Live match preview – Switzerland Women vs England 30.06.2022

England travel to Zurich to face Switzerland in their final friendly game before Euro 2022 starts at Old Trafford in under a week’s time.

The Lionesses have enjoyed a productive pre-tournament campaign, beating Belgium and the Netherlands on home turf, before now turning their attention to Thursday’s concluding warm-up tie at Letzigrund Stadium.

The game will form part of a five-day overseas training camp, before the competition finals begin on July 6 against Austria at Old Trafford.

Switzerland, fellow Euro finalists, were thrashed 7-0 by Germany last time out and are ranked 14 places below England in UEFA’s official standings.

Sarina Wiegman’s side, in contrast, dispatched the Netherlands 5-1 in their penultimate friendly, despite being forced to come from behind for the first time since Wiegman took over in August 2020.

White returns after Covid | Bronze out with illness

England had Ellen White back in training on Wednesday. The Lionesses’ 50-goal record scorer missed last Friday’s 5-1 victory over the Netherlands at Elland Road having tested positive for coronavirus.

The Manchester City striker has subsequently made the trip to Switzerland, with Wiegman saying: “She’s good. It took a while, so we’re glad she’s back, she’s very happy too.

“She’ll start on the pitch today and hopefully we can build her up again and get her ready for the Euros. Maybe one or two days she took it easy, and then she could train by herself, she got a programme. She’s in shape.”

Asked if White would be able to play on Thursday, Wiegman said: “I don’t know yet. Let’s first start and see how she is on the training pitch and start up. She hasn’t been in training for a week now, so we don’t take any risks.”

Full-back Lucy Bronze did not take part in training due to illness, with the FA later confirming: “Lucy Bronze is feeling unwell and will miss tomorrow’s game against Switzerland and return to England today as a precautionary measure to aid her recovery. The defender has tested negative for Covid and will continue to be monitored by medical staff in the coming days.”

Speaking about the decision to play their final friendly away from home, Wiegman explained: “There has been some research from other tournaments that when you go away and come back, that helps.

“I think in this situation we’re in, we’ve been at St George’s Park for a while, very good pitch, we were treated very well, but then it’s good to get in another environment, come here, get some freshness, have a good game tomorrow and then come back and get really ready and into the atmosphere of the Euros.

“I think we’re in a very good place, and we just have to show good football and do our best. We know we can make an impact in England, we can give England’s football a big boost, and that is what we really want to do.”

In the Netherlands match England came from behind to win, with four of their goals coming in a second half that saw substitutes make a significant impact and skipper Leah Williamson back in defence after starting the game in midfield.

“You see that we’re still building, although it gets close to the Euros,” Wiegman said. “We have so many options in this team, because the depth in the squad is good.

“I thought in this last game that she [Williamson] felt a little uncomfortable in midfield and felt more comfortable at the back.

“We’ll see how that goes. We have those options, and it’s OK – for her club (Arsenal), she plays at the back a lot, and I think she’s a very good midfielder too. We have many options in the defensive line as well as midfield.”

She added: “We’re now coming into a stage where we have to perform. During the year we had time to develop. Now we have to find out the team that’s going to start, and the options we have when we want to change, and it’s about performing and not trying out things any more.”

Ellen White: From the playground to the Euros

As the Women’s Euros draws nearer, the Lionesses are looking to make an international impact on their own turf. But before that, one of England Women’s iconic players, Ellen White, met up with Sky Sports’ Sue Smith at her old stomping ground, William Harding Primary School, in Aylesbury.

Before she became England Women’s record goal-scorer – which she achieved on her 101st cap against Latvia earlier this season – the Manchester City star was ready to break boundaries and social stereotypes to be the player she is today.

As White started her career she was faced with criticism along the way. Even with the support of her team-mates and family, not many were used to the idea of a female star in football.

“When I was a little bit younger and in the boys’ team, I remember a lot of the parents would be like, ‘Is that a girl on the team? What’s happening?'” White stated.

“When you get a bit older in our skill set, the pressure of winning and wanting to do well makes coaches not pick you and I think it comes with the nature of the sport.”

But while negative comments and a few games on the bench were no match for White’s love of the game, at the age of 16, the aspiring England hopeful was dealt a devastating blow.

