Sophie Downey’s report is in – so that’s enough from me. Thanks for joining!
Sarina Wiegman has her say, speaking to ITV: “We worked so hard to stay together and keep the win.
“[Alessia Russo’s] working so hard on that: holding up, also being in the right position in the build, being in the right position when we come into the final third.”
“We have to make better decisions [in the second half] … we played into their hands a bit.
“We did better than Friday. Friday we played parts of the game really good too but in the final third and in our final third with the corners we didn’t do well.
“The first half, I think that’s one of the best halves we’ve ever played.”
England, however, remain third in Group A3. Sweden beat the Republic of Ireland 1-0 tonight to also move to seven points, and they’ve got the advantage with goal difference.
FULL-TIME: France 1-2 England
England hold on, just about. That second-half display wasn’t all too great from the visitors after the show they put on in the first – but they’ve got the much-desired three points.
Updated
90+6 min: The corner is taken short before the keeper collects and sends it long.
90+5 min: Williamson boots away a ball in the left-back region before Russo, once again tonight, holds up the ball well before playing it into the left channel. England then win a corner after Renard clears.
90+3 min: Kelly dinks a ball forward for Fran Kirby, who is helped by a mistake from De Almeida but can’t get in position to launch an effort.
90+2 min: Bacha finally relents after a fighting display, replaced by Baltimore.
90+1 min: Bacha is down again after a challenge from Kelly and looking in a bit of pain.
90 min: Toone is replaced by Kirby. Five minutes are added on.
89 min: Hampton pulls off a brilliant save! Katoto gets on the end of a low ball across goal and the keeper tips it around for a corner, moving to her left. Terrific reflexes.
88 min: France skip down the right through Cascarino but her ball across can only find the swinging boot of Bronze.
87 min: Russo finds the ball on the left and holds it up well to win a throw. England are slow to take it, with Kelly going in the book for being a time-thief.
85 min: Kelly delivers a crucial block after the ball sits up for Cascarino to launch inside the box.
Updated
83 min: Bacha has got heart to go with ability; she was clutching her hamstring not long ago but she’s kept going. Cascarino plays a one-two inside the box but can’t keep the ball in play when trying to cut back from the byline.
81 min: Hampton gets a yellow for time-wasting.
80 min: Renard pings a switch from inside her half, with Cascarino running on to it inside the box from the right … her first-time hit can’t find the target. It would’ve been a stunner.
77 min: Bacha soldiers on for now as Stanway tries a left-footed drive from the edge of the box … It travels wide.
76 min: Bacha, who has put in a serious shift for her country, is down and looking as if she’s going to have to come off.
75 min: Finally, Wiegman looks to her bench. Chloe Kelly is on for Mead.
73 min: A flurry of yellow cards were dished out just before that penalty, with Bronze one of the players going in the book after some words with the ref.
GOAL! France 1-2 England (Diani 72)
Diani steps up … and sends Hampton the wrong way! Nervy times for the English.
Updated
Penalty for France!
Williamson brings down Geyoro, who outfoxes the defender with a smart turn. It’s a simple decision for the referee.
Updated
68 min: Bacha sends a ball down the line for Diani, whose cross is headed away before France work it around again, Geyoro’s shot blocked out for a corner by Bronze’s outstretched foot. That could’ve easily ended up being an own goal.
65 min: Lakrar plays a loose pass at the back, with Toone intercepting – she tries to dink the keeper from the edge of the box but can only offer a simple save.
64 min: Crisis averted for England; Hampton is fine to continue. Carter cuts out a French through ball.
62 min: Uh oh. Hampton is down for England and in a bit of bother. A reminder: they’re already missing Mary Earps due to injury.
60 min: Inventive from England as the cross is played low to Stanway on the edge of the box … but her mis-hit shot travels high into the night sky.
60 min: Stanway wins England a corner after Geyoro blocks her cross from the right.
