England v Australia
Women's International
7pm BST, Tuesday 28 October 2025
Pride Park, Derby

Sarina Wiegman and Ella Toone spoke to the press ahead of the Lionesses’ Homecoming Series clash against Australia at Pride Park.

Here is what they had to say.

Wiegman on a new face in the squad:

Anouk Denton is added to the squad. We have a squad of 25 now. After the match, we had some niggles. Things are going well – everyone will be on the pitch – but we’re still also still recovering and preparing for tomorrow, so if things go well then we have to make a decision for the [under]-23s. I just didn’t want to take any risks. We’re still building some players too, with Lucy Bronze and Niamh Charles.

On the fitness of Hannah Hampton:

She’s good. She’s progressing really well and has ticked all the boxes so far. Today, there’s another training session which she has to come through but things look really good. We still have one day to go and today we have a session – a good session for her and if things go well, she will be available for tomorrow.

On her assessment of the Brazil defeat:

Brazil challenged us in ways we haven’t been challenged that much in games. That’s why I was so happy with this game. They just want to play one-v-one all over the pitch which was harder later on the pitch because then we had an overload because we played eleven v ten.

I think this game tomorrow will challenge us in different ways but in general, what we want to get to is when we’re in possession, be quicker in our decision making, do a bit better in execution technically, so your first touch, the pace of the ball, where do you pass it to and then execution and connections. That’s what we talked about and what we can transfer to the game tomorrow. Of course, we want to take out those transition moments.

On what she’s expecting from Australia:

With Joe Montemurro, they have a new coach this summer, so they played a couple of friendlies. I think what he has expressed and what we’ve seen is Australia are a very powerful team too – a top, top team. They play earlier a bit more direct, they start to play in the build-up a bit more too, so that’s what we expect tomorrow. Let’s see how we can challenge them.

On playing in Derby:

I think that’s really nice. I think the fans have shown so much support for us, here in England but also in Switzerland and before. We’re very grateful for that and it really helps us. That’s also one of the reasons that we go around the country and that we can get closer to people or people can have the opportunity to come to our games.

Now it’s sold out, that’s incredible – we never take that for granted. It’s really nice for the people that live around this area that they then can come to the games.

We're LIVE with Sarina Wiegman and Ella Toone as they preview tomorrow’s game against Australia at Pride Park. 💪 https://t.co/aJQzkuc9HF

— Lionesses (@Lionesses) October 27, 2025

Toone on the physicality of the games:

Physical games aren’t my cup of tea usually but I thought we did really well against Brazil. They definitely posed a threat that we haven’t been challenged against before and we know that we’re capable of putting up with that. We know that the Australians are going to be the same – they’re going to be physical all over the pitch.

For Australia, we broke a lot of their hearts out at the World Cup, so for them, it’ll feel like a revenge game and for us, we just want to go out there and put on a big performance. We know that it’s going to be difficult but like I say, we want to put on a big performance for the fans that are going to be watching us.

On wanting to rectify the Brazil result:

We’re England – we want to win every game. These two games are friendlies but to us, there are no friendlies in football. We want to win every game that we play in. It’s difficult when you lose a game but there’s a game right around the corner to put things right. For us, we’re going to go out there, put on a big performance, hopefully perform well and get the win.

On the new coaching staff:

I think it’s really important to create connections with the new members of staff. They’ve come in and they’ve made a really good first impression on the players. They’ve been been really positive and we’ve really enjoyed the training sessions that they’ve put on. They’re very good at the tactical information that they’re giving us. I think obviously it takes time but it’s something we’re willing to try out. I think so far, so good.

On the support from the fans:

It's amazing. For women’s football to sell out stadiums is still a ‘pinch me’ moment. We love the fans. They’ve been amazing for us in every tournament we’ve played in. They’ve got bigger and better and louder as the years have gone on. It’s something that we’re really proud of as players that we can go to different stadiums around the country and sell them out. We’re definitely looking forward to having the fans there tomorrow.

Australia in profile

Nickname: The Matildas
Coach: Joe Montemurro
Captain: Sam Kerr
Last encounter: Australia 1-3 England, 16 August 2023

Match Stats

● England have won four of their six previous meetings with Australia across all competitions (D1 L1), winning their most recent 3-1 at the 2023 FIFA World Cup in Sydney.

