England face toughest possible start to Euros title defence

Telegraph

18 hours ago

There is a curious juxtaposition about France, England's opponents for their Euro 2025 opener. They have always possessed a team of winners, yet have been perennial underachievers at major tournaments.
Lyon, the 18-time French champions, won six Champions League trophies between 2016 and 2022. Many who have worn the Lyon shirt over the years have also represented the French national team, but their domestic success has never translated on to the international stage.
France disappointed in their home Olympics last summer after being knocked out of the World Cup at the quarter-final stage by hosts Australia a year earlier. But France are arguably the most in-form team coming into this European Championship and there is a feeling that perhaps things will finally click.
They won all six games in their most recent Nations League campaign – the first team to do so – and finished ahead of England in their qualifying group.
Luckily for the Lionesses, they have a player who knows a lot about the French team. Lucy Bronze, who is preparing for her seventh major tournament, spent three years with Lyon and has played alongside or against several of the players who England will face on Saturday.
'I personally know a lot of them well,' Bronze said. 'Whether that's Sandy Baltimore from Chelsea or [others] previously from playing at Lyon. I know a lot of the other players very well like Selma Bacha – one of the best left-backs in the world – and Griedge Mbock Bathy, the centre-back, she is one of my favourite centre-backs I have played with when I was at Lyon. They have talented players all over the field.'
Her Chelsea team-mate Baltimore, who plays down the left wing, had an impressive first season in England and will directly face Bronze, who will start at right-back. Asked how she will try to combat the attacking talents of her club team-mate, Bronze, who speaks French, laughed: 'Whisper in her ear! Nothing in English!
'I'm excited to see how Sandy does this tournament because she's had a really good season at Chelsea. It was probably the season where people have noticed her. I already knew who she was before because she was at PSG. I used to play against her at Lyon.
'Potentially it could be a match-up in the game and if it is, it's something I'm excited for. We've trained against each other a lot at Chelsea. She's a very talented, dribbler of the ball, really good left foot, good pace, and someone that I know quite well. I'm not going to give too much away.'
France manager Laurent Bonadei took over from Herve Renard in August after previously serving as his assistant and he has already stamped his authority over the team. He made the big call to drop captain Wendie Renard from the squad as well as vice-captain Eugenie Le Sommer and the experienced Kenza Dali.
Bronze admitted she was shocked by Renard's omission. 'Wendie is a good friend of mine. I always tell people she's the epitome of what I would describe as a captain figure. When I was at Lyon, everything she did as a person and as a player, there was nothing you could fault. I'm sure she'd be devastated not to be part of the Euros, knowing what she's like. The manager obviously went a different way. It's a big shock and a shock to the French team, but they will move forward with the players who are here at the tournament and they're going to show their best, the same as we are.'
Il y a 6 ans jour pour jour, @WRenard inscrivait un doublé dans un Parc des Princes en fusion 🇫🇷🌋 #FIFAWWC | @equipedefranceF pic.twitter.com/Euc0ex3GyO
— Coupe du Monde des Clubs de la FIFA 2025 🏆 (@fifaworldcup_fr) June 7, 2025
England and France are joined in Group D, which is the toughest pool at the tournament, by the Netherlands and Wales. There will be no easy game for the Lionesses but starting with France, who have won all eight of their fixtures in 2025, is undoubtedly the toughest way to begin the defence of their title. They were beaten by France in qualifying on home soil last May, but did win the return fixture in Saint Etienne a week later.
'I think it's the game everyone is going to be watching because it's surely the most exciting group game coming into a Euros, France v England is exciting for any fan to watch,' Bronze says.
'I think there's a lot of respect between the teams because we have faced off so regularly. In the Nations League last year, it was really tight encounters. Previously in tournaments as well, at Euros and World Cups, it's always been tight results.'
Bronze is adamant that playing the best opposition in the early stages can be a positive for England. 'We get to test ourselves against the good teams straight away. There's no surprises going through the tournament.
'We know the standard that you have to be at. We've just got to take it for what it is and be excited to play in a big game. I think when you get to these kinds of tournaments, you want to play in the big games against the best players. And why not have it in your first game? It makes it more exciting.'
Three France threats
Sandy Baltimore
Will likely come up against her Chelsea team-mate Lucy Bronze if she starts down the left wing. Baltimore had a fantastic first season in the Women's Super League and will be full of confidence. She will look to exploit the gaps Bronze may leave when she ventures forward and her speed and finishing could cause England problems.
Clara Mateo
Few will know the name in England but Paris FC's Mateo finished as the top scorer in the French league last season. Strong, powerful and a smart finisher, Mateo will lead the line for France and will look to impose herself on England's centre-backs. Even Georgia Stanway picked Mateo out as a player to watch this tournament.
💥 Paris FC with an early message in the 2nd half, as Clara Mateo nets the equalizer!
Watch live for free on DAZN ▶️ https://t.co/dIfKpURfZv
Available in selected territories. #ArkemaPL
— DAZN Women's Football (@DAZNWFootball) April 12, 2025
Marie-Antoinette Katoto
Her Euros was cruelly ended by an ACL injury in 2022 and she failed to recover in time for the World Cup. Katoto is quick and strong in the air and will be desperate to have a good tournament after missing the last two. She was PSG's top scorer last season and will join Lyon from this summer.