Whisper it, but the Lionesses might finally be getting their act together.
After a challenging opening group game defeat against France, England have now scored ten goals across their last two games, and their safe passage has been secured from the trickiest group in the competition.
They look like a team finding their rhythm, just as Sarina Wiegman has been calmly promising all week.
‘It didn’t seem like it at the time, but (the French loss) was probably the best thing that could have happened to us as a team,’ Beth Mead, who scored England’s fifth, said. ‘I think it motivated us. We had tough conversations. We figured things out that we needed to.
‘You don’t lose a tournament in the first game. I think it’s cliche to say it, but you don’t and we’re now in a position where we’re building quite nicely and hopefully, we can continue that momentum now we’re into the quarter finals.’
Six different goal scorers against Wales underlined a proper team display – composed, clinical, and cohesive and the Lionesses will take huge confidence from these back-to-back victories.
England cruised to a thumping 6-1 victory over Wales to qualify for the Euros quarter-finals
After finishing runners-up behind France in Group D, England face Switzerland on Thursday
Sarina Wiegman’s side will luckily avoid the side of the draw featuring Spain and Germany
They’ll need every bit of it for what lies ahead. By finishing runners-up in their group, a more favourable path to the final has unexpectedly opened up. They avoid the side of the draw featuring Spain and Germany, but face a stern looking Swedish side next.
Still, England are growing into this competition, and Wiegman appears to have settled on her best side.
Ella Toone, who was the Lionesses’ best player last night, was a force to be reckoned with in midfield. She added two assists to her goal to cap off another industrious night alongside Keira Walsh and Georgia Stanway.
Toone lost her father Nick to prostate cancer in September last year. She has been leaning on Mead, whose mother passed away in 2023, and the two dedicated their goals to their parents last night.
The Manchester United star said: ‘I’m so happy for Beth that she got that goal tonight and we both could celebrate to the sky. I’m sure they’ll be up there with a few pints in their hand watching us.
‘It’s nice to have someone who’s in the same situation, and we know that we’re doing them proud.’
England started with as much energy and intent as in the previous game, railing against Wales’ early attempts to slow the tempo down.
Ten minutes had barely passed when the Lionesses broke the deadlock. Stanway was clipped by Carrie Jones in the box and after a lengthy VAR delay, the referee pointed to the spot. Stanway buried it in the bottom left corner.
The defending Euro champions have now won back-to back matches by four goals or more
Sunday’s emphatic result saw six different goalscorers for England – Georgia Stanway, Ella Toone, Lauren Hemp, Alessia Russo, Beth Mead, and Agnes Beever-Jones
Moments later Stanway charged at the Welsh defence and Alessia Russo picked up the loose ball, squaring it across the face of goal to Toone whose shot rang true on the second try.
The reigning champions were in full flow when Toone teed up Lauren Hemp for England’s third before Russo finally got her name on the scoresheet of this competition with a toe-poke for the fourth before half-time.
Wiegman wrung the changes early into the second half, and Mead and Aggie Beever-Jones’ late goals were sandwiched by a Hannah Cain consolation.
They march on.