“I was hoping to go to Loughborough Academy when I was 16,” White said. “That’s when I was told I would never play for England because I wasn’t good enough. I didn’t know what to do.

“That’s when I changed schools. I went to a completely different sixth form, changed clubs from Arsenal to Chelsea and I completely went out of my comfort zone. I just tried something different – which I think helped me!”

Read more about White’s rise to become England’s record goalscorer here.

Analysis: Headache at No 10

Sky Sports’ Laura Hunter:

Selection dilemmas are a positive thing. It means the squad has more talent than it does starting positions. Strength in depth will be a supporting factor in the Lionesses bid for silverware this summer, but fielding the right personnel at the right time is not entirely straightforward.

Sarina Wiegman’s biggest quandary is in the No 10 position. Georgia Stanway, Fran Kirby and Ella Toone all have a legitimate case, with England’s opening group game less than a week away.

They will, undoubtedly, all get game-time this summer, but Stanway’s athleticism is something Wiegman must utilise in the bigger games. The three-way axis with Leah Williamson and Keira Walsh, on show to good effect against Belgium, is England’s best midfield combination.

Tactically, it offers the most fluidity, while remaining compact and solid. The Man City forward is sometimes guilty of spurning chances, but can rotate exceptionally well with both holding midfielders. She’s disciplined out of possession, but direct in it. It may be the pragmatic choice, but one that balances versatility with consistency.

Stanway is perhaps less clinical than her competition (eight goals in 33 senior apps), but it’s clear from the Netherlands rout that scoring goals from a variety of sources won’t be a problem at this tournament – England managed five against the reigning European champions without their leading scorer. There were mitigating circumstances at play – with the Dutch lacking match fitness – but their attacking prowess was impressive nonetheless.

Kirby, who started the game, was creative at times and demonstrated her value but Wiegman said that overall England’s first 45 minutes were lethargic: “The tempo was too low, we weren’t dynamic, we didn’t make the necessary runs,” she conceded.

All of that changed following the introduction of Stanway and Toone.

The Man United youngster proved she can be a game-changer from the bench, and lit up the second half against the Dutch – she had featured in every game under Wiegman until last week. At 22, her energy is an asset.

Their entry also got the best out of England’s trump card, Lauren Hemp. She came alive when her intended targets were more purposeful with their movement, assisting twice (for Beth Mead and Toone) before scoring herself.

Competition for places is fierce – one of England’s strengths – but picking the right players in the right moments will be the key to unlocking success when tournament play really kicks in. “A weapon” Wiegman responded when questioned about the importance of her bench last time out – expect its impact to be under full review again this week.

She concluded: “We have one more game to try things out then we will be ready to go.”

Analysis: The Williamson conundrum

Sky Sports’ Ron Walker:

Leah Williamson is, as captain, the first name on Wiegman’s team sheet when available. But the question of where to pick her is more complicated.

She has just ended a successful season with Arsenal, who were runners-up in the WSL by a single point behind Chelsea, where she played the entire season at centre-back as part of the tightest defence in the division.

Wiegman has shown a desire to tread a different path – and in both warm-up matches to date has picked the 25-year-old in the heart of midfield instead.

It’s a position she is comfortable in and has played before, although the stats show exactly how England will miss out on her range of passing out of defence.

Despite missing four games of the WSL season, she completed 30 long passes more than any other defender across the division, and the third-most balls into the final third – more impressive when you consider full-backs are normally far more likely to find themselves in the opposition half.

Wiegman may well have a two-prong approach in mind. Against teams who will defend deeper, and a direct approach may be the best way to unlock their backline, Williamson’s unrivalled eye for a defence-splitting pass would suit England well at centre-back.

But as we saw in the win over Netherlands and Belgium, in midfield she can offer something different. Wiegman’s England are keen to play through the lines, take the ball and move it, remain comfortable receiving it under pressure.

And therein her ability as a ball-playing centre-half have caught the manager’s eye for a different reason.

Those skills served her well in that role for Arsenal, where she was dispossessed only nine times all season, and further forward she can add more bite to Wiegman’s midfield while having a more direct effect in their build-up.

And so against teams who will press the Lionesses, as Netherlands tried last week, her ease in possession and eye for a pass can be utilised in a different way.

