Women's Euro 2025: England searching for redemption against the Netherlands after losing opening game
by Thobelani Moyo | by Cydias Aujard
England's blunder: Not the perfect start head coach Sarina Wiegman had in mind
Sarina Wiegman's side made headlines in their opening match against France in the UEFA Women's EURO 2025, not for good but for bad reasons. As the current reigning champions in this competition, they suffered a 2-1 defeat. This made them the first team in the UEFA Women's Euro to lose an opening game as the current holders.
The 55-year-old Dutch manager was very straightforward about the cause of their defeat and avoided beating around the bush, stating that they were the ones who brought that unfavorable outcome upon themselves. This is what she had to say following the defeat:
"Yeah, of course, I'm very disappointed. I think we started well. However, we created our own problems a little bit."
She then added, "We were a bit sloppy too, so we lost the balls in those moments too, and we didn't help ourselves with that."
Despite this setback, Wiegman still holds an impressive record in her managerial career. So far, she has overseen 27 games and has three defeats to her name. 23 of those games have resulted in victory, with one ending in a draw.
England's shot at redemption lies with this Netherlands tussle
England are set to face off with the Netherlands at Stadion Letzigrund in Switzerland this Wednesday. For the defending champions, this is a must-win match because of the implications involved if they don't. It's quite simple: if France wins their match against Wales and they either draw or lose here, their journey in this tournament comes to an end.
Check out the current situation in Group D in the table below:
| Team | Matches Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals Fired | Goals Against | Goal Differential | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Netherlands | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 3 |
| 2. France | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 3 |
| 3. England | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 0 |
| 4. Wales | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 0 |
As we can see from the table below, England are one of two teams, alongside Wales, that have yet to secure a win, indicating the dire importance of walking away with all three points in this fixture against the Netherlands. However, our Sportytrader betting experts don't have much faith in them because of the pressure they are under to deliver a favorable outcome. Find out what they have to say about this match in the England vs Netherlands prediction.
H2H meetings between England and the Netherlands:
- Matches played: 23
- England wins: 14
- Netherlands wins: 5
- Draws: 4
The Netherlands are not walkovers
The Netherlands have won two major titles, the 2017 UEFA Women's Euro and the 2018 Algarve Cup. It's a pretty funny situation, considering that the person behind their success during that time was none other than Sarina Wiegman, who is now coaching England.
Now, the Oranje are 90 minutes away from eliminating their former boss from the tournament. In the Group D opener against Wales, they quickly asserted their dominance with a 3-0 win.
Key players to watch out for
Vivianne Miedema is a name that will forever be remembered in women's football both at the club and international level. Miedema reached a century in goals by scoring her 100th goal for the senior national team. News flash, she is the all-time goalscorer for the Netherlands and could prove to be a goal threat.
Another name that complements Miedema is the veteran Danielle van de Donk, who plays a midfielder. She was responsible for the two goals scored by the Netherlands in the 3-0 win over Wales. It has been 15 years since van de Donk made her first appearance for the senior national team and is still going strong. Her experience and leadership on the field will be crucial for the rest of the competition.
