Women's Euro 2025: Sweden v Germany
Date: 2025-07-12T18:04:39.000Z
Title: Sweden make five changes to their starting XI after the 3-0 win over Poland.
Content: Jonna Andersson, Magdalena Eriksson, Fridolina Rolfö, Hanna Bennison and Smilla Holmberg come in for Hanna Lundkvist, Amanda Nildén, Madelen Janogy, Amanda Ilestedt and Julia Zigiotti Olme.
Germany make just the one change following their 2-1 victory over Denmark. Laura Freigang replaces Linda Dallmann in attack.
Update:
Date: 2025-07-12T18:00:17.000Z
Title: Preamble
Content: Both teams have already qualified for the knockouts, so in that respect there's nothing riding on this match. But! The winner of Group C will, most likely, face reigning champions England in the quarters, while the runner-up will find themselves in the same half of the draw as world champions Spain. Neither prospect sounds particularly palatable, so … define winning. Define running-up. Kick-off is at 8pm UK time. It's on!
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The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
The secrets behind Sarina Wiegman's success - and why latest final is not ‘luck'
They may have already used their nine lives, but England are through to their third consecutive major tournament final at Euro 2025. Yes, England have been extremely fortunate to make it this far, requiring miraculous escapes to defeat Sweden and Italy in the knockout stages and overcome sub-par performances. But if the Lionesses have had some luck on their side, there is no denying that reaching another final is an impressive achievement - one that is unprecedented in England's history. Sarina Wiegman 's run of finals is even longer, with the Dutch coach extending her streak to five Euros or World Cup finals in a row with the Netherlands and England. No other manager, in men's or women's football, has reached five consecutive finals at major international tournaments. Wiegman was asked for her secret after England's dramatic semi-final victory over Italy and replied with a laugh: 'I'm the lucky one. I can't believe it myself.' She gave the credit to her players, coaching staff and the support of the English and Dutch federations - but Wiegman has also played a role in extending her tournament record. 'She is a really special coach and we are lucky to have her,' said the FA's chief executive Mark Bullingham. And even if a lot of Wiegman's decision-making at the Euros has come under question, her approach is built on relationships and fostering a team environment, and the results are hard to dispute. As Keira Walsh said: 'She's been to five finals, I think it speaks for itself.' Empowering her players England's togetherness and the unity of the squad has been a key part of their run to the final. Before the tournament began, England's players were encouraged to open up to each other and share their 'why' - their reason being at the tournament. Forward Lauren Hemp said a shared understanding of every players' journey 'connects us more as a team' while captain Leah Williamson said: 'You have to know those things about each other for when times get tough.' Wiegman has also encouraged her players to share tough moments with each other, with Beth Mead explaining: "I think we've made ourselves very vulnerable. I think that gives us so much more togetherness, so much more trust of each other.' During the Euros, Mead has shared how she and Ella Toone have supported each other while they are both grieving the loss of a parent, while the Lionesses also came together to call for action after Jess Carter revealed she had been suffering racist abuse online. 'She [Wiegman] empowers us, which I think is important,' Williamson said. 'Especially coming from a woman. She sees us, gives us space to be ourselves and encourages us to be better - and really does encourage us to be better - in a positive way.' Lucy Bronze spoke of how England are able to 'lift each other up' and their resilience has been required when bouncing back from their opening defeat to France or coming from behind to beat Sweden and Italy in the knockout stages. The term 'proper England' has been used throughout the tournament and part of that is Wiegman wanting 'our behaviours and how we want to support each other' to contribute to the team environment, believing that it makes a difference when under pressure. 'I have no doubt that helps in critical moments,' Mark Bullingham said. 'She's probably one of the best managers I've played for in terms of trying to make everyone feel loved,' Keira Walsh said. 'It's a really, really difficult job when you're in a tournament, and obviously people want to play, people aren't, but she really, really cares about the human side.' There have been many times during the Euros where a team that has previously tasted success could have folded. But England's togetherness, built through their vulnerability, has helped them push through even when they are not playing their best. Building a winning culture They can't keep getting away with it, right? But the more late goals England score, the more their ability to win by any means possible becomes self-fulfilling. Italy and Sweden both left the Euros with regrets after being unable to finish England off. 'We've shown that multiple times,' Wiegman said after the semi-final. England are winning games in a very different way to Euro 2022, with slow starts and a lack of urgency a frequent theme, but the legacy of their super-subs from that tournament has lived on at Euro 2025. The role of England's bench - and the togetherness of the 'positive clique' - has been instrumental again throughout. The fact Wiegman has already led England to a major trophy by using her squad in this way ensures that everyone buys in. 'It just becomes more natural,' Wiegman explained when discussing her approach at the start of the Euros. 'You have set the tone at the beginning of how you want things. And then you hope that things become organic and everyone knows how it works. When new players and new staff members come in, they just straight away come into the environment and everyone knows how it is and they grow and adapt to it naturally.' Wiegman's standards remain high and Leah Williamson explained: 'She's a winner, she's very competitive, even when it comes to darts. She has that edge to her.' Wiegman said there was 'relief' after narrowly avoiding defeat against Italy but said: 'We never give up. We say we can win by any means. Against Sweden, with the penalty shoot-out, we were a bit lucky that they missed. Tonight we were going for that goal but it gave us something, too. This team just keeps going." 