58 min: Renard wins a header inside the box from a France free-kick, but the ball trickles away from danger.
56 min: France are finding momentum, with Bacha locating space on the left wing to begin the attacks.
Updated
55 min: Bacha drives France forward and Katoto receives inside the box, doing brilliantly to turn Williamson inside-out … but she loses her balance trying to strike a shot and England survive.
53 min: Bacha, who has been lively on the left for France, picks up the ball from range and fires in a hopeful shot – but it’s wide. For a second, it looked as if it was going to trouble Hampton, moving to her left.
50 min: Bright clears before Hampton collects well inside the box as Diani tries to run on to a through ball. England are just having to weather a bit of pressure at the start of this second half.
48 min: Sharper from France, keeping hold of the ball before Bacha delivers a fine ball in from the left for Katoto, who can’t get her header on target.
46 min: Cascarino and Toletti are on for France, replacing Karchaoui and Henry.
We’re about to get going again, with France kicking off.
HALF-TIME: France 0-2 England
A terrific first-half for England, led by the performance of Russo up top. She’s held up the ball, brushed off challenges with ease and got the second goal after Stanway’s fine opener. Sarina Wiegman’s trust in the side that played last week has paid off.
45+4 min: Toone tries a cheeky dink inside the box but Peyraud-Magnin saves.
45+3 min: Renard is found at the far post, heads it across goal … and Katoto heads wide from close range. England are very nearly found wanting from a set-piece … once again.
45+2 min: Stanway is penalised for a crunching challenge on Bacha, and France have a free-kick out on the left.
45+1 min: Four minutes are added on as the Saint-Étienne crowd roar France forward. Williamson gets her head on a French cross from the left.
45 min: France work it around patiently before Henry lines up a shot from about 30 yards out; she hoofs it well wide with her left foot.
43 min: Stanway nearly repeats her opener, the ball laid off to her in the same region – this time her stinging effort travels wide.
41 min: Hemp takes a corner from the left, with the ball nearly dropping nicely for Millie Bright to shoot, a last-gasp intervention denying her.
40 min: Walsh wins the ball in midfield and England are on the move again, Russo crossing from the right as she tries to pick out Hemp.
38 min: The masterful Hemp is one-on-one on the left against De Almeida and sends in a lovely cross that Mead attacks but can’t get to.
37 min: England are loving France’s high line as Williamson dinks the ball out to Carter on the left who plays it inside to Hemp, who isn’t far away from breaking into the box for a shot.
GOAL! France 0-2 England (Russo 34)
It was coming. It’s Hemp who’s the creator once again, finding the ball on the right-hand side before curling in a perfect left-footed cross for Russo to meet. She heads it into the ground and past Peyraud-Magnin; England are all over France, creating something every minute or so.
Updated
32 min: Russo turns Lakrar to drive into the box before her cross is blocked for a corner. England’s No 9 is causing plenty of trouble.
31 min: Peyraud-Magnin hurt herself making that save but is back up after a bit of treatment.
29 min: Brilliant from Russo, holding off French shirts in the middle to play the ball out to the right before Stanway has a shot blocked. England then work it around again: Williamson lofts a ball into the box, Bronze hits it first-time across goal from the right, and Russo’s attempt from close range is saved by Peyraud-Magnin. That would have been a lovely team goal.
27 min: Henry overhits a pass as she tries to find Diani on the right.
26 min: France have been a touch slow when trying to get the ball into England’s box, and Diani dithers a bit too much out on the right-hand side when trying to work space for a cross.
25 min: That goal came shortly after Mead forced a fine save from Peyraud-Magnin; England have grown in to this half.
GOAL! France 0-1 England (Stanway 21)
What a hit! England work it from the left, with Hemp showing fine strength inside the box to shield the ball and lay off to Stanway, waiting centrally outside of it. The first-time shot is a thunderous one, beating Peyraud-Magnin’s dive to her right.
