Euro 2025: Wales dream ends as England cruise to quarter-finals | OneFootball

England cruised into the quarter-finals of Euro 2025 with a demolition job against Wales in St Gallen.

Following Wednesday’s 4-0 win against the Netherlands, the Lionesses only needed to match or better the Dutch’s result against France to be assured of a spot in the last eight. Wales could still have gone through as well with a four-goal win here coupled with a France win in the other game.

In truth, an England win was rarely ever in doubt as the defending champions attacked at will from the off.

England breeze to Euro 2025 quarter-finals

England made the breakthrough inside 10 minutes. Carrie Jones tripped Georgia Stanway in the box. The referee initially gave a free-kick, but after VAR intervened, it was upgraded to a penalty. Stanway stepped up and slotted the penalty home just out of reach of Liv Clark. The Lionesses were up and running.

With just over 20 minutes gone, Ella Toone doubled the England advantage. Rhiannon Roberts attempted to clear a Lauren Hemp header out of the box, but only succeeded in smashing the ball into Stanway. The ball broke loose for Alessia Russo who beat Clark to the ball to square for Toone who slammed the ball home at the second attempt after Lily Woodham had blocked the first.

The first Welsh effort of note came just before the half hour mark. Angharad James-Turner’s effort was well saved by Hannah Hampton diving away to her left.

Minutes later, the game was done. A ball from Lauren James that was so nonchalant, she might as well have been asleep. She fund an overlapping Toone, whose run was timed to perfection. Her cross was pinpoint and on the end of it was Hemp at the back post. She beat Esther Morgan to squeeze the ball in past Clark.

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Sarina Wiegman’s side were in complete control. At one point, they were even top of the group with the Netherlands beating France.

On the stroke of half-time, Russo finally got the goal she’d so deserved during the group stage. Some wonderful one-touch passing around a beleaguered Welsh defence saw James and Toone combine again.

Toone’s cutback found Russo who had all the time she could ask for. The Arsenal star made no mistake from point blank range to give England a 4-0 lead going into the break.

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Wales sent home after historic Euro 2025

If Wales thought the half-time break would mean a let-up from England, they were mistaken. In fact, it was only a save of the tournament contender from Clark that prevented more damage from being done.

England kept up the pressure and were rewarded again when Beth Mead struck in the 73rd minute. A Lucy Bronze cross was controlled superbly by Aggie Beever-Jones with her first touch. Her second moved the ball onto Mead who bamboozled the Welsh defence to finish low past Clark.

Wales did have something to cheer about with just under 15 minutes left. A sloppy England giveaway presented Jess Fishlock with the ball on the halfway line. The Welsh legend drove at the England defence before playing an inch-perfect pass to Hannah Cain. The Leicester forward roofed the ball, leaving Hampton with no chance.

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Beever-Jones completed the rout late on. Mead returned the favour from earlier as her cross was headed into the ground. The ball skipped up off the turf and over the dive of Clark.

Six goals. Six different goal-scorers. England are heading to Zurich for a quarter-final against Sweden. Wales and more upsettingly, myself, are heading home.

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