• Lionesses top Group D with two wins from two matches • Victory over Spain was based on meticulous preparation

Mark Sampson’s England are arguably football’s equivalent of the ‘Straight A’ students whose assiduous revision camouflages the reality that they are not necessarily the most naturally brilliant pupils.

The Lionesses have done so much homework, so meticulously, that they feel confident of answering any tactical or stylistic question thrown at them during Euro 2017.

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Top of Group D after two games, with two wins, eight goals scored and none conceded, Sampson’s side showed off their passing skills while beating Scotland 6-0 last Wednesday. Then, three days later, they ceded almost 80% of possession to a technically gifted Spain side before prevailing 2-0.

Watching from the bench in Breda on Sunday, Jo Potter was not remotely surprised. The Reading midfielder – who hopes to start against Portugal in Tilburg on Thursday when England need a point, at most, to rubber-stamp their progress into the quarter-finals – sees such success as vindication for the squad burning so much midnight oil in recent months.

“Against Spain we followed one of our game plans 100%,” said Potter. “We knew Spain would be very good in possession but we also knew that they haven’t really been hurting teams with it. So we bided our time knowing that, with our clinical strikers, we need only one or two chances to score.”

With Fran Kirby and Jodie Taylor – who has four goals in two games – obliging in front of goal, everything went according to Sampson’s pre-ordained script. “It’s no coincidence and it’s definitely not an overnight thing,” said Potter. “We’ve done so much work on our togetherness, both on and off the pitch.

“The amount of individual work our strikers have gone through over the last six weeks in our prep camp is unbelievable; they’ve done repetition after repetition. It doesn’t come overnight. These girls have worked really had to be at the top of the game and I think it’s all coming together at the right time. The timing has been superb.”

The same goes for the preparation. “The prep has been top-class,” said Potter. “We had a training camp in Valencia and we worked really, really hard in tough situations. We now have game plans for every match – and situation.”

Sampson had always hoped that England would win Group D – something it would be a major surprise if they failed to do – with the theory being that this would represent the best way of avoiding their fellow tournament favourites France in the quarter-finals.

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In reality Les Bleues’ less than sparkling Group C performances dictate that they could finish second and consequently almost certainly meet England in Sunday’s quarter-final in Deventer.

“It doesn’t matter,” said Potter. “We know that, to lift this cup, we have to beat the best. If that means a France quarter-final, that’s exactly what we’re going to do. I don’t think you can ever ask an England team to go into a game thinking about a draw or even a loss, so we’re going to 100% go for a win against Portugal. We want nine points out of nine. If that means meeting France next, so be it.”