US Edition
Lionesses defence shambolic on worst night of Sarina Wiegman’s reign
Key moments
- 81 mins BEL 3 ENG 2
- GOAL! Agyemang scores stunner moments into debut
- 35 mins BEL 3 ENG 1
- GOAL! Mead gets one back for England from penalty spot
- 29 mins BEL 3 ENG 0
- GOAL! Wullaert doubles up
- 16 mins BEL 2 ENG 0
- GOAL! Vanhaevermaet doubles Belgium’s lead
- 4 mins BEL 1 ENG 0
- GOAL! Wullaert gives Belgium early lead
Belgium 3 England 2
How can a team who won 5-0 so convincingly be beaten by the same opponents just four days later?
That is the problem with the Lionesses right now. You do not know what you are going to get from one game to the next.
It had seemed as though they had fixed their defensive frailty after conceding four against Germany in October. But in a stadium that so often brings them misery, England were worryingly exposed by Belgium’s veteran striker Tessa Wullaert.
It was Wullaert who destroyed the Lionesses defence with ease on the same turf in October 2023, and Wiegman had said on the eve of this game that England wanted to “take revenge on themselves” for that poor performance.
But this defensive display was worse than anything we have seen from the Lionesses during Wiegman’s tenure. They were 3-0 down after 29 minutes before Beth Mead won and converted a penalty to pull one back in a chaotic first half.
The one bright spark came from England’s youngest player, Michelle Agyemang, who marked her debut with a stunning goal just 41 seconds after coming off the bench.
The 19-year-old was a late call-up following a spate of withdrawals and she took her opportunity in style, scoring a volley with her first two touches to give the Lionesses late hope.
She has perhaps given herself an outside chance of earning a call-up for the Euros, but it was a bad night for several of England’s more experienced players.
Niamh Charles was not solely to blame for how badly England defended, but she was out-paced on numerous occasions, including for the first goal after just four minutes. She is not a left-back by trade and at times that showed.
Millie Bright, who is usually so reliable, did not give her much help and was at least partly at fault for the second and third. Justine Vanhaevermaet seemed to get in between Bright and Leah Williamson to head in the second, but Hannah Hampton should have made a comfortable save.
There was then confusion between Bright and Hampton for the third goal, with the defender leaving the cross played in by Davina Philtjens, which an unmarked Wullaert tapped in. Bright appeared to question a lack of communication from Hampton, though it should be noted that Lucy Bronze was also out of position when the cross came in.
It was a bad night for the entire back four and it was not surprising to see Charles and Bright hooked at half-time for Jess Carter and Esme Morgan.
“We needed to be more aggressive. I think we started slow, I think we started sloppy,” Wiegman said. “That’s something with mindset. We had to do better and I also think we had to press earlier and just go when they stepped up, especially down the sides.
“Although this doesn’t feel good, it’s a huge learning for us. They actually played how we expected and we said we have to step up and do better. We knew it was going to be totally different tonight and that’s what we take as a learning.”
There was a rallying cry from Leah Williamson, England’s captain, at half-time, with the defender almost instructing her team-mates to get off the pitch as quickly as possible. “We started too slow,” Williamson said. “There’s a lot of frustration, but we have two more games to go [in the Nations League].
“But I think we should be winning. We should be winning this game. That’s why we’re frustrated.”
This was a night that underlined how important England’s injured players are. Alex Greenwood is the only natural left-footed player Wiegman has available and, while she is a centre-back by trade, she played more than a hundred games at left-back in the early part of her career and would be a safe option. It is unclear whether Carter is a long-term option at left-back but England defended better after her introduction, with Belgium not registering a shot on target in the second half.
Alessia Russo was another big miss. England do not have another out-and-out No 9 and it showed. Russo’s hold-up play is exemplary and her replacement, Nikita Parris, struggled to fulfil that role. Aggie Beever-Jones also found it difficult to make an impact and England looked a much poorer team without Lauren James. There are fears that James, who withdrew from the squad with a hamstring injury, could miss the rest of the season.
