It’s unlikely that James will be able to have as free a role as that when England take on Spain. This is a game in which the Lionesses are going to have to be extremely disciplined, as they’re likely to have less of the ball than their opposition, despite being the home team.
That is how it played out when the pair last met at Wembley, with England defending brilliantly and being extremely efficient with the ball to win 1-0, posting an expected goals statistic of 1.69, just less than Spain’s 1.93.
James played a key role at both ends, causing problems in attack with four shots on target while putting in a great defensive shift, winning four ground duels.
“I think the biggest step she takes is that, in defence, she’s working so hard and she’s doing so well,” Wiegman said afterwards. “That’s a massive, massive improvement. I’m proud that she’s doing that.”
