England cruised to a comfortable 3-0 victory against Australia at a sold-out Pride Park on Tuesday, as Lucy Bronze celebrated her birthday with a goal. The Lionesses, eager to bounce back from their recent defeat to Brazil, delivered a dominant performance against the Matildas, who were seeking revenge for their World Cup semi-final loss to England two years ago.
Sarina Wiegman's side, who had been criticized for slow starts in recent matches, came out firing on all cylinders. Aggie Beever-Jones opened the scoring in the first half, followed by a goal from Lucy Bronze on her 34th birthday, giving England a comfortable lead. Georgia Stanway sealed the victory with a late penalty.
The match took a turn early on when Australia's Alanna Kennedy was shown a straight red card in the 19th minute for pulling down Alessia Russo, who was through on goal. This left the Matildas with ten players for the majority of the game, making their task of overcoming England all the more difficult. England capitalized on their numerical advantage, controlling possession and creating numerous scoring opportunities.
Beever-Jones had a lively presence throughout the game and deservedly found the net. Her initial free-kick after the red card was blocked by the Australian wall, but she reacted quickly to fire home the rebound. Bronze's goal further solidified England's dominance, as she finished off a well-worked move with a precise shot into the corner of the net. Stanway's late penalty added further gloss to the scoreline, ensuring a comfortable victory for the Lionesses.
Despite the comprehensive win, the evening was marred by an injury to England striker Michelle Agyemang, who was stretchered off the field after appearing to hurt her knee. The severity of the injury is yet to be confirmed.
Hannah Hampton returned in goal for England, after missing the Brazil game due to injury. Taylor Hinds and Lucia Kendall were handed their debuts, adding fresh energy to the team. The victory marked England's first clean sheet in six games, highlighting their improved defensive performance.
This was the eighth meeting between England and Australia. The Lionesses have a superior record, winning four times, while the Matildas have won twice, with one draw. Their most recent encounter was in the 2023 Women's World Cup semi-final, where England prevailed.
England's starting XI consisted of Hampton, Bronze, Hinds, Walsh, Le Tissier, Morgan, Mead, Kendall, Russo, Toone, and Beever-Jones. The substitutes included Keating, Moorhouse, Charles, Stanway, Greenwood, Carter, Kelly, Kearns and Agyemang.
The Lionesses will be looking to build on this victory as they continue their preparations for future tournaments.
