England comfortably preserved their unbeaten record in this season’s Nations League after a dominant display saw them brush aside Belgium 5-0 at Ashton Gate.
First-half goals from Lucy Bronze and Millie Bright underlined England’s control of the contest, and it could have been more but Alessia Russo twice hit the post.
Substitute Aggie Beever-Jones scored her first Lionesses goal after 67 minutes, with no let-up from England in all areas of the pitch, before Jess Park and Keira Walsh also found the target.
What a performance. 👏 pic.twitter.com/HsJSB5Lwrn
— Lionesses (@Lionesses) April 4, 2025
Belgium had little answer to England’s movement and passing accuracy as they made it seven points from a possible nine in Group A3 ahead of Tuesday’s return fixture in Leuven.
England showed a solitary change from the side which defeated world champions Spain at Wembley in February, with Arsenal winger Beth Mead replacing Park.
The Lionesses monopolised early possession, with Bronze heavily involved in their best moments, but three corners in quick succession all came to nothing.
Bronze, Mead and Russo then linked impressively to cut open Belgium’s defence, before a Lauren James free-kick scraped the top of the crossbar after Justine Vanhaevermaet was booked for a foul.
England mounted relentless pressure, and after Russo hit the near post, Bronze gave the Lionesses a 21st-minute lead when her deflected header eluded the grasp of Belgium goalkeeper Nicky Evrard.
The chances continued to flow as Belgium struggled to live with the pace and intensity of Sarina Wiegman’s team and they pushed hard for a second goal before half time.
Another sweeping move ended with livewire Russo hitting the woodwork for a second time, then Mead had a shot brilliantly saved at point-blank range by Evrard.
The Belgium goal was living a charmed life, but it could not last and one more England attack brought the desired result when Bright forced the ball home.
It was the final act of a first half which England dominated, with Russo, Bronze and Mead all producing outstanding performances.
Wiegman made an interval substitution, sending on Beever-Jones for James, and England were soon back on the attack, peppering Belgium’s goal at regular intervals.
Beever-Jones then claimed England’s third goal when she finished emphatically following impressive approach work by Mead and Walsh, and Belgium were once again firmly on the back foot.
Walsh hit the left post – the third time for England to be denied – but Park added a fourth goal after she capitalised on defensive hesitancy and comfortably slid the ball past Evrard to complete Belgium’s misery, before Walsh scored number five.
Even when Wiegman rang the changes, there was no disruption to England’s impressive cohesion, and she will reflect on a job well done in front of a 23,000-strong crowd.
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