England’s Lionesses were dealt a brutal reality check at Wembley Stadium on Friday, falling to a 3-4 defeat against Germany in the sides’ first meeting since they clashed in the 2022 European Championships final.
Sarina Wiegman’s side prevailed on that day courtesy of an extra-time winner from Ella Toone, but Friday’s hosts have stagnated in the years that have followed and found themselves with a mountain to climb after a Giulia Gwinn double left them trailing by two goals in just 11 minutes.
Klara Bühl swung the scoreline further in Germany’s favour shortly before the half-hour mark, with Georgia Stanway then taking it upon herself to drag England back into contention with a three-minute brace before the interval.
A bizarre refereeing call allowed Germany to restore a two-goal advantage in the opening stages of the second half through Sara Däbritz, before an Ann-Katrin Berger blunder gifted Lucy Bronze the chance to score England’s third late on.
As it happened
England fell victim to a nightmare start in front of a crowd of 47,967 at Wembley Stadium, with a dreadfully misplaced pass from Leah Williamson allowing Linda Dallmann to be played through on goal. Felled inside the area by Millie Bright, however, the goalscoring opportunity would fall instead for Giulia Gwinn from the penalty spot – and the German captain made no mistake as she picked out the bottom-left corner with precision.
Alessia Russo looked to have restored parity soon after as Keira Walsh’s chipped ball from midfield was turned into her path by Ella Toone, but the Manchester United midfielder was judged to be offside in the buildup and Russo’s celebrations were quickly dashed.
And so, sensing an opportunity, Germany flocked forward and exploited a gaping hole in the hosts’ defensive line. Sarai Linder’s delivery from the left picked out Gwinn on the opposite flank, with the goalscorer darting forwards, getting the better of Jess Carter before picking out the far corner with aplomb.
Embed from Getty ImagesEngland had opportunities to drag themselves back into contention, most notably for Alessia Russo and Beth Mead. Neither could reduce the deficit though, with Russo striking the base of the far post before her Arsenal teammate’s delivery was turned wide by Sara Doorsoun.
The Lionesses would be left to rue those missed opportunities when, just before the half-hour mark rolled around, Klara Bühl extended Germany’s lead further. Given freedom to roam on the left flank, the Bayern Munich start jinked past Lucy Bronze before curling past Hannah Hampton at the near post.
But there would soon be a reprieve for Sarina Wiegman and her side, as referee Marta Huerta de Aza was sent to review a penalty appeal at the pitchside monitor. Lauren Hemp’s teasing delivery from the left appeared to have brushed the arm of Germany’s captain, resulting in Georgia Stanway smashing a spot-kick past Ann-Katrin Berger from twelve yards out.
Embed from Getty ImagesIf that had lifted the mood inside Wembley, it’d be difficult to describe the sense of relief that came when the midfielder doubled her tally just three minutes later. Russo opted to spray the ball forwards for Mead, with the winger selflessly teeing up Stanway. She made no mistake under immense pressure from the goalkeeper, slotting home to reduce England’s deficit to just the solitary goal.
Toone looked set to offer the perfect tribute to her late father, honoured on the evening by the Lionesses with black armbands, when a Doorsoun error saw her gifted possession in the final third as the half-time whistle approached. Agonisingly, the Manchester United midfielder rolled just wide of the right post – her last involvement of note before her withdrawal at the interval.
Fans had barely had time to settle in their seats for the second half before Jule Brand had the ball in the back of the net, bundling home at the near post after a brief spell of pinball inside England’s defensive area. Fortunately for the hosts, the offside flag was swiftly raised for an offside offence in the buildup – but it was already becoming evident that defensive errors would continue to be prevalent throughout the remainder of the match.
Yet it wouldn’t be through their own fault that they fell further behind. A questionable decision to award Germany a penalty, despite Russo being swung at by Pia-Sophie Wolter, allowed Sara Däbritz to despatch yet another effort from twelve yards out – with the third penalty of the match restoring Germany’s lead to two clear goals.
Embed from Getty ImagesEngland would be the benefactors of a late resurgence under the Wembley arch though, with Hemp seemingly netting the 7th goal of the game as she jinked past her defender to curl past Berger at the far post. That effort was disallowed for offside – seemingly a recurring theme in this frenetic match – but the Lionesses would soon have their third, and this one would actually count.
Hemp’s free-kick delivery swung in from the left flank looked to be a relatively easy claim for the German goalkeeper – until it wasn’t. Berger, formerly of Chelsea, fumbled the ball and left Bronze in the perfect position to pick up the pieces, taking a touch before powering over the line to give the hosts one last lifeline.
A statement win will be required when the Lionesses face South Africa in Coventry on Tuesday, before they return to Wembley for a clash of the titans on November 30 when they host the United States.
The lineups
ENG: Hampton; Carter, Bright, Williamson, Bronze; Walsh, Toone, Stanway; Hemp, Russo, Mead
GER: Berger; Linder, Minge, Doorsoun, Gwinn; Senß, Dallmann; Bühl, Nüssen, Brand; Hoffmann
