Just days before the final, we still do not know what is getting England through the big moments at Euro 2025
“T
his is a movie,” Sarina Wiegman said, and as England celebrated their heist in Geneva that sense of unreality seemed to have infused her players too. “Goodness me,” sighed Esme Morgan as she returned to the dressing room after the 2-1 extra-time win over Italy, blowing out her cheeks in relief. Meanwhile, the captain, Leah Williamson, was trying to explain just how England manage to keep going behind but pulling out victories at the very end.
“Whilst there are seconds on the clock, there are seconds that we’re just waiting,” she said. “It’s less ‘if’ and more ‘how’. I don’t know how to explain it, I don’t know how we do it.”
And frankly, this was the sort of victory that defied rational explanation. By the dying minutes of this game Beth Mead was playing in central midfield as part of a double pivot behind Ella Toone and the strike duo of Michelle Agyemang and Aggie Beever-Jones. Lauren Hemp, who started the last World Cup final as a second striker, was now left-back. And England were basically just pumping long balls into the area hoping something would happen. The formation: like, 2-6-2? 3-2-1-4?
