Russo: 'We’ve got to get back out on the pitch'

England’s Alessia Russo said the Lionesses are looking inward as they use tonight’s 2-1 defeat against France in their opening fixture of UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 to prepare for their next test in Group D.

Russo, who saw her first-half effort chalked off for offside, insisted she and her team-mates are focused on looking ahead to their game against the Netherlands, while expressing her disappointment at this evening’s performance.

“That’s football,” said Russo. “It ebbs and flows but we as a team want to take control of those moments a little bit more.

“We’re disappointed in spells and as a team, we’ll reflect on that. We can be disappointed for now and we can reflect on it tomorrow but ultimately, we’ve got another massive game in a few days, so we can’t dwell on it for too long.

“We’ve got to get back out on the pitch and go again.”

After coming up against a tough opposition in France, England will face another difficult side in Sarina Wiegman’s former team, the Oranje Leeuwinnen.

And Russo explained that the Lionesses will return to the training pitch at the earliest opportunity ahead of Wednesday’s clash.

“We knew how good they were and we knew how good they can be,” explained Russo. “They were very clinical tonight with their two chances.

“We’re more looking at ourselves now and what we can do in the next two days to put things right and be even better for the next game.”

Thanks for your fantastic support in Zürich and back home ❤️

Now it's time to recover and reset - we'll see you all on Wednesday, #Lionesses fans 👊 pic.twitter.com/DTp01jXvjM

— Lionesses (@Lionesses) July 5, 2025

The Arsenal forward also emphasised the importance of the togetherness and unity within the camp in looking forward to their next match-up.

“We’ve got to reflect on us first and foremost and us as a team and manage those spells a little bit better today because there were times that they were definitely on top and they’re a top side, so it’s understandable,” added Russo.

“But we know how good we can be and we can be better, so we’ll keep pushing for that over the next few days and stick together as a team.”