The Lionesses are back in action tonight with an international friendly against Switzerland at Bramall Lane in Sheffield. Sarina Wiegman will be hoping to get her team back to winning ways following a goalless draw against the United States last time out.
That match featured a fine performance from Mary Earps who was recalled between the sticks for a more tactically defensive outing that tested the continued development of Wiegman’s European champions ahead of their title defence next summer.
Euro 2025 will be held in Switzerland and England are getting a taste of what potentially lies ahead when they take on the tournament hosts tonight. The Swiss are bruised and battered after a 6-0 defeat to Germany were they did not manage a shot in the entire game and will be hoping for an improved performance in London.
In what has been a ‘tough year’ for the Lionesses, according to Earps, going out on a high with a win this evening will give them some momentum heading into the new year.
Follow all the action from Wembley with our live blog below as England take on Switzerland:
England vs Switzerland LIVE
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England host Switzerland at Bramall Lane with kick off at 7.45pm
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Lionesses drew 0-0 with Emma Hayes’ USA last time out
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Swiss are hosting Euro 2025 with England hoping to defend their title next summer
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England XI: Hampton, Morgan, George, Mace, Turner, Bright, Park, Le Tissier, Beever-Jones, Clinton, Blindkilde Brown
England line-up
18:34 , Mike Jones
Here’s how England line-up against Switzerland tonight:
Hayes on returning to England as US coach
18:30 , Mike Jones
Emma Hayes left Chelsea in the summer to take up the position of head coach of the United States Women’s National Team. She returned to England last weekend for a clash with the Lionesses which ended in a goalless draw.
Hayes said: “I give everything I possibly can for a team that I really, really enjoy coaching, and I thrive, not just under pressure, but I like these opportunities, I like being in these situations. They bring out the best in me.
“You’ve got two top teams now, Sarina is an amazing coach, I thought it was a good tactical match-up, and I just enjoy coaching a high-level football match, to be honest with you. I don’t think too much about it.”
England vs Switzerland
18:25 , Mike Jones
England are unbeaten in 11 previous meetings with Switzerland (10 wins, one draw), with the Lionesses only facing Finland (played 13, won nine, drew four) and Northern Ireland (played 12, won 12) more often without ever losing in in their entire history.
Wiegman on USA draw
18:20 , Mike Jones
Sarina Wiegman brushed aside suggestions from some pundits that her side were content to settle for a draw when they took on the United States last weekend.
She said: “I think we were really defending as a team, very strong. We got momentum in the second half, we did better, and of course both teams went for the win.
“So many things happened in this game, also in front of the goal, so I don’t think it was boring.
“We wanted to go for the win, but it was such a high-intensity game, you have to deal with a very good opponent, so you can’t just say, ‘Now we’re going to go and score that goal’.
“We tried, of course, to do that. We didn’t slow down to keep it 0-0. I think that was just how the game went.”
Emma Hayes admits to anthem uncertainty after facing England
18:15 , Mike Jones
United States women’s head coach Emma Hayes admitted she initially grappled with how best to behave during ‘God Save The King’ ahead of her side’s goalless draw with England in their Wembley friendly.
The billing of London-born former Chelsea boss Hayes against England’s Dutch manager Sarina Wiegman – arguably the best two bosses in the women’s game – had generated more buzz in the build-up than the players on the pitch, despite it being a rare encounter between the two top-ranked sides in the world.
Emma Hayes admits to anthem uncertainty after facing England
‘Switzerland will be different’
18:10 , Mike Jones
“We took a lot of learnings from Saturday [against the USA] but I think tomorrow will be a different game with different challenges.”
Those were the words of Sarina Wiegman as she took the pre-match press conference yesterday ahead of tonights encounter with the Euro 2025 hosts.
The Lionesses coach added: “I do expect, first of all, that Switzerland will play in another shape and what we’ve seen from them is that they drop deeper quicker a little bit, so we expect to have the ball more.”
Wiegman looking for ‘clarity’ before Euro 2025
18:05 , Mike Jones
Sarina Wiegman also spoke about England’s preparations for their European title defence next summer and explained how her she is hoping for clarity ahead of the tournament.
“Before the tournament, you want clarity,” she explained, “Now, you’re trying out things and now, you want everyone to compete at the highest level – compete against opponents but also compete with each other.
