Wales began their Euro 2025 qualifying campaign with a comfortable 4-0 win over Croatia at Wrexham’s STōK Cae Ras stadium on Friday night.

Two goals from Wales’ most capped footballer Jess Fishlock, along with further efforts from Rachel Rowe and Angharad James made it the perfect start to Wales’ European campaign.

The win marked new head coach Rhian Wilkinson’s first game in charge having taken the role in February, replacing Gemma Grainger who had taken a position as Norway’s head coach.

Wales went into the game ranked 27 places above their opponents going into the game and the home side began the game on the front foot.

They had the dream start within four minutes with Rowe driving forwards before feeding Fishlock who opened up her body and calmly placed her right-footed finish for her 41^st goal in Wales colours.

Fishlock has hinted recently that this campaign may well be her last at the age of 37 and won player of the match during a dominant team performance.

Wales played a high press in defence which was very successful with Croatia unable to break out from their own defensive third, but the home side were unable to find a second goal for the next half and hour as the final pass, or ball into the box, let them down.

Rowe was Wales’ most dangerous player early on, coming in off her left wing to play in behind Elise Hughes and her mazy runs continued to cause Croatia issues.

Hughes came close with a back post header before half time but the score remained Wales 1-0 Croatia going into half time.

Wales begam the second half in the same way they had started the first and they were rewarded, once again through Fishlock.

Four minutes into the second half, her brilliant run was found with a ball over the top from Gemma Evans. Fishlock flicked the ball over Doris Bačić in goal and did brilliantly to follow in her strike as it came back off the crossbar to calmly nod the ball in.

No sooner was it two than it would be three. Croatia trying to pass the ball out from the back with Angharad James stepping in to win the ball and Fishlock unselfishly setting up Rowe who worked the ball onto her left foot before firing in for a deserved goal.

When Wales’ fans finally finished celebrating Rowe’s goal they had a fourth and a third in just seven second half minutes to applaud.

Evans proved provider with another ball into the box from the left centre back position. Her searching ball appeared to be overhit, only for James to produce a sliding finish from an improbable and tight angle.

Wales made changes after the hour with Mary McAteer and Ceri Holland replacing Hughes and Rowe as head coach Wilkinson got the opportunity to see some of her other stars in action.

Fishlock was also withdrawn with a quarter of an hour left to play and Wilkinson will need to wrap up her star player in cotton wool ahead of Kosovo and ahead of the remaining Euros qualifiers.

It said something of Wales’ comfort on the night that it took until the 77^th minute for Croatia to have a shot on goal, with Tea Vračević’s shot from outside the box blazed high over the bar.

Vračević also had Croatia’s only shot on target five minutes later but her drive from 30 yards strait at Wales goalkeeper Olivia Clark and easily gathered.

Holland did come close to what would have been the goal of the game, but her bending and looping strike from outside of the box came back off the bar, whilst Lois Joel and 20-year-old McAteer both came close to scoring.

Next up for Wales is a trip to Kosovo on Tuesday night after the Kosovans lost 2-0 in Ukraine. After that they will have a double header against Ukraine starting with a home game on the 31^st of May at Parc y Scarlets.

 

Wales: Clark; Roberts, Ladd, Evans; Powell (Morgan HT), James, Ingle (Griffiths 86mins), Woodham; Rowe (McAteer 65mins), Fishlock (Joel 76mins); Hughes (Holland 65mins).

Substitutes not used: O’Sullivan, Green, Barton, Estcourt, Jones, Davies, Kelly.

Croatia Bacic; Pezelj, Balo, Nevrkla (Gegollaj 85mins), Kunstek (Canjevac 85mins); Krajnovic (Vidovic 66mins), Vracevic, Krznaric; Lojna (Markovic 57mins), Glibo (Slipcevic 66mins), Jelenic.

Substitutes not used: Filipovic, Kirilenko, Jedvaj, Terzic, Fiket.