Renate Jansen’s late winner saw the Netherlands beat England 2-1 in the Nations League, with the Lionesses losing only their third game under Sarina Wiegman.
Andries Jonker’s side were looking to atone for a shock defeat to Belgium in their opener on Friday, and did just that with a brilliant first half performance. Lieke Martens’ fine, curling finish (34) saw the hosts deservedly ahead at the break.
England struggled for much of the opening 45 minutes, outplayed and outfought in almost every area. However, a tactical tweak at half-time from Wiegman – playing her home country on Dutch soil for the first time – saw the Lionesses improve.
They made it count too as Russo – who had been rested for the win against Scotland – scooped home the equaliser (64), netting her 15th goal in 30 international caps.
But the Lionesses were sloppy throughout and a poor pass from Alex Greenwood was gobbled up by Jansen (90), who sent a rocket past a leaping Mary Earps to secure the Netherlands’ first win of the Nations League campaign.
More to follow…
What’s next?
Most of the England contingent will now return to their respective WSL clubs – Lucy Bronze and Georgia Stanway aside – to kick off the domestic campaign on October 1.
The Lionesses are next in action in late October in a Belgium double-header, which begins at the King Power Stadium on October 27, and ends with a trip to the Den Dreef Stadion in Leuven on October 31.
