Match Centre: Belgium 3-2 England
- T. Wullaert (4′) (29′)
- J. Vanhaevermaet (16′)
- D. Philtjens (73′)
- F. Delacauw (78′)
- J. Teulings (88′)
- J. Blom (92′)
- B. Mead (35′PEN)
- M. Agyemang (81′)
- L. Bronze (55′)
- E. Toone (82′)
- E. Morgan (92′)
The Lionesses suffer defeat in Leuven in the UEFA Women's Nations League
Highlights: Belgium 3-2 England
The Lionesses were defeated in Leuven
Belgium v England
UEFA Women's Nations League
7.30pm BST, Tuesday 8 April 2025
Den Dreef Stadium, Leuven
Lionesses head coach Sarina Wiegman and defender Niamh Charles faced the media on Monday afternoon ahead of England’s second meeting with Belgium.
Here is what they had to say in full.
Wiegman on recent changes to the squad:
LJ picked up a hamstring injury, so she’ll be assessed at club but not available for Tuesday and the same with Alessia, so she had to go back to her club too and she’ll be assessed there and hopefully she’s back soon.
On call-ups for Jess Naz and Michelle Agyemang:
Jess Naz came in and Michelle came in. Jess has been in our environment so that’s nice and she’s trained well. For Michelle, it’s the first time. She was at St. George’s Park because they qualified for the EUROs with the under-19s. That was really nice – she was very excited and she showed up straight away in the training session today.
On victory over Belgium on Friday night:
We played a good game. They missed some players but you have to play your game as good as possible and what you can control and we did that well. Executing the gameplan and keep doing that with the players that came on, I was really happy with that.
Tomorrow will be different – players will be back and I think they’re going to try and play physical and be really compact. When we are at our best, I think we’ll play a good game.
We're LIVE with Sarina Wiegman and @niamhcharles7 as they preview tomorrow’s game against Belgium. 💪 https://t.co/NdzpwdTHFS
— Lionesses (@Lionesses) April 7, 2025
Charles on the blend of experience and youth in the team:
We have a few of them that have been to many, many tournaments. I think you can see in the dressing room when we bring the younger ones In how they help them to feel comfortable and say, ‘you’re here because you’ve been chosen for what you do – now come and show it with the seniors’.
On Keira Walsh and Aggie Beever-Jones scoring their first England goals:
It was really special. I’d spoken a bit about Keira not having scored so when she scored, I knew that it was her first goal. She actually celebrated a little bit which for Keira, that’s quite a lot!
For Aggie, it was really, really special moment for her to be at Bristol as well. There are a few moments I remember in my career for other people and I was so happy for her, seeing her development and we spend a lot of time together.
Belgium in profile
Nickname: Belgian Red Flames
Coach: Elísabet Gunnarsdóttir
Captain: Tessa Wullaert
Match Stats
● Belgium are unbeaten in their last two home games against England, scoring three goals in both games: a 3-3 draw in August 2019 and a 3-2 win in October 2023 in the UEFA Nations League.
● England have won eleven of their last 14 meetings with Belgium across all competitions (D2 L1), scoring three or more goals in exactly half of those games (seven times).
● Against no team have England recorded more wins under Sarina Wiegman than Belgium (four – level with Austria), while against nations they have faced at least three times under her, only versus Northern Ireland (4.7) do the Lionesses average more goals per game (3.4).
● Belgium are one of two League A nations to have lost all three of their 2025 UEFA Nations League matches along with Scotland, while the Red Flames have also conceded the most goals (nine) and have the worst goal difference (minus seven) in the top league of the current edition of the competition.
● Following their wins over Spain in February (1-0) and Belgium last week (5-0), England will be aiming to win three consecutive competitive matches for the first time since the 2023 FIFA World Cup group stage (v Haiti, Denmark and China).
● Belgium have lost all three of their games so far in 2025, already just one fewer defeat than they suffered across their 12 total matches in 2024 (W6 D2 L4).
● England have won just one of their four away games in the UEFA Nations League (D1 L2), beating Scotland 6-0 at Hampden Park in December 2023.
● Excluding penalties, England have now scored at least three set-piece goals in five different matches under Wiegman, including the reverse fixture with Belgium on Friday. In their 100 matches prior to her arrival, the Lionesses did so just once (vs Wales in August 2014).
● Beth Mead created eight chances in England’s 5-0 win over Belgium on MD3 of the UEFA Nations League, the first player to do so for the Lionesses since Mead (14), Georgia Stanway (12) and Alex Greenwood (eight) all did so in their 20-0 win over Latvia in November 2021.
Previous away encounter: Belgium 3-2 England
A look back at our last encounter with Belgium in the UEFA Nations League at the King Power at Den Dreef
From the archive: England 6-1 Belgium
A look at our Arnold Clark Cup meeting with Belgium in February 2023 which saw the Lionesses crowned champions
England women squad news
Ticket Information for England women v Belgium
Tickets for this fixture are now on sale. Click here to find out how to purchase tickets.
How to watch or stream England women v Belgium
This game will be broadcast in the UK on ITV Sport.
Sarina Wiegman has named her team to take on Belgium in the UEFA Women's Nations League in Leuven.
There are a number of changes to the team which beat the Red Flames in Friday's game in Bristol, with Nikita Parris, Aggie Beever-Jones and Jess Park coming into the starting line-up following injuries to the likes of Alessia Russo and Lauren James.
There's also a spot on the bench for Michelle Agyemang, who joined the senior squad from the WU19s earlier this week.
