The Lionesses dominated Portugal under the Wembley Arches, with Chelsea forward Aggie Beever-Jones taking home the match ball on her full England debut in a phenomenal 6-0 victory.
Despite there being no Ella Toone or recently crowned Champions League winner Alessia Russo not being involved in tonight’s Nations League encounter due to injury, the Lionesses had no problem putting Portugal in the rearview mirror in a six-goal thriller at the National Stadium.
The result now puts Serina Wiegman’s side 2nd in group 3, just 2 points behind Spain in 1st, who smashed Belgium 5-1 in the group’s other fixture that took place in Leuven.
The bragging rights for group 3 will be up for grabs in Barcelona on Tuesday. In the penultimate fixture is another rematch of England’s heartbreaking World Cup final back in 2023; however, England was victorious in the reverse fixture at Wembley, where they came out 1-0 winners back in February.
Just 3 minutes gone Aggie Beever-Jones picked up the dead ball that Andreia Norton gave away in the Portuguese midfield, before the Chelsea forward passed the ball into the bottom left-hand corner and past Inês Pereira to make it 1-0.
It was then another goal for the Lionesses just shy of the 5th-minute mark when Lucy Bronze was on hand to head home Pereira’s parried save to make it 2-0.
Chelsea’s Lucy Bronze then linked up with fellow Blues teammate Beever-Jones when the right-back swung the ball into the area, where it was headed home by England’s number 9 for the evening to make it 3-0 and a brace inside just 25 minutes.
And then newly crowned UEFA Champions League winner Beth Mead made it 4 when the Arsenal winger tucked away Jess Park’s through ball past Pereira, not even half an hour played.
Beever-Jones then made it a hat-trick, when the eager forward received captain Leah Williamson’s lopping ball from the Lionesses own half, before scoring a wonderful solo goal to make it a hat-trick on her first England start and 5-0 to Serina Wiegman’s side just 32 minutes on the clock.
Half time: England 5-0 Portugal
The goals did begin to dry up for the Lionesses early into the second 45, with Wiegman making 3 changes with at least half an hour remaining.
Washington Spirit defender Esme Morgan, Lucy Bronze, and winger Lauren Hemp were replaced by Maya Le Tissier, Alex Greenwood, and Champions League winner Chloe Kelly.
The Arsenal loanee who was amongst the trophy lift celebrations outside the Emirates on Monday, did not take long to score her 7th England goal, as the winger was in the right place at the right time to head home fellow Gunners teammate Beth Mead’s cross to make it 6-0.
Fellow substitute Alex Greenwood almost made it 7, but the set piece specialist defender’s free-kick smashed the crossbar before Kelly’s rebounded header went just inches over the bar.
Brighton’s Fran Kirby came on for Manchester City’s Jess Park with just over half an hour left to play, as England looked to extend their 6-0 lead.
Georgia Stanway was England’s 5th and final sub of the night, with the Bayern Munich midfielder making her first Lioness appearance since December when she replaced Kiera Walsh. Stanway has only just overcome a serious knee injury that required surgery, with many thinking that it would rule her out of Euro 2025, but the Munich number 31 is now back and ready for Switzerland in a month.
There was only an additional 3 minutes of added time, as the Lionesses began to cool down the tone, just days before another Nations League fixture against World Cup holders Spain on Tuesday in Barcelona.
Captain Leah Williamson had to be calmed down by experienced head Alex Greenwood when the Arsenal defender was unhappy with a late tackle put in on her by Catarina Amado, but that did not matter for long, as the referee’s full-time whistle quickly followed.
Full time: England 6-0 Portugal
England: 1. Hampton (GK), 2. Bronze (14. Le Tissier) 5. Williamson (C), 6. Morgan (15. Greenwood), 3. Carter, 8. Clinton, 4. Walsh (16. Stanway), 10. Park (20. Kirby), 7. Mead, 11. Hemp (17. Kelly), 9. Beever-Jones
Unused subs: 13. Keating (GK), 21. Moorhouse (GK), 12. Charles, 18. Kearns, 19. Parris, 22. Wubben-Moy, 23. Agyemang
Goals: Beever-Jones 3’, Bronze 5’, Beever-Jones 26’, Mead 29’, Beever-Jones 32’, Kelly 62’
Bookings: Clinton 58’
Manager: Sarina Wiegman
Portugal: 1. Pereira (GK), 9. Borges, 15. Costa, 13. Pinto, 8. Norton (Faria), 6. Jacinto (Correia), 14. Silva (C) (10. Silva), 11. Pinto, 2. Amado, 21. Capeta (3. Bea), 16. Silva (18. Mendes)
Unused subs: Cota-Yarde (GK), 4. Lino, 5. Lopes, 7. Ribeiro, 20. Dias
Bookings: Capeta 79’
Manager: Francisco Neta
Referee: Frida Klarlund
Venue: Wembley Stadium
Attendance: 82, 503
