Rachel Daly’s volley lights up England win over Belgium in Euro 2022 warmup

A volley from Rachel Daly and two own goals ensured England eventually eased past Belgium in the first of their three pre-Euros friendlies.

Their manager, Sarina Wiegman, has demanded ruthlessness from the Lionesses since taking charge last summer but at Molineux she was forced to rely on her substitutes to inject some cutting edge after a frustrating first half.

Chloe Kelly’s deflected strike and Daly’s impressive goal were the difference in the second half, before Leah Williamson’s shot ricocheted down off the crossbar and in off the back of the goalkeeper, Nicky Evrard.

“I think when you win 3-0 it’s enough,” said Wiegman. “I think when you go into a Euros you need a little bit more ruthlessness.”

Where does the ruthlessness come from? “You want to make it better so you train, talk about it, watch video clips,” she said. “The final third is the most difficult part. It’s a mental thing, it’s an execution thing.”

There were few surprises in Wiegman’s starting XI. The Arsenal centre-back Lotte Wubben-Moy lined up alongside Millie Bright in defence, with Alex Greenwood still being eased back in after having Covid and Jess Carter working her way to full fitness after a heavy season. Georgia Stanway, who recently joined Bayern Munich from Manchester City, was given the nod ahead of Fran Kirby and Ella Toone at No 10.

With that position providing the only real question mark ahead of England’s opening game of the Euros at Old Trafford on 6 July, it was interesting to see the Arsenal defender Williamson striding forward to swap places with Stanway or play alongside her, with the manager exploring her options beyond the expected trio of Stanway, Kirby and Toone.

“Yeah, that’s nice,” said Wiegman of the interactions between the