“I think my strength is to go into the middle, though not necessarily as a six – that’s not what the team needs,” she said after that thumping win.

“In terms of driving forward and maybe finding ways in that (defensive midfield) position, that’s something I can bring my strengths into.

“That’s probably an area where it does actually suit (me) which seems ridiculous as I’m usually in my own box and not the opposition’s one.”

Williamson admits she is still learning how to balance her role alongside what will likely be two other midfielders when she is utilised there for the Lionesses.

But for Wiegman, and England, the question of where to best utilise her considerable talents is a nice problem to have.

What’s up next?

Now the Lionesses are in full Euro 2022 mode, with their preparation games all completed ahead of their opening group game with Austria at Old Trafford on July 6.

They then face Norway at the Amex Stadium on July 11 and Northern Ireland at St Mary’s on July 15.

Follow Euro 2022 across Sky Sports

Keep up with all the latest from Euro 2022 across Sky Sports and Sky Sports News this summer.

Coverage will be anchored by Sky Sports WSL presenter Caroline Barker, alongside Jessica Creighton and Kyle Walker. Meanwhile, Karen Carney, Sue Smith, Courtney Sweetman-Kirk and Laura Bassett will give analysis throughout the tournament.

They will also be joined by experienced England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley and Manchester City defender Esme Morgan.

The pundits and presenters will work from the Sky Sports Women’s Euro 2022 Mobile Presentation Bus, which will follow the Sky Sports News team around the country to the various stadiums where matches are being played.

In addition, Sky Sports’ Essential Football Podcast will be rebranded for the tournament to Sky Sports Women’s Euros Podcast rom 21 June. Hosted by Charlotte Marsh and Anton Toloui, it will feature exclusive news and player interviews in addition to a strong programme line up around the tournament.

Euro 2022: The groups…

Group A: England, Austria, Norway, Northern Ireland

Group B: Germany, Denmark, Spain, Finland

Group C: Netherlands, Sweden, Portugal, Switzerland

Group D: France, Italy, Belgium, Iceland

Euro 2022: The group-stage schedule…

Group stage

Wednesday July 6

Group A: England vs Austria – kick off 8pm, Old Trafford

Thursday July 7

Group A: Norway vs Northern Ireland – kick off 8pm, St Mary’s

Friday July 8

Group B: Spain vs Finland – kick off 5pm, Stadium MK

Group B: Germany vs Denmark – kick off 8pm, London Community Stadium

Saturday July 9

Group C: Portugal vs Switzerland – kick off 5pm, Leigh Sports Village

Group C: Netherlands vs Sweden – kick off 8pm, Bramall Lane

Sunday July 10

Group D: Belgium vs Iceland – kick off 5pm, Manchester City Academy Stadium

Group D: France vs Italy – kick off 8pm, New York Stadium

Monday July 11

Group A: Austria vs Northern Ireland – kick off 5pm, St Mary’s

Group A: England v Norway – kick off 8pm, Brighton and Hove Community Stadium

Tuesday July 12

Group B: Denmark vs Finland – kick off 5pm, Stadium MK

Group B: Germany vs Spain – kick off 8pm, London Community Stadium

Wednesday July 13

Group C: Sweden vs Switzerland – kick off 5pm, Bramall Lane

Group C: Netherlands v Portugal – kick off 8pm, Leigh Sports Village

Thursday July 14

Group D: Italy vs Iceland – kick off 5pm, Manchester City Academy Stadium

Group D: France vs Belgium – kick off 8pm, New York Stadium

Friday July 15

Group A: Northern Ireland v England – kick off 8pm, St Mary’s

Group A: Austria vs Norway – kick off 8pm, Brighton and Hove Community Stadium

Saturday July 16

Group B: Finland vs Germany – kick off 8pm, Stadium MK

Group B: Denmark vs Spain – kick off 8pm, London Community Stadium

Sunday July 17

Group C: Switzerland vs Netherlands – kick off 5pm, Bramall Lane

Group C: Sweden vs Portugal – kick off 5pm, Leigh Sports Village

Monday July 18

Group D: Iceland vs France – kick off 8pm, New York Stadium

Group D: Italy vs Belgium – kick off 8pm, Manchester City Academy Stadium

View the knock-out timetable here.