Anatomy of a terrible penalty shootout – how England triumphed in chaos at Euro 2025

Independent

4 days ago

England lived to fight another day at Euro 2025 after surviving a chaotic penalty shoot-out to beat Sweden and reach the semi-finals.
After England came from behind to claim a 2-2 draw following extra time, nine of the 14 penalties were missed in an extraordinary decider.
The Lionesses were a penalty away from going home on two occasions but Hannah Hampton and Lucy Bronze were the heroes as they progressed.
'I think we're all frustrated in the sense that we had our system, we've practised them every day, we've got our routines, and sometimes it doesn't go to plan,' Beth Mead said.
But after emerging through one of the worst penalty shoot-outs in major tournament history, England could still celebrate as they set up a semi-final with Italy.
Here's how it all unfolded
✅ England 1-0 Sweden - Alessia Russo scores
A confident penalty from England's No 9. That feeling would not last long. 'Penalty shoot-outs, statistically you're more likely to win if you go first, winning the coin toss played into that,' Lucy Bronze said. 'I love maths.'
❌England 1-0 Sweden - Filippa Angeldahl misses
With a bloody tissue stuffed up one nostril, Hannah Hampton goes the correct way and saves to her left.
'I don' t really know what happened to be honest, all I remember is going up for that ball and someone has elbowed me I think,' Hampton said after the game.
'I thought I got away with it at first because there was nothing [blood] coming out, then I sat up and it was streaming. But as a few of the girls have said, I'm better with one nostril so maybe I'll have it again in the next game.'
❌England 1-0 Sweden - Lauren James misses
It suits James' playing style to have a short run-up but this one didn't come off as she skipped around the ball and shot low. It lacks power and Jennifer Falk saves to her right.
✅England 1-1 Sweden - Julia Zigiotti Olme scores
In perhaps the best penalty of the shoot-out, Zigiotti takes out the camera positioned in the top corner - Harry Maguire style.
❌England 1-1 Sweden - Beth Mead misses
Falk saves again, and to the same side. The goalkeeper has clearly done her homework and has printed off notes to attach to her water bottle. Mead's penalty was at a good height for the goalkeeper.
❌England 1-1 Sweden - Magdalena Eriksson misses
Eriksson strikes the bottom of the post with Hampton beaten. Neither side can claim the advantage after consecutive misses.
❌England 1-1 Sweden - Alex Greenwood misses
Falk guesses correctly for the third time in a row and is beginning to look unbeatable in the Sweden goal.
✅England 1-2 Sweden - Nathalie Bjorn scores
It's Chelsea vs Chelsea but Bjorn keeps cool to beat her club team-mate. It's match point to Sweden now and they lead for the first time.
✅England 2-2 Sweden - Chloe Kelly scores
After scoring winning penalties in shoot-outs against Nigeria and Brazil, it's Kelly's turn to keep England alive from the No 5 spot. Kelly grins as she stands over the spot, does her trademark run-up by lifting up her left leg, skipping, and burying the penalty into the corner.
' She made me laugh and then we both laughed at each other, it wasn't like a disrespect we just laughed at each other. In those moments there's a lot of pressure but I felt that and she just made me laugh.'
Later asked what was going through her head , Kelly replied: 'I was bursting for a wee.'
❌England 2-2 Sweden - Jennifer Falk misses
Sweden still have the chance to win it but there's an audible gasp in the stadium as goalkeeper Falk steps up to take Sweden's fifth penalty.
'I was more panicking that we didn't have any data on her or where she was going,' Hampton later explained. 'So I was like oh my goodness this is down to me. I was a bit surprised.'
After making three saves, can Falk score in a battle of goalkeeper vs goalkeeper? No! Falk skies it and England stay alive.
❌England 2-2 Sweden - Grace Clinton misses
It's back even again, as the pressure of sudden death falls onto the 22-year-old Grace Clinton. This was the weakest penalty of the lot and Falk saved comfortably.
At this point, Sarina Wiegman starts to wonder if England had run out of lives. 'Well when you miss so many penalties I was really concerned,' Wiegman said. 'I thought it was done.'
❌England 2-2 Sweden - Sofia Jacobson misses
It's the second match point for Sweden, but Hampton makes her best save of the shoot-out to tip it onto the post at full stretch!
At this point, England players are starting to lose track of who needs what. 'We were trying to work out what was going on as the shootout was happening,' Kelly admitted. 'Michelle [Agyemang] was asking questions, I was like, if we score and they miss then we win.'
✅England 3-2 Sweden - Lucy Bronze scores
In an iconic moment, Bronze steps forward and begins to tear the strapping from her left thigh after feeling muscle tightness towards the end of full-time.
'I thought, it's going to hinder me in a penalty [but] I didn't expect it to go to the sixth penalty,' Bronze said. 'So I didn't take it off [but] then it was my penalty and I thought, I need to take this off. I'm going to actually smack it.'
With her captain's armband around her wrist, Bronze does just that. She smashes it down the middle.
'I watched the goalkeeper in every penalty and she dived quite early,' Bronze said. 'Statistically in shoot-outs it's risky for goalkeepers to stand still. Go down the middle.'
❌England 3-2 Sweden - Smilla Holmberg misses
Now it's England's turn to hold match point, as the pressure falls on Sweden's 18-year-old right back. Holmberg goes for the top corner but blasts her penalty over the crossbar, the ninth miss from 14 penalties as England scrape into the quarter-finals and Hampton is mobbed by her team-mates.