Women’s UEFA U19 Euros Matchday 1: England come from behind to defeat Netherlands | OneFootball

Four from Arsenal feature as young Lionesses recover from early setback to take vital three points

England’s U19s got their European Championship campaign off to a winning start with a 2-1 comeback victory over the Netherlands. Katie Reid, Laila Harbert and Vivienne Lia all started for the Young Lionesses, while Jessie Gale came on late in the game. Maddy Earl and Cecily Wellesley-Smith were unused substitutes.

The match began evenly, but England fell behind to a bizarre goal just before half-time. Attempting to build from the back, goalkeeper Cox played a routine pass to centre-back Newell, who miscontrolled the ball under pressure. Zuidberg pounced and lofted the ball over Cox, who had strayed from her area and couldn’t recover in time.

England responded immediately after the break and drew level from a corner. The delivery to the far post found Reid, and after a scramble in the area, Ademiluyi reacted quickest to turn the ball in from close range.

Just five minutes later, England were in front. Baker broke free down the right and drilled a low cross into the box. Ademiluyi met it first time, and her effort deflected off Dutch defender Rademaker and into the net for an own goal.

The result puts England second in Group B, behind tournament favourites Spain, who defeated Portugal 2-0. England will face Portugal on Wednesday, while Spain take on the Netherlands. Depending on the outcome of that match, a win could be enough for England to secure a place in the semi-finals.

In Group A, hosts Poland were held to a 1-1 draw by Italy, while France outclassed Sweden 3-0 in a dominant display. Sweden managed just one attempt all game, and even that failed to hit the target. France, who were wasteful in front of goal, could have won by a greater margin. A highlight came from right-winger Graziani, who scored a stunning goal that is well worth catching in the official highlights.

Poland host France on Wednesday, while Sweden face Italy. A win for France would see them into the semi-finals and also book their place at the 2026 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup.

Five of the eight teams at this summer’s Euros will qualify for next year’s World Cup in Poland, who qualify automatically as hosts. England, then, are now within touching distance of securing their place on the global stage.