“That’s what you need to become better. Of course, we’re not going to get everything right but we’re learning and it gives us information.”
Wiegman on experimenting with her squad
18:00 , Mike Jones
There has been a renewed focus, certainly in the back half of the year, from Sarina Wiegman to experiment and switch up her England squads.
While Euro 2022 was a triumph of consistent personnel playing their roles to perfection England had come to rely on they same group of players.
Wiegman has tried to change that and has brought in a new crop on young, hungry players to try and keep the Lionesses’ playing style fresh and new. It’s a work in progress.
The England coach said: “It gives opportunities for us to try out things and to play many players so absolutely, we need this game to try out these things.
“We still have seven months to go [before Euro 2025] but we want to get as much information as possible and develop our style of play and experience where we are at the moment.”
Tactical stalemate with Emma Hayes and USA offers clues to England’s future
17:55 , Mike Jones
Another night of learning for England and Sarina Wiegman, even if the only fireworks produced from the visit of Emma Hayes and the United States were those in the pre-match light show at Wembley. A blockbuster between the European champions and Olympic champions this was not; rather a reflection that both teams missed key players in attack and were using this November friendly for tactical experimentation. Seven months out from the Euros, Mary Earps admitted England are still “figuring out” how they want to play.
But after conceding four goals in their previous outing at Wembley, Wiegman’s changes were made to ensure there would be no repeat. It offered a view of a more pragmatic “mature” England, to the point that Wiegman may have been overly cautious and the Lionesses finished with just one shot on target. “I don’t remember a chance,” said Hayes. Earps said it had been a “tough year” for England and the Lionesses played like they did not want another defeat. There was restraint, that shut out the USA. “After the Germany result, we expected a reaction,” Hayes said.
Tactical stalemate with Emma Hayes and USA offers clues to England’s future
Predicting England’s starting XI
17:50 , Mike Jones
Here’s how we see England lining up against the Swiss this evening:
England XI: Hampton; Le Tissier, Bright, Morgan, Greenwood; Walsh, Clinton, Park; Mead, Russo, Beever-Jones
What is the England team news?
17:45 , Mike Jones
The Lionesses have been hit by further injuries ahead of the Switzerland game, with Chloe Kelly and Fran Kirby pulling out of the squad – adding to the absences of Lauren Hemp, Lauren James and Ella Toone.
Sarina Wiegman suggested she would “rotate a lot” against Switzerland, suggesting Hannah Hampton, Grace Clinton, Aggie Beever-Jones and Esme Morgan could be involved while Maya Le Tissier could return from concussion.
Laura Blindkilde-Brown and Ruby Mace are uncapped but could be handed their first minutes from the bench.
How can I watch the game?
17:40 , Mike Jones
England vs Switzerland will be shown live on ITV 4 and ITV X, with coverage beginning at 7pm. The programme will be hosted by Laura Woods with Ian Wright and Karen Carney providing punditry from the studio.
When is England vs Switzerland?
17:35 , Mike Jones
The friendly will kick off at 7:45pm on Tuesday 3 December at Bramall Lane, Sheffield.
England vs Switzerland
17:30 , Mike Jones
England close out the year with a home friendly against Switzerland in Sheffield as the Lionesses look to finish 2024 with a win.
Sarina Wiegman’s side drew 0-0 with the USA at Wembley on Saturday night, with the visit of Emma Hayes leading to a tactical stalemate in front of a crowd of over 70,000.
The European champions maintained there were improvements, particularly in defence, but there have been further injuries to attacking players ahead of the Switzerland game.
The Lionesses are building towards the defence of their European crown next summer, and will face the hosts Switzerland at Bramall Lane.
It’s their first meeting since a 4-0 win over the Swiss in June 2022, ahead of the summer where the Lionesses won the Euros.
Good evening!
13:57 , Mike Jones
Welcome to The Independent’s coverage of tonight’s international football action between England and Switzerland as the two teams clash at Bramall Lane.
The game is the Lionesses final outing in 2024 and they will want to go out on a high following a tricky 0-0 draw against the United States in their previous fixture.
Sarina Wiegman continues to refine her team and her tactics ahead of the European Championships next summer so expect another surprising performance from her side tonight.
We’ll have all the team news, line-ups and updates throughout the night so stick with us as we build up to kick off at 7.45pm.
