Luxembourg 0-10 England: Lionesses thump minnows in World Cup qualifier to continue perfect start

The FA via Getty Images
Malik Ouzia @MalikOuzia_21 September 2021

England continued their emphatic start to life under new boss Sarina Wiegman with a 10-0 hammering of Luxembourg in their World Cup qualifier.

Ellen White, Alex Greenwood and Millie Bright all score twice in the thumping victory, which came off the back of an 8-0 thrashing of North Macedonia in Wiegman’s first game in charge on Friday.

White netted twice as she moved to within three of the team’s all-time goals record and Nikita Parris and Greenwood also got on the scoresheet.

Centre-back Greenwood then made it 5-0 early in the second half and an own goal and a Bright header further extended the advantage.

England stormed to double figures late on after defender Bright, Rachel Daly and substitute Beth England all scored in stoppage time.

Demi Stokes, Greenwood, White and Parris had already had efforts saved when White put England - wearing black armbands as a tribute to the late Jimmy Greaves - ahead in the 12th minute, stretching to touch in Lauren Hemp’s cross from the left.

Five minutes later, White was on the scoresheet again to make it 2-0, shooting low into the corner after being teed up Fran Kirby to take her to 43 England goals, three shy of Kelly Smith’s record.

Kirby, having seen a shot kept out by goalkeeper Lucie Schlime, then delivered a corner in the 27th minute that Luxembourg failed to clear and Parris headed in for number three.

Ella Toone was denied by Schlime and Kirby lofted an attempt over as the one-way traffic continued, before the fourth arrived with eight minutes of normal to go to the interval - another Kirby corner being headed by the hosts only as far Greenwood, who volleyed in.

It took only two minutes of the second half for the visitors to score again, Greenwood notching her second with a deflected strike.

Wiegman replaced White, Greenwood and Hemp with England, Lotte Wubben-Moy and Beth Mead, and Mead swiftly made her mark as a firm strike was diverted into her own net by Luxembourg by defender Jessica Berscheid in the 62nd minute.

Bright subsequently shot over the bar, then registered her first England goal with a 79th-minute header following Mead’s free-kick.

In the late flurry that saw Wiegman’s side surpass their tally from Friday, Bright nodded in another, Daly - whose father died a few days before the North Macedonia match - made it 9-0 and England’s tap-in completed the rout.

Additional reporting by PA.

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