Walsh takes lead role as England face new test in clash of continental champions | OneFootball

When England welcome China to a sold-out Wembley Stadium on Saturday afternoon, it will mark the sixth meeting between two nations who have been on different trajectories in recent years. The marketing has focused on the clash of continental champions – England as the holders of the European Championship and China as the winners of the 2022 Asian Cup – but the teams have largely been moving in different directions of late.

The widening gap was evident the last time they met, at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, when England put six past the Steel Roses to progress to the last 16. It caught the eye not only because of the score but because of a bold tactical change from Sarina Wiegman – a switch from 4-3-3 to 3-5-2 – to deal with the absence of Keira Walsh. It kicked the Lionesses’ campaign into life and they made the final, while China exited, registering their worst finish at the tournament.

Much has changed since that day in Adelaide for both. The Lionesses ditched that formation after the World Cup, going back to their tried and tested 4-3-3 to lift a second consecutive European title last summer.

At the heart of that system is Walsh, the cog in the midfield who makes everything tick. England are at their best when they can get the 28-year-old into space and China will have to focus on how they can nullify that threat. Walsh will walk her team out at Wembley in the absence of the injured Leah Williamson, a leadership role to which, by her own admission, she has had to adjust.

“I’m probably a little bit quieter than Leah, especially off the pitch,” she said. “When I was younger, Sarina had to tell me a few times to try and get involved in conversations and share my experiences a little bit more … I just try and lead in how I play and my consistency in the training drills we do and just try and show the younger girls that way.”

As expected with a block of friendlies after the success last summer and a host of injuries, England are in a period of flux as they prepare for a World Cup qualification campaign that starts in the spring. For the first time Wiegman will name a defence without any of Williamson, Jess Carter, Alex Greenwood and Millie Bright, giving her the opportunity to try a new backline and give younger players more experience.

With this comes risk, particularly against a side with the attacking nous of the 30-year-old Wang Shuang, China’s top goalscorer, and Tang Jiali, two of only four players called up by Ante Milicic who have more than 50 caps.

This is a signal of China’s situation, their rebuild having started after they failed to qualify for last year’s Paris Olympics, leading to the departure of Shui Qingxia. Milicic, a 51-year-old Australian, took over in May 2024 and has been tasked with the regeneration of an ageing squad and bringing in a new style. He has started with varying degrees of success.

Traditionally, China have set up in a strong structure, operating in a mid-defensive block. They have not always looked to dominate the ball and instead have tried to exploit transitions. The Lionesses have struggled in recent years against counterattacking teams and in breaking down compact opponents, so this will be a test of how they have developed in this area.

“We want to play countries from other continents because they challenge us in different ways,” Wiegman said. “We know China is always a very disciplined team. They have a very good structure and they can play out. They also can play a little more direct. We expect that they will try to challenge us in their tactics. So, let’s see if they’re going to do what we expect them to do tomorrow … I hope that we have the ball a lot more than them and that we can improve our own game too.”

While it matters little in terms of the bigger picture, this encounter between two nations who rarely meet will give the managers a sense of their progress.

Both teams have bigger targets on the horizon – in March China will attempt to defend their Asian Cup title, while England have Spain, Ukraine and Iceland standing in their way of qualifying for the 2027 World Cup. Key lessons will surely be learned as the preparation continues.

Header image: [Photograph: Joe Giddens/PA]