● This will be Australia’s fourth away game against England, failing to win the first two (0-1 in September 2003 and 1-1 in October 2018), but winning 2-0 in the most recent in an April 2023 friendly.

● England have lost four of their 14 matches in all competitions in 2025 (W7 D3), last suffering more defeats in a single calendar year in 2019 under Phil Neville (7).

● Australia won 2-1 against Wales on Saturday, their first win outside of Australia since beating Germany 2-1 in October 2024 – the Matildas last won back-to-back games away from home in February/April 2024 (away in Uzbekistan and then vs Mexico in America).

● After losing 2-1 to Brazil last time out, England will be aiming to avoid losing back-to-back matches for the first time under Sarina Wiegman – the Lionesses last lost two in a row in their final two matches prior to the Dutchwoman’s appointment, in April 2021 (vs France and Canada).

● England have scored in each of their last 15 games in all competitions, since a 0-0 draw with USA in November 2024 – the Lionesses could score in 16 consecutive matches for the first time ever.

● Georgia Stanway has scored four goals in 10 international appearances in 2025, her joint-most in a calendar year since scoring 10 in 2022 (also 4 in 2024) – the midfielder has scored all 11 of the penalties she has taken for England (excl. shootouts).

● Sam Kerr has been directly involved in each of Australia’s last three goals against England (2 goals, 1 assist) – the Chelsea striker is the Matilda’s all-time leading scorer (69).

● Kyra Cooney-Cross created the most chances of any player in Wales 1-2 Australia last time out; three of the four she created were for shots taken by Caitlin Foord, including the winning goal.

● Against Brazil last weekend, Khiara Keating was the first goalkeeper to play for England other than Hannah Hampton or Mary Earps since Ellie Roebuck in February 2023 – they are two of three Manchester City keepers to play for England since 2007, the joint-most of any club along with Chelsea and Notts County (also Karen Bardsley).

England women squad news

Ticket Information for England women v Australia

How to watch or stream England women v Australia

This game will be broadcast in the UK on ITV.

Sarina Wiegman has named her starting XI to face Australia at Pride Park.

There are senior debuts for Taylor Hinds and Lucia Kendall in Derby this evening.

England: 1 Hannah Hampton, 2 Lucy Bronze, 3 Taylor Hinds, 4 Keira Walsh (C), 5 Maya Le Tissier, 6 Esme Morgan, 7 Beth Mead, 8 Lucia Kendall, 9 Alessia Russo, 10 Ella Toone, 11 Aggie Beever-Jones

Substitutes: 12 Niamh Charles, 13 Khiara Keating, 14 Georgia Stanway, 15 Alex Greenwood, 16 Jess Carter, 17 Chloe Kelly, 18 Missy Bo Kearns, 19 Michelle Agyemang, 20 Laura Blindkilde Brown, 21 Anna Moorhouse, 22 Grace Fisk, 23 Jess Naz

Lucy Bronze marked her birthday in style as her goal helped England to a 3-0 victory against ten-player Australia at Pride Park.

The 34 year old bagged the Lionesses’ second with Aggie Beever-Jones and Georgia Stanway providing the extras as they returned to form in front of the 26,544 in attendance for the sold-out fixture in Derby.

The Lionesses played 70 minutes against ten players for a second game in a row after Alanna Kennedy was sent off for tripping Alessia Russo as she was clear on goal.

But this time, England capitalised immediately. Aggie Beever-Jones’ initial effort from the resulting free-kick on the edge of the box was blocked by the wall but she made no mistake to rifle the rebound home.

And Lucy Bronze put England in control just before half time as she guided a first-time shot beyond Mackenzie Arnold to celebrate her birthday in style.

Despite their numerical advantage, the Lionesses struggled to add to the scoreline after the break but added further glamour with the last kick of the game as Stanway converted from the spot, although the ending to the game was overshadowed by an injury to Michelle Agyemang.

Sarina Wiegman experiments

Having handed Khiara Keating a first Lionesses start against Brazil, Sarina Wiegman was emboldened to hand two more debuts out against Australia.

Taylor Hinds and Lucia Kendall started from the off and looked entirely comfortable in an England side that was never truly tested by the Matildas.

