The key talking points ahead of England’s Women’s Nations League double-header
Sarina Wiegman’s England must beat the Netherlands on Friday to retain a chance of securing Olympic qualification for Great Britain (Rene Nijhuis/PA)
England complete their group games in the inaugural Women’s Nations League over the next few days, playing the Netherlands at Wembley on Friday and then Scotland at Hampden Park on Tuesday.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the talking points ahead of the double-header.
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This competition provides England with the chance to secure Paris 2024 Olympic qualification for Great Britain, should they first finish top of Group A1 – something they are in considerable danger of failing to do. Lying third with six points from four games, three points behind the Dutch and one behind Belgium, they have to win on Friday to stay in contention. They lost 2-1 in the Netherlands in September, and were also beaten in their most recent outing, 3-2 away against Belgium.
If England are defeated again by Wiegman’s old side, and Belgium beat Scotland at home the same night, as well as the Olympic bid being over, the Lionesses will be confirmed as entering the Nations League relegation play-offs. After the highs of the last two years under her management, that scenario would represent some come down for the European champions and World Cup runners-up.
England beat Scotland 2-1 at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light in September (Owen Humphreys/PA)
While it remains to be seen what the state of play is come Tuesday, a talking point from the word go as England headed into this competition as the one
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