Kick-off is at 7pm BST and you can watch the game live on ITV4 in the UK.
England: 1 Hannah Hampton, 2 Lucy Bronze, 3 Niamh Charles, 4 Keira Walsh, 5 Leah Williamson (c), 6 Millie Bright, 7 Beth Mead, 8 Grace Clinton, 9 Nikita Parris, 10 Jess Park, 11 Aggie Beever-Jones.
Substitutes: 12 Esme Morgan, 13 Mary Earps, 14 Maya Le Tissier, 15 Millie Turner, 16 Jess Carter, 17 Ella Toone, 18 Lucy Parker, 19 Jess Naz, 20 Fran Kirby, 21 Anna Moorhouse, 22 Maisie Symonds, 23 Michelle Agyemang
England succumbed to a 3-2 defeat to Belgium in the UEFA Women’s National League in Leuven.
Two goals and an assist for Tessa Wullaert put Belgium ahead in the first half before England responded through a Beth Mead penalty.
Michelle Agyemang brought the Lionesses within a goal of Belgium with a stunning strike 41 seconds after coming on for her debut.
However, England were unable to repeat their impressive performance against the same opponent on Friday night as Belgium held on for a win.
Sarina Wiegman made three changes as the enforced absences of Alessia Russo and Lauren James saw Nikita Parris and Aggie Beever-Jones start while Jess Park came in for Ella Toone.
However, it was a change for Belgium that had the biggest impact early on as Wullaert’s return from injury got off to a flying start.
She put her side ahead in just the fourth minute as she was fed by a ball over the top, with the forward driving into the box and firing into the net to give Belgium an early lead.
Wullaert was involved again just 12 minutes later as her free-kick found the imposing figure of Vanhaevermaet, who rose highest and headed well past Hannah Hampton.
After Friday night’s dominant win, Wiegman warned of Belgium’s ability on the counter-attack and this was plain to see for Wullaert’s second on 29 minutes.
The ball was worked down the left to Davina Philtjens, who threaded a ball across the face of goal to Wullaert, who then tapped in to put the hosts three goals ahead.
England’s longest period of pressure offered up the opportunity for a route back as Philtjens fouled Mead in the area to see the Lionesses awarded a penalty.
Mead was the player to take the spot-kick and slotted it perfectly into the side of the goal, meaning that even though Lisa Lichtfus guessed right, she could not stop England from getting a goal back with 35 minutes gone.
England began to grow in confidence as the star of Friday night’s victory, Lucy Bronze, whipped in a cross that Laura Deloose did well to head away from Parris.
Wiegman made two changes at half time as Esme Morgan and Jess Carter replaced Millie Bright and Niamh Charles in the backline.
The Lionesses were pushing for a second as Beever-Jones found Mead in the box, but frantic defence from the Red Flames kept Mead’s shot away from goal.
From there, Belgium again went on a counter-attack, but a brave Hampton slid out to gather up the ball and deny Wullaert a hat-trick chance.
Just before the hour mark, England had multiple chances as Leah Williamson forced Lichtfus to tip her long-range strike behind with Bronze heading the resulting corner wide.
England dominated possession but could not make a breakthrough in the second half until substitute Agyemang scored a stunning volley seconds after coming on for her senior England debut.
A final chance came from an England corner, but Lichtfus got her hands to it to see the hosts hold on for their first victory of this Nations League campaign as Lionesses suffered their first defeat.
England: 1 Hannah Hampton, 2 Lucy Bronze, 3 Niamh Charles, 4 Keira Walsh, 5 Leah Williamson, 6 Millie Bright, 7 Beth Mead, 8 Grace Clinton, 10 Jess Park, 9 Nikita Parris, 11 Aggie Beever-Jones
Substitutes: 12 Esme Morgan for Millie Bright 46, 16 Jess Carter for Charles 46, 17 Ella Toone for Clinton 60, 20 Fran Kirby for Parris 60, 23 Michelle Agyemang for Park 80
Substitutes not used: 13 Mary Earps, 21 Anna Moorhouse; 14 Maya Le Tissier, 15 Millie Turner, 18 Lucy Parker, 19 Jessica Naz, 22 Maisie Symonds
Goals: Beth Mead 35, Michelle Agyemang 81
Bookings: Lucy Bronze 55, Ella Toone 82, Esme Morgan 90+2
Head coach: Sarina Wiegman
Belgium: 21 Lisa Lichtfus, 2 Davina Philtjens, 4 Amber Tysiak, 7 Hannah Eurlings, 9 Tessa Wullaert, 10 Justine Vanhaevermaet, 11 Janice Cayman, 17 Jill Janssens, 19 Jarne Teulings, 20 Marie Detruyer, 22 Laura Deloose
Substitutes: 8 Feli Delacauw for Detruyer 70, 14 Jassina Blom for Eurlings 70, 13 Elena Dhont for Philtjens 77, 6 Tine De Caigny for Teulings 90+1
Substitutes not used: 1 Nicky Evrard, 12 Femke Bastiaen, 3 Ella Van Kerkhoven, 5 Sarah Wijnants, 15 Mariam Toloba, 16 Nia Elyn, 18 Jasmien Mathys, 23 Kassandra Missipo
Goals: Tessa Wullaert 4, 29, Justine Vanhaevermaet 16
Bookings: Davina Philtjens 73, Feli Delacauw 78, Jarne Teulings for 88
Head coach: Elísabet Gunnarsdóttir
){kind=icon}
){kind=icon}
){kind=icon}
){kind=icon}
){kind=icon}