Meanwhile, England’s midfield continues to look lost without Georgia Stanway. The trio of Keira Walsh, Grace Clinton and Jess Park felt too lightweight, though the introduction of Ella Toone on the hour mark did seem to make a difference. Chloe Kelly had already withdrawn from the squad before England’s victory in Bristol in Friday, which further reduced Wiegman’s attacking options.
Agyemang’s introduction brought a spark of raw brilliance, but it was too little, too late.
Match details
Belgium (3-4-3) Lichtfus 6, Deloose 6, Tysiak 6, Cayman 6, Janssens 6, Vanhaevermaet 6, Teulings 7 (De Caigny 90+2), Philtjens 7 (Dhont 77), Wullaert 8, Detruyer 6 (Delacauw 70), Eurlings 7 (Blom 70). Subs Evrard, Bastiaen, Van Kerkhoven, Wijnants, Toloba, Elyn, Mathys, Missipo. Booked Philtjens, Teulings, Detruyer, Blom.
Goals Wullaert 4, 29, Vanhaevermaet 16.
England (4-3-3) Hampton 5, Bronze 5, Williamson 6, Bright 4 (Morgan HT), Charles 4 (Carter HT), Clinton 5 (Toone 60), Walsh 6, Park 5 (Agyemang 80), Mead 6, Parris 5 (Kirby 60), Beever-Jones 6. Subs Earps, Moorhouse, Le Tissier, Turner, Naz, Symonds. Booked Bronze, Morgan.
Goals Mead 35 pen, Agyemang 81.
Referee Maria Caputi (Italy).
Sarina Wiegman speaking to ITV
“We started really sloppily and not sharp. They exposed us. You are down quickly. We conceded three in half an hour. It is not good enough. We played a better second half but overall it was not good enough.
“We expected this, we were prepared for a different game. We have been here before and were missing some players. We knew it would be the case. This game was about being focused and we did not do that. That is the biggest lesson.”
GOAL! Agyemang scores stunner moments into debut
What a way to mark your debut just seconds into it! This is a stunning goal! The ball is sent into the box. Agyemang takes one touch with her knee and then hooks a volley into the top corner. She has been on the pitch not even a minute and scores a goal like that. England still alive and Belgium will be very nervy now.
That is an incredible goal from Michelle Agyemang on her England debut. There’s a lot of her family who have travelled out here tonight, imagine they enjoyed that one!
80 mins: Belgium 3 England 1
Delacauw is booked for a late challenge on Bronze, presenting England another chance to send in a free-kick, which is sent in and nearly flicked into their own net by Belgium. England take it short and Toone wins another corner.
England keep it alive inside the box and Park’s first-time effort is headed onto the top of the bar and England have what feels like their millionth corner of the game.
England are making their final change and it is a senior debut for Agyemang.
Belgium deal with the corner.
58 mins: Belgium 3 England 1
Williamson shoots from range and forces Lichtfus to tip it over her own bar. She should be saving that but it still needed saving. The delivery from the corner is a good one and Bronze meets it six yards out but cannot guide her effort on target. That was a chance.
56 mins: Belgium 3 England 1
Bronze goes down wanting a penalty for the second time in the game and, not only is it waved away, she is shown a yellow card for diving. She was rightly aggrieved in the first half but that was never a penalty. She was looking for it and, although a yellow card may have been harsh, she cannot complain about not being given a penalty.
52 mins: Belgium 3 England 1
Big chance for Mead to get her second of the night. The ball is played into her on the left-hand side of the box and she should get her shot away quickly but she opts not to. She waits and then eventually gets her shot away but it is dealt with.
49 mins: Belgium 3 England 1
Mead is caught down England’s right not a million miles from the Belgium box and this gives England the opportunity to send a delivery into the penalty area. The free-kick is sent to the back post and the last touch comes off a Belgium player so England will have a corner. England play it short and ultimately never carve out a chance. That felt like a waste for the visitors not to send in a cross.
