radical successful their 2nd crippled of the European Championships.

A caller record

Tuesday's crippled betwixt Germany and Denmark acceptable a caller grounds for a radical signifier crippled not involving a big astatine the women's Euros.

A full of 34,165 fans -- galore of them adorning Germany shirts -- were successful the stadium successful Basel to ticker the eight-time winners unafraid a 2-1 triumph to publication their spot successful the quarterfinal.

It was an awesome show from the German fans; booming celebrations, accompanied by drums and assorted different instruments, for each accidental oregon goal, and clamorous boos erstwhile Denmark scored. The fans were particularly deafening erstwhile VAR intervened to overturn their punishment for handball and regularisation Klara Bühl's opening extremity offside. -- Emily Keogh

RIP Woody

It's communal to spot a player's sanction crossed the backmost of a shot shirt, sometimes adjacent your ain ... but 1 Germany instrumentality I spoke to up of the Denmark crippled took it a measurement further.

Indeed, she was wearing a Switzerland garment with the sanction of her beloved favored guinea pig "Woody" connected the back.

Woody was primitively from Switzerland, which inspired the prime of shirt, but helium passed distant past twelvemonth and didn't get a accidental to spot the Euros successful his homeland. -- Keogh

Sydney shines

At lone 18, Switzerland guardant Sydney Schertenleib has been 1 of the revelations of the tournament. Her method ability, gait and elegance, some erstwhile she came connected against Norway successful the opening crippled and erstwhile she started against Iceland connected Monday, were evident for everyone to see.

But she is not conscionable a fans' favourite; the Barcelona prima is besides a favourite of her planetary teammates.

When asked to prime 1 prime from one, Seattle Reign FC guardant Ana Maria Crnogorcevic answered: "Sydney's technique." Meanwhile, some Roma guardant Alayah Pilgrim and Grasshopper midfielder Noemi Ivelj said they "would similar to sing similar Sydney." -- Laurens

Dancing hosts

Hosts Switzerland are hoping to creation their mode into quarterfinals connected Thursday. Their 2-0 triumph implicit Iceland captured the nation's attention, with extremity scorer Pilgrim's awesome celebratory creation with youngster Leila Wandeler going viral successful the state implicit the pursuing days.

Wandeler has taken that vigor and is hoping it volition assistance her teammates get the gully they request against Finland to scope the quarterfinals of a large tourney for the archetypal clip successful their history.

"I'm beauteous good," Lyon's Wandeler told reporters erstwhile asked who is the team's champion dancer. "When the euphony is playing, I discarded nary clip getting my teammates to dance. I conscionable effort to dispersed affirmative vibes." -- Marsden

Star subordinate of the day

Lauren James, England

After her mediocre show against France, we expected a absorption from the England forward, and we got it.

James is lone 23, but the Chelsea prima needed a beardown show connected Wednesday successful Zurich, and she simply showed against the Netherlands wherefore she is 1 of the champion players successful the satellite and indispensable for the Lionesses, particularly erstwhile she is successful that benignant of mood.

Playing her centrally didn't enactment retired against Les Bleues. She was not progressive enough, not assertive enough. Starting retired wide against the Dutch with the state to travel wrong suited her overmuch more.

She was unplayable astatine times, combining with Lucy Bronze down her and Ella Toone alongside her. She scored 2 goals, taking her stats to 8 extremity involvements successful her 5 starts for England astatine a large tournament. Her tourney (and England's) person decently started now. -- Laurens

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Why Switzerland's manager had to prevarication to play football

Legendary manager Pia Sundhage is present successful complaint of Euro 2025 hosts Switzerland.

Match previews, likelihood for Thursday

Finland vs. Switzerland

Odds (via ESPN BET): Finland (+250), Draw (+235), Switzerland (+110)

Having won 1 and mislaid 1 crippled apiece truthful far, Switzerland and Finland are acceptable to bash conflict for the 2nd qualification spot from Group A. Switzerland request a draw, Finland indispensable win, to instrumentality 2nd spot down Norway.

Finland person impressed with their performances astatine this tourney truthful acold and were unlucky to suffer 2-1 to Norway past clip out. But it's ever bully to spot a big federation advancement heavy into a tourney and, from the amusement of enactment Switzerland person had implicit the past week, it's wide that their progression to the knockout stages would mean truthful overmuch to truthful many. -- Lindop

Norway vs. Iceland

Odds (via ESPN BET): Norway (+125), Draw (+240), Iceland (+210)

Norway person already secured apical spot and a spot successful the knockouts, having failed to advancement from the groups successful the past 2 Euros, but they haven't yet recovered apical form. They person a radical of singular players, but person ridden a question of fortune, with ain goals successful their favour successful some matches truthful far, and look reliant connected Caroline Graham Hansen uncovering abstraction connected the close and past looking for a caput successful the middle, truthful they'll anticipation for a much fluid show connected Thursday.

Iceland are already retired of the tourney aft back-to-back defeats, but volition look to onshore 1 last punch (or is that "Thunderclap") earlier bowing retired arsenic they look for their archetypal Euros triumph successful 12 years. Expect this crippled to beryllium tight: they've played each different doubly this year, and some ended successful draws. -- Hamilton