England beat Republic of Ireland to close in on Euro 2025 spot
Result leaves Lionesses second in group, three points above Sweden before sides meet on Tuesday
Alessia Russo finds bottom corner to open scoring inside five minutes
Georgia Stanway adds second from penalty spot
Julie-Ann Russell pulls goal back for visitors with last kick of game
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FT: England 2-1 Republic of Ireland
Thank you all for joining us on this Friday night. If you were in Norwich, get home and dry off.
We will be back on Tuesday as England look to secure their spot at Euro 2025. Hopefully you can join us then.
FT: England 2-1 Republic of Ireland
Emma Sanders
BBC Sport at Carrow Road
England wrapped up a routine victory against the Republic of Ireland to take one step closer to Euro 2025 qualification.
On a wet night at Carrow Road, the Lionesses went in front early when Alessia Russo rounded goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan and slotted into an empty net after a smart first-time pass from Beth Mead.
They doubled their advantage in the second half through Georgia Stanway's penalty after Liverpool captain Niamh Fahey dragged down Lauren Hemp in the box.
The Republic of Ireland got a goal back in the final seconds as Julie Russell poked the ball past goalkeeper Hannah Hampton from close range after a scramble in the box.
The Lionesses dominated early on and should have scored more but Jess Carter, Hemp and Mead were all denied by Brosnan.
They lacked ruthlessness despite creating chances but they got the job done and will secure their place at next year's tournament if they avoid defeat to Sweden in their final qualifier.
You can read more from the second-best Emma at BBC Sport by clicking the Report tab at the top of this page.
FT: England 2-1 Republic of Ireland
England
England midfielder Jess Park speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live: "As a team we played really well. I enjoyed the game and enjoyed getting the win and three points. Disappointed to concede at the end.
"There are always improvements to make at the end of every game. We need to look at the positives, assess the negatives and make sure we improve on them in the next game.
On not adding more goals: "Definite frustration but I am happy for the girls that did score the goals and most importantly we managed to get the win.
On if tonight was an opportunity to impress: "Every time you put on an England shirt it is an opportunity to do whatever you can. And I enjoyed the game. The group is tight, it is tough to qualify, but we go into every training session with total focus and do what we can to best prepare for the game."
FT: England 2-1 Republic of Ireland
Siobhan Chamberlain
Former England goalkeeper on BBC Radio 5 Live
The foul that Niamh Fahey gave away for the penalty came from the England high press. Yes Republic of Ireland were sloppy at the back, misplaced passes and very open, but England forced them to play like that because of the pressure they put them under. You make those mistakes happen. When England are on the front foot, working as a unit, backing each other up, that is when they look so dangerous.
Three more sides have booked their place in Switzerland next summer this evening.
As well as France from Group A3, Denmark have secured passage as runners-up behind Spain in Group A2. The Danes earned an impressive 3-0 win away to Belgium to qualify.
And in Group A4, Iceland will progress to Euro 2025 after stunning already-qualified Germany 3-0. Now that is a statement win.
FT: England 2-1 Republic of Ireland
England
England manager Sarina Wiegman speaking to ITV: "Happy with the result. I thought we started really well and scored an incredible goal. After that we created a lot of chances but should have played more in the pockets. We were sloppy in moments too. In the second half we could have put it to bed. I was very frustrated about their goal in the 90th minute."
On what happened after England went in front: "They tried to push a little higher but they didn't do a lot different. We kept playing short a lot and we should have skipped players a little more.
On addressing issues before Sweden game: "That's going to be a totally different game. Today the team was really aggressive in press but you cant do that for 90 minutes. The game on Tuesday we will show that too. Sweden have to win. We always know what we want to do better in the next game.
On if players staked their claim tonight: "In the training sessions they did well. We did some management of load and we had some yellow cards in the team so also wanted to manage that and take some risk out of that."
Image source, Getty ImagesFT: England 2-1 Republic of Ireland
Rianna Jarrett
Republic of Ireland striker on RTE
It's still very important for the Republic of Ireland going into that France game on Tuesday that we put ourselves in the best possible position going into those play-offs.
It's really important that we finish as one of the seeded teams which means we won't end up playing against one of the other League A teams in the play-off, which is absolutely vital if we want to qualify for the Euros next summer.
FT: England 2-1 Republic of Ireland
Karen Duggan
Former Republic of Ireland international on RTE
If you are being realistic to come away with a deficit of one goal is not a bad result for the Republic of Ireland in the grand scheme of things.
There is a gulf in class there. England are much further along in their development of the women's game, the investment that they have and the preparation they had going into this game. The fact we stuck in till the end and got some rewards for a really, really tough shift, we can take some positives from this
Wales put their European Championship qualification hopes back in their own hands with a 3-0 win over Croatia. It was a special night for Jess Fishlock, who scored the first goal to equal Helen Ward’s goalscoring record.
Elsewhere, Northern Ireland booked their place in the Euro 2025 play-offs with a 2-0 victory over Malta at the Centenary Stadium.
An early own goal from Emma Lipman put Tanya Oxtoby's side in front, before Kerry Beattie doubled their lead in the 80th minute.