Kendall, in fact, can count herself unlucky to not have bagged a debut goal as her work rate around the box saw her take up space to shoot a number of times.

The timing of her runs was particularly notable, as twice she rose highest in the box to latch onto crosses with her headers seemingly impossibly blocked on both occasions.

It is promising signs for Wiegman's plans to build to the upcoming World Cup as she fills out her squad with needed experience in the absence of some of her more seasoned players.

Licence to roam

Sarina Wiegman did not stop her experiments at just personnel, as she used the game to bring even greater fluidity to her side.

The Lionesses set up with Taylor Hinds, Esme Morgan and Maya Le Tissier operating as a back three, with Lucy Bronze pushing into the midfield line.

This either saw Mead move up as a second striker alongside Alessia Russo or, when Beever-Jones took that initiative, Mead slotted into a more central role to form a midfield four, with Keira Walsh operating as a deeper pivot.

It nearly paid dividends after just 13 minutes when Mead threaded a brilliant through ball into the path of Beever-Jones in front of her but while the ball found the net, Beever-Jones was flagged for offside.

The experiment was rewarded just before half time, however, as a brilliantly weighted ball from Keira Walsh found the run of Toone at the byline.

While Bronze is not shy of a marauding run forward, the even more attacking role against Australia saw her primed to finish the move with her first touch from the centre of the box.

Beever-Jones makes good on her start

Beever-Jones’ bright start to the season domestically was rewarded by Wiegman with a start in Derby and she repaid that faith in full.

She looked the most likely to score from the off as England recycled the ball from Beth Mead’s high turnover after just five minutes to find Beever-Jones in acres of space at the back post where she was unlucky to glance the ball just wide.

The Chelsea forward would rue that left post once more just moments later, this time nodding a header just wide.

But having already put the ball in the back of the net from an offside position, she would break the deadlock, having been handed free-kick duty.

Her first low effort from the edge of the box proved a little too clever as she aimed to go under the Matildas’ wall but as Bronze fed the ball back into her feet, Beever-Jones made no mistake to fire home an instinctive effort at the second time of asking.

Her persistence continued until she was forced to exit with a niggle late in the second half.

England: 1 Hannah Hampton (Chelsea); 2 Lucy Bronze (Chelsea), 5 Maya Le Tissier (Manchester United), 6 Esme Morgan (Washington Spirit), 3 Taylor Hinds (Arsenal); 4 Keira Walsh (Chelsea), 8 Lucia Kendall (Aston Villa), 10 Ella Toone (Manchester United); 7 Beth Mead (Arsenal), 9 Alessia Russo (Arsenal), 11 Aggie Beever-Jones (Chelsea)

Subs: 12 Niamh Charles (Chelsea) for Bronze 46, 18 Missy Bo Kearns (Aston Villa) for Toone 62, 14 Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich) for Walsh 62, 19 Michelle Agyemang (Brighton & Hove Albion) for Russo 62, 15 Alex Greenwood (Manchester City) for Hinds 62, 17 Chloe Kelly (Arsenal) for Agyemang 80,

Subs not used: 13 Khiara Keating (Manchester City), 16 Jess Carter (Gotham FC), 20 Laura Blindkilde Brown (Manchester City), 21 Anna Moorhouse (Orlando Pride), 22 Grace Fisk (Liverpool), 23 Jess Naz (Tottenham Hotspur)

Goals: Beever-Jones 20, Bronze 40, Stanway 98

Australia: 1 Mackenzie Arnold; 21 Ellie Carpenter, 3 Winonah Heatley, 4 Clare Hunt, 7 Steph Catley; 14 Alanna Kennedy, 19 Katrina Gorry, 23 Kyra Cooney-Cross; 17 Amy Sayer, 20 Sam Kerr, 9 Caitlin Foord

Subs: 6 Clare Wheeler for Kerr 70, 16 Hayley Raso for Sayer 70, 22 Charlie Grant for Catley 70, 26 Remy Siemsen for Foord 93, 27 Jamilla Rankin for Cooney-Cross 93

Subs not used: 2 Courtney Nevin, 5 Cortnee Vine, 8 Kaitlyn Torpey, 25 Holly McNamara,32 Michelle Heyman

Red cards: Kennedy 19