GOAL! Wullaert doubles up
What is going on in Leuven? Sarina Wiegman looks stunned. It is a well-worked goal from Belgium. The ball is played out to the left to Philtjens in space. She plays a delightful flat ball across the six-yard box and picks out Wullaert, who makes no mistake from six yards out. Belgium are in complete dreamland through the opening half an hour. England are all over the place.
I can’t quite believe what I’m watching from England, this is chaos. Lucy Bronze out of position and Millie Bright just seems to ignore Tessa Wullaert behind her. It’s a lovely bit of movement from the striker but it’s so poor from England. This is as bad, if not worse, than when they went 3-0 down against Germany.
24 mins: Belgium 2 England 0
This time England are awarded a foul as Parris is taken down by Tysiak out on the left. England can send this delivery into the box. Mead sends it all the way to the back post and Bright looks like she she may have a chance but Cayman puts her off and the last touch comes off Bright and behind for a goal-kick.
22 mins: Belgium 2 England 0
Bronze goes down on the edge of the Belgium box but is told to get up. The referee was very quick to wave that away and it looked like there was contact. Looking at the replays that looked like a foul and it was in the box but there is no VAR tonight so the original decision will not be changed. England can probably feel aggrieved there.
GOAL! Vanhaevermaet doubles Belgium’s lead
2-0 to the hosts! Wullaert, scorer of the first, is the provider of the second. She sends in a delicious delivery, finding the head of Vanhaevermaet in between England’s two centre-backs. She flicks on a header, which beats Hampton and goes into the far corner to send the home side into a state of delirium. Just a matter of days ago, England beat Belgium 5-0. Fast forward a few days and Belgium are 2-0 up through 15 minutes.
GOAL! Wullaert gives Belgium early lead
The hosts are ahead just three minutes into the game. The ball is played in behind the England defence by Janssens down the right channel and Wullaert, well onside, gets on the end of it. She moves into the box and is clinical as her shot clips the inside of the far post and goes in. Dream start for Belgium, worst possible start for England.
Wow, what a start for Belgium. Tessa Wullaert was a big miss for them on Friday and she’s proven why here after just four minutes. Two years ago she did England’s defence for pace and she got in behind Niamh Charles far too easily there. Really poor defending from the Lionesses but a great finish from Belgium’s captain.
Reminder of the teams
Belgium: Lichtfus, Janssens, Deloose, Tysiak, Cayman, Philjtens, Vanhaevermaet, Teulings, Detruyer, Wullaert, Eurlings.
Substitutes: Bastiaen, Blom, De Caigny, Delacauw, Dhont, Elyn, Mathys, Evrard, Wijnants, Van Kerkhoven, Missipo, Toloba.
England: Hampton, Bronze, Williamson, Bright, Charles, Walsh, Clinton, Park, Mead, Parris, Beever-Jones.
Substitutes: Earps, Morgan, Le Tissier, Turner, Carter, Toone, Parker, Naz, Kirby, Moorhouse, Symonds, Agyemang.
Recent results
England:
Friday 4th April: England 5-0 Belgium (Nations League)
Wednesday 26th February: England 1-0 Spain (Nations League)
Friday 21st February: Portugal 1-1 England (Nations League)
Tuesday 3rd December: England 1-0 Switzerland (Friendly)
Saturday 30th November: England 0-0 United States (Friendly)
Belgium:
Friday 4th April: England 5-0 Belgium (Nations League)
Wednesday 26th February: Belgium 0-1 Portugal (Nations League)
Friday 21st February: Spain 3-2 Belgium (Nations League)
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Full team news
There are four changes to the Belgium side which lost 5-0 to England on Friday. Tessa Wullaert, who was injured on Friday, starts today. There is a change in goal as Nicky Evrard is replaced by Lisa Lichtfus. Laura Deloose and Marie Detruyer also come into the starting XI.
Belgium: Lichtfus, Janssens, Deloose, Tysiak, Cayman, Philjtens, Vanhaevermaet, Teulings, Detruyer, Wullaert, Eurlings.
