By Alyce Collett (02/06/2025)
Above: Sarina Wiegman and Lucy Bronze face the press in Barcelona. Photo: The FA.
After her side’s stellar performance against Portugal last week, England coach Sarina Wiegman was in a positive mood heading into her traditional match day minus one press conference ahead of tomorrow’s match against Spain.
The topics were wide ranging, including the importance of backing up a strong performance with another one, and how her side plans to go out and win their Nations League group.
Focusing more on the practicalities of tomorrow’s match, Wiegman also confirmed that everyone who is allowed to play tomorrow night is fit enough to be in contention to start. The only one who is not available for the match day squad is Grace Clinton, who will miss the game due to yellow card accumulation.
With the announcement of England’s Euros squad not far away, the Euros was also not far from the mind of those present at the press conference. Wiegman confirmed that the England squad for the Euros is almost set, but is not 100% set in stone just yet.
One of the biggest potential stories surrounding the Lionesses’ Euros squad is that of Chloe Kelly, who after a reinvigoration of her career in recent months is firmly back in contention to make the plane to Switzerland.
Wiegman said that of the changes in Kelly in the last few months, she has noticed “most of all that she’s very, very happy, very energetic. Of course going into Arsenal, having great performances, and I think she has improved again I think in possession, but also out of possession.
“She’s certainly showing signs of getting back to her best, and like you say, with a smile on her face as well.”
Star defender Lucy Bronze – who joined her coach at the press conference – confirmed that there is not much of an issue in the playing group about the balance between giving tomorrow’s match their all versus trying to avoid injury ahead of the Euros.
“ I think I play every game like it could be my last” Bronze said.
“So I don’t think that’s an issue, and I think anyone that plays, especially for England, you put on that England shirt and you don’t want to leave anything on the pitch. You’re playing against one of the best teams in the world in Spain, you’ve got an opportunity for England. You can’t ever think too far ahead, never take things for granted I think.”
When many people think of England vs Spain in women’s football, they have a habit of thinking back to the most consequential meeting between the two of recent times – the final of the 2023 World Cup.
But according to Bronze, England have grown and adapted a lot since that night.
“ I think we’re probably one of the most adaptive teams in the world,” Bronze said.
“I think we’ve got the style where we can possess the ball, we can counter attack, we can play in behind. We’ve got fast players, we’ve got technical players, I think it’s something that we’ve been working on for a number of years.
“We’ve faced Spain many times, more than just the World Cup final, the Euros previously, the Euros before that as well, before Sarina was even here.
“And the same with the likes of Germany, with the USA, I think that’s just the top teams nowadays, you have to turn up for every game and for every moment because so many teams are capable of so many different things.
“I think it’s something that we speak about a lot as an England team, how we can adapt in games, how we can change against different teams. But ultimately you have to put on the performance on the day, and I think that’s maybe this nation’s league – if you maybe lose a little bit of yourself, the other team performs. That’s the level of this competition.”
England face Spain in Barcelona on Tuesday 3rd June 2025. Kick off is at 18:00 BST and will be broadcast in the UK on ITV1.
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