The last time England faced Germany, the Lionesses made history at Wembley by winning the European Championship. Their captain, Leah Williamson, admits she will never tire of reminiscing about that day. The English game will never forget it. More than 800 days on, Friday’s rematch with Europe’s most successful women’s football nation presents a fresh opportunity for England to showcase their strength ahead of next summer’s title defense.
Since that euphoric day on 31 July 2022, England has reached a World Cup final, disappointingly missed out on qualifying for the Olympics as Team GB, and recently secured automatic qualification for Euro 2025. Germany, on the other hand, has experienced more dramatic highs and lows. They were eliminated in the World Cup group stages but managed to claim an Olympic bronze medal. They now return to Wembley under the guidance of their new coach, Christian Wück, a former Germany youth-team coach.
“It’s a completely different Germany team, and we are a different team too, having moved on,” said England head coach, Sarina Wiegman. “This marks the beginning of our preparations for the next Euros next summer. We know our goal for July, and the journey starts tomorrow evening.”
The Lionesses will be without Brighton forward Fran Kirby, Arsenal defender Lotte Wubben-Moy, who is undergoing concussion protocols, and Lauren James, who is expected to be out for about six weeks. Despite an expected crowd of 50,000-55,000, significantly lower than the 87,192 at the 2022 final, Wiegman and Williamson downplayed any concerns about reduced support.
“I don’t see it as a negative,” Wiegman said. “It’s positive that over the next two windows, we’ll play at Wembley twice, with over 100,000 fans attending. Yes, Wembley can accommodate more, but we’re aiming high.”
For Williamson, the international break has come at a welcome time, following Jonas Eidevall’s resignation as Arsenal’s head coach. “I’m glad to be here in a different environment. Sometimes, that’s exactly what’s needed,” she said. The center-back appeared more relaxed discussing the Lionesses, praising winger Lauren Hemp’s form and embracing the competition for places.
Recent discussions about whether England managers should be English often overlook the fact that the Lionesses were coached to victory by a Dutchwoman. Williamson commented, “You can’t selectively decide when it’s convenient to have a foreign coach based on results. We’ve had great times with Sarina, who I think is an honorary Brit now. We’ve all been very happy with her.”
Wiegman, aiming to win the Euros for the third consecutive time next summer, praised her new men’s team counterpart, Thomas Tuchel. “He’s very committed and has shown his coaching prowess. I hope he brings success to England.” Her immediate focus, however, is on another German: Wück. “Germany has always been a powerful team, very physical and keen on possession but not shying away from long balls. We must prepare for that. They have a new coach, so they might do things differently, which is a challenge and a nice one at that. We don’t know exactly what to expect, but we’re ready for anything.”
The draw for the Euros will take place on 16 December in Lausanne, Switzerland. UEFA announced that ticket holders will receive free second-class travel on public transport on matchdays “between any Swiss locality and the match venue.”
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