Dutch star Vivianne Miedema sends warning to girlfriend Beth Mead as long-term partners prepare to face each other in England's crunch Euros clash with the Netherlands

The Sarina Wiegman derby takes centre stage this evening and the stakes are sky high.

The Dutch coach is in unfamiliar territory after defeat to France on Saturday cost her the first group-stage defeat in her major tournament career and the Lionesses’ first in 10 years, with England now on the precipice of a shock exit after back-to-back finals under Wiegman – Euro 2022 and the 2023 World Cup.

The permutations are complicated but ultimately anything less than a win takes it out of England’s hands. 

A defeat would be disastrous, and this could statistically end up becoming the worst title defence in women’s Euros history.

It’s difficult to overstate the fallout if England fail to beat the Netherlands. The Lionesses have been front and centre of this tournament. 

Turn on any television in Switzerland and England’s stars are advertising mobile phones or soft drinks while Alessia Russo peers down from Zurich billboards alongside Spain’s mega-star Aitana Bonmati.

And Wiegman was on expert damage control yesterday. Transitioning seamlessly between her native Dutch and English, the 55-year-old coach from The Hague reminded the world that France are a world-class team and England are in the toughest of groups.

‘It's a football game, and the outcome, of course, has consequences, but that was the same at the Euros final and the World Cup final,’ she said. 

‘So then we bring it back to what do we have to do? And the focus is on what actions do we have to take to play our best, and that’s the conversations that we have with the players. That’s what we train.’

Wiegman, who won this tournament as head coach of tonight’s opponents in 2017, has plenty of insider knowledge of the threat that the Dutch can bring, with many of the current squad integral to that triumph eight years ago. 

None more so than Vivianne Miedema, the all-time WSL record goal scorer and girlfriend of Lioness star Beth Mead.

Mead has clarified that the two have not been trading insider knowledge ahead of their match - ‘We keep in contact but when it gets closer to our games, we don’t talk about football whatsoever,’ the Arsenal winger has previously said – but is well aware of the threat her long-term partner poses to her dreams of retaining the Euros title.

Miedema has struggled for consistency since moving to Manchester City this season but was back to her best against Wales in the opening group stage game with a stunning effort from 18 yards out – her 100th goal in her 126 appearances for her national team. Not one of them has come from the penalty spot.

The Dutch forward came out firing, insisting that the pair will ‘not be friends tomorrow,’ adding: ‘I will do everything I can to win tomorrow. If I have to do something that is not good for Beth, then I will do it.’

The 28-year-old is not only the only player on this Dutch side who can cause the Lionesses problems, with there being other hugely influential WSL stars within their ranks. 

Amongst them are Arsenal’s Champions League winning goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar, who was rushed back from injury for the final such is her importance to that team, as well as Gunners midfielder Victoria Pelova and City’s departing No 10 Jill Roord.

But Wiegman and England striker Alessia Russo towed the party line that their preparations for the upcoming game have been focused purely on themselves – and not on their familiar opponents.

‘We’re aware that they have lots of talented players but we've more been looking at ourselves and how we can best prepare,’ Arsenal’s Golden Boot winner said.

England have been able to bounce back from situations like this before, such has been their inconsistent form coming into this tournament. 

Disappointing performances against sub-par sides have been met by dazzling displays against the likes of Spain and United States.

‘It’s a big part of what we are as a team,’ Russo added. ‘We have players that can create something out of nothing. 

'I think making sure that everyone's in a good headspace going into that game tomorrow is important, and that's what we've been doing as a team. Ultimately, we have a game plan, but we've got individuals who can create a bit of magic as well.’

Here there is no margin for error, and tonight we can really see what this ‘new England’ is all about.