'I've heard that people have been saying that it was luck, but I think for us you kind of create those moments yourself, through belief, determination, confidence,' midfielder Keira Walsh said. 'I think it's thought out, it's purposeful, it's the absolute belief that no matter what minute of the game it is - we're gonna win or we're gonna get a result that we need to take us to extra time. I think that's kind of the resilience of this team as well.' FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said the relationships and connections Wiegman creates within the England team is 'phenomenal' and has been a critical part of the Lionesses reaching another final. 'I think she's really helped build a very, very strong culture,' he said. 'Not just amongst players, but the whole support team.' In-game changes and staying calm Wiegman defended the timing of her substitutes against Italy after what appeared to be an agonising wait to bring on Chloe Kelly and Michelle Agyemang following their decisive contributions against Sweden. In the end, who are us to question her decision-making on the touchline? "In the second half we were in their half, played well and created some chances. That's why we waited,' Wiegman said afterwards, but it still felt like a long time to persist with an approach that Italy looked comfortable dealing with - particularly when the impact of Kelly and Agyemang was so obvious when they did eventually come on. Ultimately, Wiegman's changes worked because England won the game - and the Lionesses have now scored five goals from substitutes at Euro 2025, the most in the tournament. England's bench is one of the strongest at the Euros, with much more depth than the options available to Sweden and Italy, but Wiegman's timing has made the difference. '[What] you notice when you play for her is how calm she is,' Keira Walsh explained. 'It makes a massive difference in the 95th minute when you're losing 1-0, and you look to the side and she's very calm. That speaks volumes of her as a manager.' 'She is just a cool head in the way she transmits that onto the pitch,' said FA chief Mark Bullingham. 'She looks like the coolest person in the stadium.' Wiegman's attacking substitutes towards the end of normal time against meant that England, once again, ended up with players who were out of position during extra time. Beth Mead dropped into attacking midfield while Lauren Hemp put in a shift at left-back, as England piled numbers forward. Wiegman, though, has guided her improvised team through different chapters of the game, particularly after England have found an equaliser but still have an unbalanced line-up on the pitch. 'You try and get that information onto your team-mates quickly and we adapt, and I think that's probably the difference that sets us apart probably sometimes at the moment tactically,' Beth Mead said after the quarter-final. 'If we can get it right, how does [the opponent] keep up with all those changes? I think that works quite well for us. 'Sarina knows what she's doing,' Mead added. 'There's method in the madness.' Perhaps England fans need to keep the faith as well before the Euro 2025 final on Sunday.
The Guardian
9 hours ago
- The Guardian
England's Keira Walsh hopes Spain can enjoy a controversy-free final after Rubiales affair
Keira Walsh has said she hopes Spain's players are able to 'just enjoy the game of football' when they face England in the Euro 2025 final on Sunday after their World Cup final victory two years ago was overshadowed by Luis Rubiales's actions afterwards. Walsh was a Barcelona player at the time of the 2023 World Cup and witnessed close up the fallout from Rubiales's inappropriate actions, including the kiss the Spanish football federation president landed on Jenni Hermoso. 'It's difficult because I didn't understand the Spanish conversations that were going on,' she said on Thursday, the day after Spain beat Germany to reach the final in Switzerland. 'So for the girls, this time, as a friend and a fellow footballer, I want them to just go and enjoy this final – they play incredible football and they deserve to be there. As a human being I just want them to go out and just enjoy the game of football.' Walsh experienced a huge explosion of the growth in the women's game in England after the Lionesses lifted a first major trophy at the 2022 Euros, with the domestic game and international matches seeing attendances spike and investments increase. However, Spain's midfield talisman Aitana Bonmatí has spoken about her frustration and disappointment that they did not experience a similar boom after their maiden World Cup win. 'I think they probably could have had more respect,' said Walsh. 'The way our league jumped after we won the Euros and everything in and around it, if you compare it to Spain it wasn't the same and they won the World Cup. They probably could have had more support. 'After the game there was a lot of controversy and I don't think, for them, there was enough spotlight on how incredible they played and how incredible some of their players were, it was all about the other stuff that had gone on. As a professional, that was disappointing to see. I have a lot of friends in that team and I think they deserved a little bit more than what they got.' England have had a bumpy ride to the final: they had to come from two goals down against Sweden to win on penalties and then one goal down to win in extra time against Italy, with Michelle Agyemang scoring late equalisers in both games. Walsh had never experienced anything like it. 'Obviously we come into every tournament and we want to reach the final,' the Chelsea midfielder said. 'Maybe the way we've done it is a little bit more stressful for everyone but the kind of the beauty of this team is that we are relentless and we've got belief in ourselves that even in the 90th minute we can get a goal and we can win and that's what's really special about us at the minute.' Sign up to Moving the Goalposts No topic is too small or too big for us to cover as we deliver a twice-weekly roundup of the wonderful world of women's football after newsletter promotion Where the rest of the watching world sees chaos, there is more design, she said. 'When you're playing maybe it looks like chaos but for us it doesn't feel like that. I've also heard that people have been saying that it was luck, but I think for us you kind of create those moments yourself, through belief, determination, confidence. 'I don't think it is luck that Michelle's in the box and scoring. It is not luck that people are putting crosses in the box. It's thought out, it's purposeful and it's the absolute belief that no matter what minute of the game it is we're going to win or we're going to get the result that we need to take us to extra time.'
