Match report as England have to settle for a point in their first Euro 2025 qualifier; Alessia Russo had opened the scoring in the first half but her goal was cancelled out by Fridolina Rolfo's second-half header; Stina Blackstenius and Lauren Hemp each had chances to win the game
Saturday 6 April 2024 09:57, UK
Defending champions England kicked off their Euro 2025 qualifying campaign with a 1-1 draw against Sweden in front of 63,248 fans at Wembley.
Alessia Russo nodded home Lauren James' delivery to open the scoring inside 24 minutes, and the Lionesses managed to preserve their lead at the break despite Sweden threatening.
An equaliser felt imminent after the interval, and finally came when Fridolina Rolfo headed past Mary Earps, while the Lionesses were lucky not to fall behind when Arsenal's Stina Blackstenius squandered a good chance for Sweden.
"I thought their goal was really unnecessary," said Sarina Wiegman after the game. "They scored because we gave away a throw-in and from that throw-in we weren't able to take out the cross and they scored from that. That was disappointing."
The England boss also disagreed with criticism by some pundits that she had prematurely substituted her goalscorer, who was swapped for Chloe Kelly in the 79th minute.
She added: "Alessia played well but tactically we wanted to change a couple of things. We brought Lauren Hemp inside. We just wanted something a little bit different."
Euro 2022 captain Leah Williamson watched on from the bench as Beth Mead and Lauren Hemp led a late rally, but could not find the finishing touch as the sides settled for a point.
Williamson missed out on the Lionesses' historic World Cup campaign last summer after rupturing her anterior cruciate ligament, and was also forced to pull out of February's friendlies with a hamstring issue after being named in her first England side in 11 months.
The 27-year-old made her Gunners comeback in January but the journey has not been smooth with her most recent setback coming during Sunday's League Cup final, which she started with a taped-up knee before being replaced in the second half.
Grace Clinton tried to volley England into an early lead, and there was worry for Sarina Wiegman when Russo went down after clattering into former Chelsea skipper Magdalena Eriksson, receiving lengthy treatment to her lower leg before she was deemed fit to continue.
Barcelona's Rolfo came close with Sweden's first good chance, sending Earps sprawling with a low effort that edged just wide of the far post minutes before Russo broke the deadlock.
It began with a fine effort by James to control the ball at the edge of the area and deliver a pinpoint clipped cross to the awaiting Russo, who stooped to head home in the 24th minute.
Sweden looked to reply on several occasions and largely looked the more threatening side in the half's closing stages, but England clung on to their lead as Wiegman made her first change, swapping Clinton for Ella Toone, before Lucy Bronze had a weak header simply saved by Jennifer Falk.
Sweden boss Peter Gerhardsson made a pair of his own changes, a move that proved prescient when England momentarily switched off and allowed substitute Rosa Kafaji to make an instant impact, delivering the cross for Rolfo to nod past Earps.
England were lucky not to concede a quick second when Arsenal's Blackstenius, who netted the winner in the Gunners' Conti Cup final, found herself one-on-one with Earps but directed her effort wide.
On came more Euro 2022 stars - that tournament's Golden Boot winner Mead in place of James and Chloe Kelly, who memorably scored the winner in that tournament's final, while Jess Carter replaced Chelsea team-mate Niamh Charles.
The Lionesses had less than 10 minutes to alter the outcome, and they came close when Hemp latched on to the rebound of her own effort and fired a shot that Falk, who had slid out to make the initial save, would have had no chance of stopping.
It took a well-placed Eriksson to clear off the line, the stalemate standing after a fine save from Falk to deny Mead and preserve the point.
England boss Sarina Wiegman:
"I think this group is really tough. Of course I'm disappointed, because we always want to win.
"I think we scored a great goal, there was momentum in the game, we played well and we kept the ball a little longer.
"Second half I thought the goal was really unnecessary. They scored because we gave away a throw-in and from that throw-in we weren't able to take out the cross and they scored from that. That was disappointing.
"As we see Sweden is a very tough opponent. I do think we could have done a couple of things better, but also showed Sweden gave us a hard time at the moment.
"We just want to learn from these games, we want to do better every game as other countries want to do too. I think it just shows how close and how tight our competition is."
England forward Alessia Russo speaking to ITV:
"They're [Sweden] a top side, our group is tough. We're a good side too so I think it's disappointing but we've come up against a strong side. We'll reflect and learn and get ready to go again on Tuesday.
"Our standards are high, we know we can demand higher of each other. We will own that but across the board there were lower standards that we can improve on.
"They pressed us well, it's not an easy game. We struggled to figure out the problems but we did get a draw.
"Always nice to score at Wembley, the home of English football. I love playing for England and playing here so it's nice to get on the scoresheet.
"It's massive, we know the group is result and every result and every point counts."
England are next in action on Tuesday as they take on the Republic of Ireland at the Aviva Stadium; kick-off 7.30pm.
Sweden will also host France in Group A3 on the same evening; kick-off 6pm.
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