Updated
20 min: Hemp does some fine defensive work, hassling De Almeida on France’s right to help win a goal kick.
19 min: Bronze is into the game now, and she slides in a pass to Mead on the edge of the box but the Arsenal star can’t get it out of her feet to feed a teammate inside.
17 min: Not a particularly electric opening to this game. And just as I type … Bronze wins a header on the right, Mead hops on to it, crossing into the box for Russo … who can’t nail the first-time finish, the ball going wide. Better from tonight’s visitors.
14 min: Both sides are struggling to keep the ball for a sustained period at the moment, just lacking a bit of calm when in possession.
Updated
13 min: Another misplaced pass from Bronze unleashes Bacha on France’s left but the ball is back with England quickly.
12 min: Bronze tries to pick out Toone inside the box but can’t nail the killer ball from the right wing.
11 min: Sharp passes from France as Geyoro drives through the middle before Dali’s cross from the right is blocked. England’s shape when off the ball seems pretty solid.
7 min: France are quick to attack at the other end, a Diani poke from a Karchaoui cross just rolling past Hampton’s post. Williamson is down after sliding in to challenge Diani … but she seems fine after a brief stoppage.
6 min: Stanway finds Toone inside the box with an excellent pass but the No 10’s shot is weak as she snatches at it, the ball tamely rolling away and unable to test the keeper.
5 min: De Almeida tries to find Diani, running inside the right channel, but the pass is poor and out for a goalkick.
3 min: Russo does well to keep the ball on the right as England work it to the left, but Toone’s ball to try and slide in Hemp inside the box is underhit.
2 min: Geyoro drives forward to get the home fans roaring before England retreat into their defensive shape.
1 min: Toone wins the ball early for England in her landmark game, before France’s Bacha is fouled in her own half.
Peeeep!
Off we go, with England kicking off, moving from right to left on my screen.
“Can I sort my glass of wine instead?” asks Joe Pearson. Whatever you fancy: tea, wine, maybe even a cup of Joe? I’ll see myself out.
The players are lined up, ready to head on to the field. Sort your cup of tea.
One thing to keep an eye on tonight: how England respond to France’s set-pieces after what happened the other day. “Wiegman’s players suffered a full-on relapse of the alarming dead-ball disease that derailed them during the latter days of Phil Neville’s tenure,” wrote Louise Taylor.
A half-century for Ella Toone.
All set to make her 50th appearance tonight!
— Lionesses (@Lionesses) June 4, 2024
Congrats, @ellatoone99! 👏 pic.twitter.com/Dxaatt8Lwf
So just the one change for England, which is a forced one: Hannah Hampton replaces the injured Mary Earps. France make two: Grace Geyoro and Amandine Henry replace Delphine Cascarino and Sandie Toletti.
The teams
Here we go …
Notre 1️⃣1️⃣ de départ pour ce nouveau match face aux anglaises 🏴
— Equipe de France Féminine (@equipedefranceF) June 4, 2024
⌚️ 21h00
📺 @W9#FRAANG | #FiersdetreBleues pic.twitter.com/z1Tvh5OFli
🦁 Team news is here!
— Lionesses (@Lionesses) June 4, 2024
🧤 @hannahhampton_ between the sticks
©️ @leahcwilliamson our skipper
👊 @alessiarusso7 leads the line pic.twitter.com/xLITJX2eCM
Preamble
Hello, hello, hello and welcome to an important encounter for Sarina Wiegman’s side. She’s not calling it a must-win – “it’s a want-to-win” – but England really do need to get it together if they want to avoid the Euro 2025 qualifying playoffs. They’re currently third in Group A3 after losing 2-1 to France on Friday at St James’ Park, both of the visitors’ goals coming from corners. In another blow, the current European champions will be without Mary Earps, who suffered a hip injury last week. The good news? A chance for revenge has come quickly. Kick-off’s at 8pm BST.
