England v Germany: What's changed for the Lionesses since Euros championship title?

All Lionesses fans know where they were on July 31 2022, when Chloe Kelly bundled the ball over the German goalline to bring home the country’s first senior trophy since 1966, and the women’s first ever. It was one of the proudest and most memorable moments in the country’s recent sporting history - and tonight, that contest will be replayed at Wembley Stadium.

It’s the first of England’s games since sealing their qualification for next year’s edition of the tournament in Switzerland, and it’s a chance to see just how close they are to retaining their title.

Since the win in 2022, the Lionesses’ fortunes have been up and down. 2023 saw them come agonisingly close to World Cup glory, losing 1-0 to Spain in the final - still their best finish at the tournament. In the year since, though, a disappointing Nations League campaign meant Team GB failed to qualify for this summer’s Olympic Games, and qualifying for next year’s tournament was no walkover.

An uncomfortable goalless draw against Sweden sealed their place in Switzerland, finishing second in their qualifying group behind France. Though the most important objective - booking their ticket to the finals - was achieved, qualifying left plenty of questions about whether England will be able to overcome the likes of Spain, France, and Germany to retain their crown next year.

A lot has changed since the Lionesses’ day in the sun at Wembley. Of the squad that afternoon, Rachel Daly, Ellen White, and Jill Scott have all retired from international duty (the latter two from football completely); several other players are still active but have fallen out of national team favour, including Nikita Parris and Beth England. Mary Earps, despite winning the Golden Glove at the World Cup and being crowned Best Women’s Goalkeeper for two years, has also seen her position in the squad change with Chelsea’s Hannah Hampton stepping into the starting lineup.

Other youngsters vying for a place in the lineup include Grace Clinton, whose brilliant form so far this season for Manchester United surely gives her a strong case to start. Jess Park has also been highly influential in the league for Manchester City. The midfield may well have a much younger feel than the one that won the 2022 tournament - and in the forward line, even Chloe Kelly, face of England’s greatest triumph, could have to fight for her place.

The 26-year-old has been included in Sarina Wiegman’s squad for this international window despite a reduced role at City, and the likes of Tottenham’s Jess Naz and Chelsea’s Aggie Beever-Jones are knocking on the door for a starting spot on the wings.

There are also familiar faces who have gone from fringe or substitute players to either regular starters, or just on the cusp of it. Alex Greenwood, who appeared only from the bench that day at Wembley, has made a case to potentially displace Millie Bright from the lineup, while Lotte Wubben-Moy has also been building credit with Sarina Wiegman and was selected to start their last match at Wembley (against Sweden in April). Finally, Alessia Russo has gone from being a

super-sub in the 2022 tournament to stepping into Ellen White’s place as first-choice centre forward.

The England squad looks much younger than the one that beat Germany two years ago - many have less major tournament experience, and their less-than-perfect qualification run shows there are areas to improve if they are to arrive in Switzerland as favourites. Opponents seem to have developed a strategy of marking key playmaker Keira Walsh out of the game and it’s not clear exactly what England’s strategy is to counter that.

Goals have also not been as free-flowing as they used to be, or as fans have hoped. In the 2022 Euros, England scored 22 goals in six games - at the 2023 World Cup, they netted 13 (not including penalty shootouts). Similarly, their biggest win in qualifying for next summer’s tournament was a 2-0 victory over the Republic of Ireland.

The two games against France - which ended in one 2-1 victory for England, and one by the same score for France - prove that the Lionesses are still very much among the top teams in Europe, but the question is whether they can get in the habit of producing victories over their fellow tournament favourites by next summer.

Tonight, then, is much more than just a friendly. England set a marker down as one of the best teams in the world two years ago against Germany - they proved their ability to win against the most difficult opponents, and under tough circumstances with the match going to extra time. Now, they need to prove that they can rise to the standard they set in that match.

Time has not stood still since their win, with several key players moving on and the rest of the competition continuing to evolve.

It is a key chance for the younger Lionesses to step up to the plate and give the likes of Spain, Germany, and France something to worry about before they meet again in Switzerland next summer.