Substitutes: Bastiaen, Blom, De Caigny, Delacauw, Dhont, Elyn, Mathys, Evrard, Wijnants, Van Kerkhoven, Missipo, Toloba.
Sarina Wiegman has made three changes to Friday’s England team. Lauren James and Alessia Russo returned to their clubs over the weekend after picking up injuries in the last match so Aggie Beever-Jones starts alongside Brighton’s Nikita Parris in attack. Jess Park replaces Ella Toone in midfield.
England: Hampton, Bronze, Williamson, Bright, Charles, Walsh, Clinton, Park, Mead, Parris, Beever-Jones.
Substitutes: Earps, Morgan, Le Tissier, Turner, Carter, Toone, Parker, Naz, Kirby, Moorhouse, Symonds, Agyemang.
Big goalkeeping decision
Sarina Wiegman makes three changes to the team that beat Belgium in Bristol on Friday. Two of them have been enforced, with Lauren James and Alessia Russo withdrawing from the squad with injury. It’s a first start since November 2022 for Nikita Parris, who will play in the No 9 role. Aggie Beever-Jones is on the left side of the attack, with Beth Mead keeping her place on the right.
The biggest call comes in goal, with Wiegman opting to stick with Hannah Hampton. That feels like the biggest indicator yet that Hampton is now the No 1 ahead of the Euros. She and Mary Earps had played a game each in the previous camp but Hampton has now started both games this month.
Women’s Euro 2025 predictor
Can Sarina Wiegman and her England team win back-to-back European titles? Select your group positions and the winners of each knockout round to find your champion.
Sarina Wiegman on injured players Lauren Hemp, Georgia Stanway and Alex Greenwood
“I hope (Hemp, Stanway and Greenwood) they will be back but I cannot give any timings. We just have a lot of hope that they will be performing and healthy and be able to train. I would not say (fitness) is a worry. It is just that those are the facts, and we are trying to get time schedules as far as possible for players to come back and perform.
“Of course, first they need to be healthy, then they need to be able to train, then they need to be able to perform, and that is what it is all about.”
Match preview
England travel to Leuven to take on Belgium in the Women’s Nations League. These sides met on Friday, with Sarina Wiegman’s side thrashing Belgium 5-0 at Ashton Gate. Aggie Beever-Jones and Keira Walsh scored their first England goals to move top of Group A3. England are hoping to maintain their unbeaten start to the campaign having drawn at Portugal and beaten Spain before thrashing Belgium last Friday. Despite dominating Friday’s night game against tonight’s opponents, who are ye to win in this Nations League group so far, Wiegman is not taking anything for granted.
“It is going to different,” Wiegman said. “Players will be back. I think they are going to try and play physical and be very compact.
“I expect them sometimes to press a little bit higher and also maybe drop a bit deeper. Basically, we expect everything. When we are at our best then I think we will play a good game.”
England will be without the services of Chelsea forward Lauren James and Arsenal striker Alessia Russo, who withdrew over the weekend due to injury. Chloe Kelly also pulled out of the squad before the victory over Belgium last Friday. Tottenham’s Jess Naz has replaced James and Michelle Agyemang, on loan from Arsenal at Brighton, has been called up for the first time in place of Russo. They were already without Lauren Hemp, Georgia Stanway and Alex Greenwood coming into this camp.
The Lionesses lost 3-2 in the Nations League in Belgium back in 2023, which proved costly for their hopes of qualifying for the 2024 Olympics Games. Wiegman is keen to see her side prove they are better than they were back in 2023.
“How I experienced that game is that we did not play our best, and it was off the back of the World Cup so we were struggling with our levels,” said Wiegman. “How I see tomorrow [tonight] is that we really want to kind of get revenge on ourselves. We want to show that we are better than we were then and we can do a lot better.”
In the eight meetings between these sides, England have won five, Belgium have won one and there have been two draws.
Kick-off from Belgium is at 7.30pm.