England 6-1 Wales: Ella Toone Submits Warning to Sweden As England Book Quarter-Final Spot

Ella Toone issued a warning to England’s quarter-final opponents Sweden after an emphatic 6-1 win over Wales on Sunday, where the midfielder was on the score for another successive game.

Georgia Stanway, Toone, Lauren Hamp, Alessia Russo, Beth Mead and Aggie Beever-Jones were all on target for England, ending group D runners to France after their 5-2 win over the Netherlands.

“They should be scared,” Toone said, talking to ITV Sport As England secured qualification from the toughest quartet of the tournament.

“It’s going to be a difficult game,” she continued next to teammate Russo. “We saw Sweden the other night and they were really good – a very good counter -attack – team. We just have to be on our best game. We’ve been the last few games.”

Sweden, who won all three of their matches to top group C, came from behind with a four-goal Haul to beat Ten-Player Germany on Saturday and set up the last eight meeting in Zurich on Thursday.

The lioness has now reached the knockout rounds for a third euro tournament in a row and the fourth in the last five.

Toone added: “We were really good. It’s always hard to play against a team sitting in a low block and there’s not much room for us, but I think we tired them out and it was nice that we got early goals in the first half. We really enjoyed the game.”

Second place could also be an unexpected bonus as they pass the Swedes, England would avoid world champions Spain in the semi -finals.

“We scored six goals and a big part of the game we dominated, a very good game,” England’s boss Sarina Wiegman said. “To play well is the most important thing that scores is not so important.”

A lot was created about the rivalry between the two nations, where Wales would have nothing better than spoiling England’s party, but the reigning masters showed their enormous experience against a Wales side that made their great tournament debut.

England has won 10 of the 11 meetings between the two teams, where Wales’ best result was a 0-0 draw in 2018.

Wiegman added: “I am very happy. We knew prior to this tournament how hard this group would be, so when you lose the first game there is massive speed to win the other two.

“It gave a lot of experience with the team and it brought us together – I think it’s pretty good.”

Wilkinson: ‘Painful’ Loss shows spaces between us and ‘top team’

Wales Boss Rhian Wilkinson talks about ITV Sport:

“This wasn’t our game. We were outplayed and I was out of coached. We know we take a lot of it, but I feel the players. I didn’t want any other team.

“There is a gap between us and the best teams and we know that. My job is to continue pushing and closing this gap.

“I would like to thank all our support. It was a hard game to stay high and they did for us. At home we have work to do. This is not a team ready for tournament games in the form of three, four, five games back against back.

“It’s an area of improvement. This was a painful area.”

England’s fear factor returns

Analysis of Sky Sports’ Laura Hunter:

England’s fear factor seems to have returned just in time and scored ten goals across their last two matches. A draw is also opened – to avoid Germany and Spain until the final can only be a good thing.

This does not mean that England’s path is easy – Sweden has been almost perfect so far – but Lionesses’ recent record is favorable.

Those who remember 2022 with love will have special memories of the 4-0 semi-final victory over the Swedes on their way to being crowned for the Mestre elections of the strikes is a remarkable Alessia Russo backhel.

England is now three games away from preserving their title. The French result feels more and more like a deviation. Keep playing like that and making a third consecutive larger tournament final in a row should be the minimal expectation.