Soccer

Selection dilemmas, new-look Germany, attendance drop – Lionesses talking points

The audition process for Euro 2025 begins with a repeat of the 2022 final.

Mary Earps’s status as England’s number one is under threat
Mary Earps’s status as England’s number one is under threat (Joe Giddens/PA)
By Rachel Steinberg, PA

England host Germany at Wembley in an international friendly on Friday, a repeat of both opponent and venue from their triumphant Euro 2022 final.

Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the key talking points ahead of the encounter – the first time the sides have met since that showpiece.

Keeper battle

Mary Earps’ journey to Lionesses number one and multi-award winning keeper – including Sports Personality of the Year and FIFA Best – largely began with Sarina Wiegman’s installation in the England manager’s chair.

But Hannah Hampton’s ascendancy at Chelsea, combined with a first campaign for Paris St Germain that has not started as well as Earps would have hoped, has left the position more open than ever. 

A different Germany

A new head coach, Christian Wuck, will lead out Olympic bronze medallists Germany at Wembley – his first match since assuming the post, and a first look for Wiegman and her team at what they might expect from the 51-year-old.

His squad includes two debutants and four returning players who sat out the Olympics, so while Wiegman and her team will no doubt prepare for as many scenarios as possible, there is still plenty of room for surprises.

Attendance

England have grown accustomed to huge Wembley crowds since winning the Euros
England have grown accustomed to huge Wembley crowds since winning the Euros (James Manning/PA)

The post-Euro 2022 boom utterly shifted expectations around attendances for Lionesses’ matches – once selling out Wembley would spark headlines, but now the opposite is true.

England have sold around 54,000 tickets for Friday’s fixture at the 90,000-capacity stadium, but both Wiegman and captain Leah Williamson have said they are not concerned – though they still hope to see a boost when the Emma Hayes-led United States come to town next month.

More selection dilemmas

Wiegman is in the fortunate position of choosing between strong starting contenders at multiple positions including centre-back, where she has Williamson and in-form pair Millie Bright and Alex Greenwood among those at her disposal.

Though Fran Kirby will miss out with injury, midfield is also packed with potential options, with the friendly format also providing Wiegman the opportunity to experiment.

The Switzerland audition

Comparisons to that Euro 2022 final are inevitable, but England have long consigned that contest to the history books and are fully looking forward to defending their title in Switzerland after securing their return trip in July.

With competition fiercer than ever, starters and substitutes alike will be taking full advantage of any minutes offered to impress their boss and stake their claim for a ticket to next summer’s tournament.