England And Wales Aim To Avoid Double Elimination

When England and Wales were drawn together successful Group D of Euro 2025, galore fans and pundits would person circled nan fixture betwixt nan location nations arsenic a cardinal day successful nan competition.

However, aft some sides mislaid their opening games successful Switzerland, location is existent fearfulness nan lucifer will beryllium a dormant rubber.

If, connected Wednesday, England suffer to nan Netherlands and Wales are beaten by France, some will beryllium eliminated earlier their last game.

They are fighting for their Euro lives - and some cognize improved displays are required to debar nan worst-case script of a double elimination aft 2 matches.

BBC Sport takes a look astatine nan challenges facing some sides successful their 2nd games successful Switzerland.

England v Netherlands astatine Euro 2025

Venue: Stadion Letzigrund, Zurich Date: Wednesday 9 July, 17:00 BST

Coverage: Watch connected BBC One, iPlayer and nan BBC Sport website. Listen connected BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds

Defending champions England look Euro 2017 winners nan Netherlands and, pursuing their 2-1 conclusion by France connected Saturday, they will beryllium knocked retired if they suffer and France are not beaten by Wales.

The Netherlands person won 2 of their past 3 meetings pinch England - but nan Lionesses person ne'er mislaid back-to-back matches nether Sarina Wiegman.

If teams decorativeness connected nan aforesaid points aft 3 matches, it will travel down to head-to-head records to determine nan 2 qualification spots.

"Ultimately we don't for illustration losing but erstwhile a consequence for illustration that happens you person to bespeak and travel together arsenic a team," said England striker Alessia Russo.

"We person bounced backmost before. We cognize we weren't up to it against France. For our ain standards, we want to beryllium better. That sets nan barroom for us.

"We're our ain biggest critics arsenic players truthful we're each fresh to get retired location and person different bully game."

Manager Wiegman, who won Euro 2017 arsenic Netherlands boss, said England person "not talked astir consequences" but admitted it was a must-win game.

"We mislaid [against France] and we play against a very bully force again, but we're really bully too," she told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"It's a last for us, we will do everything to win. Every crippled is must-win. We've knowledgeable that before."

Wiegman was skipper nether Netherlands leader Andries Jonker for nan nationalist squad and they person been friends for almost 30 years.

Asked really Wiegman will grip nan pressure, Jonker said: "She is very knowledgeable and she knows you cannot ever win.

"She will not panic and her acquisition will thief her. It is not a problem for her - but much for everyone astir her.

"If you win, location is simply a party. If you don't win, past you person a problem. In shot you person to play against each different and you want to win.

"It wouldn't make maine much happy to triumph than against anyone other successful football, if anything, I [would be] disappointed for Sarina. But I want to win."

France v Wales astatine Euro 2025

Venue: Arena St Gallen, St Gallen Date: Wednesday 9 July, 20:00 BST

Coverage: Listen connected BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds and travel matter updates connected BBC Sport website

Manager Rhian Wilkinson has urged her broadside to "show Wales really proud we are to correspond our country" erstwhile they look France.

Wales' 3-0 conclusion by Netherlands intends they must gain astatine slightest a constituent successful St Gallen against a squad they person ne'er beaten earlier to debar elimination from their first awesome tournament.

Having had little than perfect mentation for nan daunting title pinch France aft their squad autobus was progressive successful a crash that saw their training convention astatine Arena St Gallen cancelled, Wilkinson says her squad will attraction connected shot pinch everyone connected nan autobus thankfully uninjured.

"I deliberation shot is secondary and I think, yes, we are shaken," she told BBC Sport Wales. "We've practised for nan unexpected, I deliberation that's what we tin telephone this.

"This is simply a awesome opportunity, this is different bully team, we've talked astir that capable that these are 3 beardown teams successful our group, it's different opportunity for america to show up and to play to nan champion of our ability.

"Everyone's alert of what it intends if we don't get a point, but arsenic it's astir delivering arsenic beardown a capacity arsenic we perchance tin to person different opportunity to show Wales really proud we are to correspond our country."

Captain Angharad James feels assured that Wales, who are yet to triumph a lucifer successful each competitions successful 2025, tin nutrient an improved capacity now that nan affectional load of playing an historical first awesome tourney lucifer is down them.

"Emotions were evidently precocious successful nan first game. We'd waited a very agelong clip for that moment," she said.

"To tally retired of nan passageway and acquisition that was possibly an acquisition that a batch of america hadn't knowledgeable before. Now we cognize what to expect, now we cognize what's successful beforehand of us."

Wales' purpose of causing a monolithic daze against France has been boosted by nan news that each 23 players are fresh and disposable for action aft midfielder Ceri Holland reported for training aft leaving nan Netherlands lucifer pinch cramp.