Reigning European champions England returned to action against France, with this League A Group 3 tie played in Saint Etienne.

Ahead of kick-off, our new women’s head coach Sonia Bompastor was celebrated alongside her former France team-mates, who helped their national team reach a first women’s World Cup in 2003.

Our defenders Millie Bright and Jess Carter started the clash for England as did Blues goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, who was the only change to Sarina Wiegman’s line-up from Friday night’s defeat to the same opponents at St James’ Park, with Mary Earps ruled out due to a hip injury.

The visitors took the lead through a Georgia Stanway strike from outside the box after 21 minutes, before Alessia Russo made it 2-0 to the Lionesses 12 minutes later.

Kadidiatou Diani halved the deficit in the 71st minute from the penalty spot, with the French forward sending Blues goalkeeper Hampton the wrong way. Immediately after France pulled a goal back, Chelsea defender Eve Perisset entered the fray.

In the dying stages, Hampton, who had impressed when called upon, made a superb fingertip save at her near post to deny Marie-Antoinette Katoto the equaliser from close range.

With only injury time left to be played, Chelsea legend Fran Kirby, who will leave the club at the end of the month, came on and replaced Ella Toone, whilst Aggie Beever-Jones was an unused substitute in England's 2-1 win.

The Lionesses are still in third position but are level on seven points with second-place Sweden, with leaders France on nine. The top two in each group automatically qualify to the finals, with the remaining seven places decided by a play-off system.

Elsewhere in Group A3, Zecira Musovic and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd were named in Sweden’s starting XI for their clash with the Republic of Ireland in Stockholm. Chelsea defender Nathalie Bjorn missed out.

It looked like Ireland were going to hold Sweden to a 0-0 draw and claim their first point of the qualifying campaign, but former Blues captain Magdalena Eriksson scored in the 84th minute to claim a late win.

Nusken’s Germany qualify for Euros

Guro Reiten captained Norway to a 1-1 draw with Italy in Group A1, with our midfielder’s side having to come from 1-0 down to claim the point.

Manuela Giugliano opened the scoring after only six minutes in Ferrara, before Frida Maanum levelled the game in the 84th minute. Reiten was withdrawn in injury time, while Blues legend Maren Mjelde, who will also leave the club at the end of the month, was an unused substitute.

Elsewhere in Group A1, midfielder Wieke Kaptein, who spent the recent season on loan at FC Twente, came on as a substitute in the 12th minute in the Netherlands' 1-1 draw with Finland.

The Netherlands sit top of the group with seven points from four games, with Norway sitting with two points fewer in second place.

Sjoeke Nusken was an unused substitute as Germany came from 1-0 down to beat Poland 3-1 to maintain their 100 per cent winning record in Group A4. The win was enough for the Germans to qualify for next year’s tournament with two games to spare.

Wales maintained their unbeaten start in League B Group 4, with Sophie Ingle starting and playing the entirety of her side’s 2-2 draw with Ukraine, which was held in Poland.

After finding themselves 1-0 down after 34 minutes, Wales pulled level through a Kayleigh Barton penalty in the 74th minute, before Jess Fishlock put them ahead only three minutes later. But in the cruelest of fashions, Ingle's side had to settle for a point after Nicole Kozlova scored an equaliser in the eighth minute of injury time.

Despite being unbeaten, the draw with Ukraine means Wales drop down to second in the table, with eight points from four games.

Jelena Cankovic played the full 90 minutes as Serbia beat Slovakia 4-0 in League B Group 2. Elsewhere in the same group, Erin Cuthbert was an unused substitute in Scotland’s 5-0 win over Israel, which took place at a neutral venue in Budapest, Hungary. The Scots sit top of their table, level on 10 points but with a two-goal advantage over Serbia in second.