England beat France in Euro 2025 qualifying and ‘prove people wrong’

England were forced to defend resolutely against France and they did, limiting them to just two shots on target.

When Marie-Antoinette Katoto did break through England’s midfield, three players were back to defend it.

Lucy Bronze and Chloe Kelly made last-ditch blocks in stoppage-time to keep France’s efforts out.

And goalkeeper Hannah Hampton reacted superbly, diving low to her left, to prevent Katoto scoring a late equaliser.

“There was a bit of extra fight,” said defender Jess Carter.

“The standards haven’t been good enough for a while. It’s not out of a lack of trying but we just haven’t found something else to lift us when things aren’t necessarily going our way.

“We’ve got to keep fighting and grind our way through it, which is what this team has shown we can do. That was the difference [on Tuesday] – the fight.”

Wiegman was frustrated by the “unneccesary” goals England conceded last week – both from set-pieces.

But she said there was an eagerness to put that right on Tuesday.

“We were really determined to do that better and to show, first of all to ourselves, but everyone else too, that we can beat France,” she added.

“This is the standard – how we really want to play – and now we want to work hard every second of the game to be able to stay up there.”