Sarina Wiegman said England’s trip had yielded “many positives” after the team concluded their double-header of friendlies in southern Spain with a 5-1 win over Italy.
Four days on from the 7-2 defeat of Austria at the Estadio Nuevo Mirador in Algeciras, another thumping victory for the Lionesses at the same venue began with Lotte Wubben-Moy heading her first international goal in the opening minute.
Lauren Hemp extended the lead with a brace, the second via an excellent header, and after Michela Cambiaghi pulled a goal back for Italy in stoppage time at the end of the first half, substitutes Ella Toone and Rachel Daly completed the rout in the second half.
A five-star performance! 🌟 pic.twitter.com/yaQFioanD6
— Lionesses (@Lionesses) February 27, 2024
Boss Wiegman told ITV: “I think the whole camp, a lot of things pleased me.
“I think we had the opportunity to play many players…see what the level was, that was exactly what we wanted, see players in some positions and the connections between players, and then the competition.
“And when you have then such good wins as we had tonight and last Friday, that’s really nice too of course.”
Next up for England are the opening Euro 2025 qualifiers in April as Wiegman’s side begin the journey of defending the title they won on home soil in 2022.
Thanks for your support, #Lionesses fans!
See you in April 👋 pic.twitter.com/wtyhzNA05X
— Lionesses (@Lionesses) February 27, 2024
When asked if the camp had given her the answers she needed ahead of the matches in April, Wiegman said: “You never know, because things in football can change so quickly, but it gave us many answers on questions we had at this moment.
“We could take this opportunity to see so many players and play two very good games, train also, see the under-23s (who joined the senior team on the trip). So just very many positives about this week.”
Those positives for Wiegman – who saw Leah Williamson withdraw from her original squad due to injury and Fran Kirby do so between the two matches – included debuts being made by 20-year-old Grace Clinton, a goalscorer in the Austria match, and Millie Turner introduced as a substitute against Italy.
On Arsenal defender Wubben-Moy, after her 12th senior appearance for the team, Wiegman said: “I think she’s definitely taken a step forward because she’s developing a lot and very good.
Impressive tonight, @lottewubbenmoy 🔥#Lionesses | @weetabix pic.twitter.com/T0cxIqE6LX
— Lionesses (@Lionesses) February 27, 2024
“That’s what we see weekly at Arsenal and that’s what she shows here too. What you can (also) see is the competition in the position is just really high.”
Wubben-Moy heading in from an Alex Greenwood delivery was an early example as England – on a night that saw them also make some notable errors at the back – demonstrated the problems they can cause from corners.
Wiegman added: “We are always working on it. We had a little more emphasis on it, we had a little more time this week.
“So it’s really good to see that it had so much effect and hopefully we can do that again in the following games.”
Let's start our Daily Laugh today. Gyokeres vs Madueke Man Utd : Hey Arteta !! Come and take a look at our shop. EPL transfer market Thoughts Lionel Messi Never had a PRIME. His Entire Career is PRIME! Toni Kroos: “I’m not going back, and Real Madrid knows it.. " Chelsea FC and Tottenham Hotspur be like.. Please stay tuned on Daily Laugh. There will be more fun tomorrow!(Credit: Ju...
Marcus Rashford could be edging closer to a Man Utd exit.Juventus want to sign Marcus Rashford. Juventus want to sign Marcus Rashford this summer and have made the wantaway Manchester United forward their priority transfer target, according to reports. The Serie A giants join Barcelona in the frame as Rashford prepares to leave United permanently after around two decades at the club.Juventus have ...
The two clubs were close to doing business last summer - could that be the same case this time around?Alexander Isak has been linked to a Newcastle exitLiverpool and Newcastle United could find themselves tangled up in a transfer tug-of-war for the second consecutive summer. Rewind 12 months and the pair were reportedly close to agreeing a move that would’ve seen two big-name stars transfer ...
AC Milan are reportedly evaluating a group of six forwards as potential additions to bolster their attack ahead of the new season, with Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson among the names under serious consideration. Despite Chelsea maintaining a firm stance that the striker is not for sale unless a substantial offer is made, Milan are confident Jackson may be attainable, especially given the player&#...
Brentford win race to bring Henderson back to Premier LeagueJordan Henderson is set for a Premier League return, with Brentford winning the race to sign the 35-year-old former Liverpool captain. Following his short stint at Ajax, Henderson prioritised a move back to England, and will join the Bees on a two-year deal. The free agent completed his medical over the weekend, with an official announcem...
Chelsea FC v AFC Bournemouth - Premier LeagueChelsea goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic is reportedly set for a £25 million ($34m) Bournemouth move with a five-year contract in the works after the two clubs reached a "total agreement". The move comes after Bournemouth accelerated talks with Chelsea earlier this week as they seek to fill the void left by Kepa Arrizabalaga’s return to Stamford B...
Liga MX preview Toluca begins its title defense, América aims to reclaim the throne, and Cruz Azul builds a dream team.FBL-MEX-TIGRES-TOLUCAKey matchups to watchThe wait is over - the Apertura 2025 kicks off this weekend with a triple-header featuring Puebla vs Atlas, FC Juárez vs América, and Tijuana vs Querétaro. This season promises high-level action as Liga MX clubs continu...
Levi Colwill Chelsea Nottingham ForestChelsea defender Levi Colwill is confident that the Blues can beat PSG in the Club World Cup final, as they are 'not Inter Milan or Real Madrid'.WHAT HAPPENED?Chelsea face PSG in the Club World Cup final on Sunday and the Ligue 1 giants are in truly incredible form. Having won the Champions League final with a stunning 5-0 thumping of Inter Milan, they then th...
Lionel Messi Kylian Mbappe Club World Cup 2025 trophyThe ultimate guide to the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. FIFA has rolled out a brand new format for the Club World Cup, with the 2025 edition marking the beginning of an overhaul that will shake up club football across the globe.In recent years, the Club World Cup has been a highly exclusive tournament, with just seven teams from six confederations t...
CWC Top 7 playersGOAL takes a look at the seven best players of the tournament, including big moments from Saudi Arabia and Brazil starsThe Club World Cup final is set: Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain take the pitch on Sunday, with a champion set to be crowned in FIFA's expanded 32-team competition.As the tournament comes to a close, it's time to highlight some specific player performances. Al Hil...
- 1 Lionesses captain Leah Williamson strips down to her underwear
- 2 Man Utd make shock move to Calvert-Lewin
- 3 Transfer news & rumours LIVE
- 4 Harry Kane, that's awful! England captain's error costs Bayern as Desire Doue & Ousmane Dembele send NINE-MAN PSG into Club World Cup semi-finals in feisty clash that sees Jamal Musiala suffer sickeni
- 5 New coach confirms Modric move to Milan
- 6 Bayern ready to rival Arsenal for Eberechi Eze and target move for Chelsea flop after losing Jamal Musiala to injury
- 7 From Maura to Maya, the stars show swimwear with sky-high cuts
- 8 Dominic Calvert-Lewin in talks with Newcastle as Man United circle
- 9 Kylian Mbappe left stunned on Real Madrid bench as Gonzalo Garcia matches Cristiano Ronaldo record with goal against Dortmund at Club World Cup
- 10 Marcus Rashford trains alone after returning to Man Utd for pre-season despite being given extra time off by Ruben Amorim to find new club