Lionesses given helping hand as VAR intervenes with huge Euro 2025 decision vs Wales

England took on Wales in their final European Championships group game needing a win to guarantee a quarter-final spot and they were given a golden opportunity early on

There was VAR drama early on in England's Euro 2025 group game against Wales, with the Lionesses awarded a penalty after a lengthy check. Referee Frida Klarlund initially awarded a free-kick after Georgia Stanway was fouled by Carrie Jones, but ultimately pointed to the spot after the foul was ruled to have taken place inside the box.

Stanway put away the penalty herself to give England the lead. It was just what Sarina Wiegman's team needed to settle early nerves in a game which they went into knowing only a win would guarantee their progress to the quarter-finals of Euro 2025.

Speaking on BBC Radio Cymru, former Wales skipper Kath Morgan wasn't convinced. "It's really close but my first instinct is that it's out of the box. It's definitely not a 'clear and obvious' error," Morgan said.

Former Wales men's international Danny Gabbidon was a little less forgiving, though. "Esther Morgan has got to clear her lines and then Carrie Jones with a desperate challenge," Gabbiidon said on BBC Radio 5 Live.

"It does look in the area. I'm not sure it is a foul. Carrie Jones doesn't really lunge in for the ball. Georgia Stanway in her stride flicks the knee of Jones."

There were nearly 13 minutes on the clock when Stanway scored from the spot, and there was a danger of the floodgates opening less than 10 years later. Ella Toone marked her return to the line-up against the Netherlands with a goal, and she made it two in as many games against Wales.

The goal was another moment to forget for Wales, with a rushed clearance cannoning off Stanway and into the path of Alessia Russo. Russo couldn't get a shot away but unselfishly fed Toone, who scored at the second attempt after her first effort was blocked.

Before the game, Wiegman stressed the need for her team to take control early. "I hope we will see a game where we have a lot of the ball, and we play very well in-possession, so we don’t let it come into a fighting game,” the manager said.

“Wales has a team that’s very compact, they can fight, they’re really together, but also when they have the ball they can play direct but they sometimes want to play too, and we are just trying to prevent that, and the best way to do that is to be good on the ball yourself and move the ball very quickly, and try to exploit spaces.”

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