Scotland moved top of their group with a 2-0 win over Slovakia thanks to two goals from Claire Emslie.
FT: England 2-1 Republic of Ireland
England
England's Jess Park speaking to ITV: "Job's done. We got the three points. We are disappointed to have conceded that goal but we had lots of opportunities to put the ball in the net and we're happy with the three points."
On starting for the Lionesses: "I loved every second. I always want to be on the field so it was a real good game."
On Tuesday's game against Sweden: "We're so focused. We've been working really hard and just want to get those three points."
FT: France 2-1 Sweden
Fullt ime in Dijon, where France have beaten Sweden through Marie-Antoinette Katoto's second half winner.
That means England move up to second in Group A3, and will qualify for Euro 2025 with a point in Sweden on Tuesday.
Lose, and the Lionesses will have to go through the play-offs.
That result also means France have secured their spot in the finals.
FT: England 2-1 Republic of Ireland
Gilly Flaherty
Former England defender on BBC Radio 5 Live
It is disappointing for England. They had so many chances but couldn't take enough of them. If you hadn't watched the game tonight and saw the final score of 2-1 you would be left thinking that it was a really close game. But England dominated for the most part and had so many good chances. They need to learn to be clinical and ruthless in these situations.
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Positive performance good to get the win. Think we need to provide more support to Walsh in the midfield as she seemed very isolated at times and didn’t get to get on the ball as much as England would have liked.
Marnie
FT: England 2-1 Republic of Ireland
In Dijon, France v Sweden has entered stoppage time.
France still lead 2-1, a scoreline which hugely benefits England - it would mean they only need a point in Gothenburg on Tuesday to qualify for Euro 2025.
FT: England 2-1 Republic of Ireland
Gilly Flaherty
Former England defender on BBC Radio 5 Live
The goal was a great moment for the Irish. Megan Campbell's big throw into the box and they win the first ball in there for the first time in the match. The finish from Julie-Ann Russell is fantastic, directs it through Hannah Hampton's legs.
The game wasn't the best from their point of view and now having scored late they may be thinking what might have been if they had not conceded the penalty. It could have ended 1-1! That cost them in the end.
Image source, Getty ImagesFT: England 2-1 Republic of Ireland
Julie-Ann Russell scores her fifth international goal on her 60th cap - four years after she earned her 59th.
A great moment for the 33-year-old, on her return to the Irish fold.
England 2-1 Republic of Ireland
Aine O'Gorman
Former Republic of Ireland defender on RTE
Absolutely brilliant!
The throw-in comes a little bit short and Louise Quinn does brilliant and a little flick by Caitlin Hayes and good from Julie-Ann Russell, she gets her right foot around it.
Absolutely delighted for Julie-Ann Russell on her return and a goal the Republic of Ireland needed.
England 2-1 Republic of Ireland
That volley is the final kick of the match.
Not particularly impressive from England, but a valuable three points to keep Euro 2025 qualification in their hands.
Julie-Ann Russell (90+4 mins)
WELL.
The long throw is flicked on, Tyler Toland twists on a header, and Julie-Ann Russell swivels and volleys past Hannah Hampton from six yards out.
A consolation for the Irish, but well earned.
Image source, ReutersEngland 2-0 Republic of Ireland
Into the final seconds, and Megan Campbell gets one last chance to trebuchet in a long throw...
Image source, Getty ImagesEuro 2025 qualification: England 2-1 Republic of Ireland
England wrapped up a routine victory against the Republic of Ireland to take one step closer to Euro 2025 qualification.
On a wet night at Carrow Road, the Lionesses went in front early when Alessia Russo rounded goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan and slotted into an empty net after a smart first-time pass from Beth Mead.
They doubled their advantage in the second half through Georgia Stanway's penalty after Liverpool captain Niamh Fahey dragged down Lauren Hemp in the box.
The Republic of Ireland got a goal back in the final seconds as Julie Russell poked the ball past goalkeeper Hannah Hampton from close range after a scramble in the box.
The Lionesses dominated early on and should have scored more but Jess Carter, Hemp and Mead were all denied by Brosnan.
They lacked ruthlessness despite creating chances but they got the job done and will secure their place at next year's tournament if they avoid defeat against Sweden in their final qualifier.
Sarina Wiegman's side, who are looking to defend their European crown, travel to Gothenburg on Tuesday (18:00 BST), while the Republic of Ireland are still seeking a first point in qualifying when they face France next.
The top two teams in each League A group qualify automatically for Euro 2025. The other two sides drop into the play-offs.
England are second in the group after France beat Sweden 2-1 in Friday's other match, while the Republic of Ireland are bottom.
England had beaten the Republic of Ireland 2-0 in Dublin in the reverse fixture
England knew two victories in their last two qualifying matches would secure a spot in Switzerland next year and this was one step towards achieving that.
After a rocky year, where performances have dipped and results have been up and down, this felt like a more routine win for England, even if there was ultimately only one goal in it.
They dominated large periods and got the early goal they needed - much like they did in Dublin when they wrapped up a 2-0 victory.
