Mead, who has said her scoring form for club and country has been fueled by the disappointment of being left out of Team GB’s squad for the Tokyo Games, is the Lionesses’ leading scorer under new coach Sarina Wiegman. which was recruited by 2017 tournament holders the Netherlands. In front of a roaring 68,871 fans, England were made to work hard against an organized and dangerous Austria side who reached the semi-finals of Euro 2017, but Meade was the difference, getting the ball narrowly over the line in style to give in England the first-half lead. Perhaps it was the pressure of the occasion or the emotion, but England started on the back foot and Austria, with No 10 Laura Feiersinger at the heart of their game, pinned the hosts in their own half for much of the first 10 minutes. Wiegman’s decision to bench Manchester City centre-back Alex Greenwood and play her captain Leah Williamson in her place alongside Millie Bright was immediately tested. He held, just as the lionesses stood. It was the dynamic attacking pairing of Georgia Stanway and Fran Kirby that would give England the impetus. In the 17th minute they aimed to settle nerves and relieve pressure on the backline and Kirby, hot to make the tournament after missing the end of the domestic season with a serious fatigue problem, showed. value for England’s campaign. She flicked the ball to Meade’s run, who chested it before lifting it over Arsenal team-mate Manuela Zinsberger and just over the line before Carina Wenninger hooked it. There was time for a first VAR review at a Women’s European Championship, but the goal-line technology review allowed it to stand. Austria were perhaps hoping to come out of the blocks and shock England with an early goal, but with plan A out the window, it was time for the more intimate and defensive plan B. A packed Old Trafford watch England beat Austria in the first match of Euro 2022. Photo: Alex Livesey/UEFA/Getty Images As they camped in their own half of Austria they were lucky not to be two or three down halfway. Another deft move from Chelsea’s Kirby found winger Lauren Hebb, whose cross was glanced narrowly wide by England’s record goalscorer Ellen White. In the final act of the half Kirby combined with Hebb again, slotting the ball to the Manchester City player who switched it to her left, allowing several defenders in the black shirts to recover. In England’s pre-tournament friendly against the Netherlands, the Lionesses struggled to find their feet and fell behind for the first time under Wiegman, before pulling a goal back before half-time. Keira Walsh said that at half-time the coach had told them: “You’re all great players, you just need to relax.” Wiegman’s words had settled the side and with fresh legs on the pitch they scored four in the second half to crush the Dutch. With similar words probably ringing in their ears, England looked much more settled in the second half under the Old Trafford floodlights. Just past the hour, Manchester United duo Alecia Russo and Ella Toon were paraded, with City winger Chloe Kelly replacing White, Kirby and Meade. England’s biggest weapon in this competition is perhaps the quality of players they have from the bench. With the stakes high and an opponent much more accustomed to not having the ball, England struggled to find their way. A blistering run from Kelly, who cut in down the right before firing wide while under pressure, produced perhaps one of the best chances of the half. The longer the home side went without extending their lead, the more confident the Austrians became and, with 12 minutes to play, Barbara Dunst headed past Lucy Bronze before forcing a fine save from Mary Earps, who, at full stretch , pushed the effort. In the end, Mead’s hitting was enough. Next up, however, is a Norway side led by record Champions League goalscorer Ada Hegerberg, who will provide the sternest test of England’s defense in their bid to progress to the knockout stages.