But there were still moments of sloppiness and it was by no means a perfect performance.
A few lapses of concentration led to them losing possession in dangerous areas in the first half, with goalkeeper Hampton needing to be on her toes to clear, while England's midfield were too passive on occasions.
They were made to pay for a defensive error deep in stoppage time as Megan Campbell's trademark long throw caused problems, and Tyler Toland's flick-on was pounced on by Russell, who swivelled and stabbed it past Hampton.
Going forward, England remained a threat - Manchester City midfielder Jess Park was given an opportunity to impress and she played well, though lacked a clinical edge in the penalty area.
Mead was busy in the first half and Hemp was eager to have an impact on her return to her home city of Norwich - where she spent the majority of her youth career - and she did by winning the penalty.
Overall, it was a performance that did the job for England, rather than one to entertain.
For the Republic of Ireland, it was always going to be a tough ask in a group containing three of the world’s top six ranked nations and they are already consigned to a place in the play-offs.
They showed resistance again in defence for large spells and had something to celebrate when their efforts paid off late on with a deserved goal.
It will be another tough test for them on Tuesday when they host France and they could end the qualifying campaign having not picked up a single point.
The positives were that Wiegman was able to make changes throughout to save energy for the deciding showdown against Sweden next week, as well as handing senior debuts to Tottenham forward Jess Naz and Chelsea's Aggie Beever-Jones.
Fans chanted "football's coming home" in the stands at full-time and sang "Sweet Caroline" with a nod to their success in 2022 and in anticipation of England's men preparing for their own European final against Spain on Sunday.
And afterwards, despite being frustrated by a lack of ruthlessness, Wiegman was pleased with the performances of debutants Naz and Beever-Jones.
"They have been with us in training sessions and have been impressive," said Wiegman.
"We brought Jess Naz on a little earlier. She can steal balls from players. In possession she has so much depth and is so quick with her running in behind.
"Aggie is so quick with her feet. They are learning and are really eager. They are trying to step up."
Wiegman also confirmed Fran Kirby missed out because of illness this week but has returned to training and is expected to be available to play against Sweden.
After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users.
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Netherlands | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 8 |
|
| 2 | Norway | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
|
| 3 | Italy | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
|
| 4 | Finland | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 | -4 | 5 |
|
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spain | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 5 | 11 | 12 |
|
| 2 | Denmark | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 9 |
|
| 3 | Belgium | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 16 | -11 | 4 |
|
| 4 | Czech Republic | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 10 | -4 | 4 |
|
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | France | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 12 |
|
| 2 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 10 |
| |
| 3 | Sweden | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 7 |
|
| 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 9 | -8 | 0 |
|
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 8 | 5 | 12 |
|
| 2 | Iceland | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 10 |
|
| 3 | Austria | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 7 |
|
| 4 | Poland | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 16 | -12 | 0 |
|
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Switzerland | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 12 |
|
| 2 | Hungary | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 7 |
|
| 3 | Turkey | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 7 | -3 | 6 |
|
| 4 | Azerbaijan | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 11 | -9 | 4 |
|
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 11 | 13 |
| |
| 2 | Serbia | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 13 |
|
| 3 | Slovakia | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 9 | -6 | 3 |
|
| 4 | Israel | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 16 | -13 | 0 |
|
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portugal | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 10 | 13 |
|
| 2 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 7 | -1 | 7 |
| |
| 3 | Bosnia-Herzegovina | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | -3 | 7 |
|
| 4 | Malta | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 7 | -6 | 1 |
|
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 3 | 13 | 11 |
| |
| 2 | Croatia | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 7 | -3 | 9 |
|
| 3 | Ukraine | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 8 |
|
| 4 | Kosovo | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 15 | -15 | 0 |
|
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belarus | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 15 |
|
| 2 | Georgia | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 7 | -2 | 7 |
|
| 3 | Lithuania | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 9 | -4 | 7 |
|
| 4 | Cyprus | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 9 | -8 | 0 |
|
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Slovenia | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 22 | 15 |
|
| 2 | North Macedonia | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 13 | -3 | 7 |
|
| 3 | Latvia | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 15 | -9 | 6 |
|
| 4 | Moldova | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 13 | -10 | 1 |
|
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Greece | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 2 | 12 | 13 |
|
| 2 | Montenegro | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 7 | 12 | 10 |
|
| 3 | Faroe Islands | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 9 | -2 | 6 |
|
| 4 | Andorra | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 24 | -22 | 0 |
|
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Romania | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 13 | 15 |
|
| 2 | Bulgaria | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 8 | -2 | 6 |
|
| 3 | Armenia | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 15 | -8 | 6 |
|
| 4 | Kazakhstan | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 8 | -3 | 3 |
|
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Albania | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 9 |
|
| 2 | Luxembourg | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | -1 | 4 |
|
| 3 | Estonia | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | -3 | 1 |
|
Manager: Sarina Wiegman
Formation: 4 - 3 - 3
Manager: Eileen Gleeson
Formation: 3 - 5 - 2
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