Telegraph
12 hours ago
- Telegraph
Chloe Kelly was ready to quit football seven months ago, now she's England saviour
It is approaching 10pm on January 30 and Chloe Kelly is about to take an almighty risk. Frozen out by Manchester City manager Gareth Taylor, Kelly had started just one Women's Super League match and made a total of six appearances in the 2024-25 season. She desperately wanted to leave the club, whether it be on loan or permanently, in search of regular football. But she was running out of time. City were digging their heels in, reluctant to let her leave to join a rival. So Kelly took matters into her own hands. On the eve of transfer deadline day, she wrote a message on social media in which she said her mental well-being was suffering and that she would no longer tolerate someone's 'negative behaviour' towards her. The impact was far greater than perhaps Kelly had even imagined. Not only did she receive support from club and international team-mates, Kelly's status as a Euro 2022 hero meant celebrities like rapper AJ Tracey and radio DJ Greg James waded in. There was plenty of interest in Kelly, who had only six months remaining on her City contract. Manchester United and Brighton both wanted her on loan with a view to a permanent move. The latter had an offer accepted but United was Kelly's preferred destination. City were adamant they would not do business with their city rivals or a club competing with them for Champions League football. But they were also aware of the possible PR disaster should a move not materialise. As the hours ticked by on deadline day, Arsenal threw their hat in the ring with a loan offer that bettered everyone else's. City reluctantly accepted and, just minutes before the window shut, Kelly rejoined the club at which she had started her career. When she secured that deadline day move, in a further twist, Kelly went on social media again to accuse City of trying to 'assassinate' her character with 'false accusations'. Sliding doors moment Had the move to Arsenal not gone through, Kelly was ready to take a break from football. She would not have been on the pitch to help England through both their quarter-final with Sweden and their semi-final against Italy. The Lionesses would have been out of this tournament over a week ago. There could not have been more pressure attached to her penalty in the quarter-final shoot-out with Sweden. She had to score to keep the Lionesses in the tournament – she did so emphatically. She may have missed the extra-time spot-kick against Italy but her quick reaction to score the rebound was testament to her determination. CHLOE KELLY WINS IT FOR ENGLAND IN THE 119th MINUTE 🤯 THE LIONESSES ARE IN THE EUROS FINAL! Absolute CHAOS. — ITV Football (@itvfootball) July 22, 2025 'The moments in January when I felt like giving up football, makes you so grateful for these moments here today,' Kelly said after the semi-final. 'It makes you enjoy every minute of that. Confidence comes from within but from around you as well. The players I stand side-by-side with on the pitch breed confidence in each other. But I think a lot is self-taught.' How did Kelly get to the point where she considered quitting the game she loves? Her departure from City had been a long time coming. Her relationship with former manager Taylor had broken down beyond rebuilding. It is understood cracks appeared after Kelly scored the winning goal in Euro 2022. She entered this season in the final year of her contract and with little progress over a new deal. In November, England manager Sarina Wiegman admitted Kelly's lack of game time was a concern and made it clear to the forward that she needed to play to ensure a place in her squad for the Euros. Comeback queen Joining Arsenal was only one part of the comeback. Kelly was not match fit and she was ineligible for Arsenal's next two fixtures – an FA Cup match and a WSL game against City – so she had to wait three weeks before making her debut. That meant Kelly's name was not included when Wiegman named her squad for February's Nations League fixtures with Portugal and Spain. As it happened, an injury to Beth Mead meant Kelly was recalled a few days later but the message from Wiegman was clear: start playing regularly or risk not making the Euros squad. When Kelly left City she said she just wanted to be happy again. Under the guidance of Arsenal manager Renee Slegers, Kelly not only rediscovered that happiness but became a European champion. She played a key role in Arsenal's run to the Champions League final, making a pivotal difference in their 3-2 comeback against Real Madrid. She also started the 1-0 win over Barcelona in the final. Slegers gave Kelly belief again. She told her to be all the things she had struggled to be at City in the last two years. Kelly is something of a throwback as a wide forward. She likes to hog the touchline and put crosses into the box. Her two deliveries against Sweden set up goals for Lucy Bronze and Michelle Agyemang. She also has unparalleled calmness and composure in big moments. That toe-poke against Germany to score the winner at Euro 2022; the winning penalty in the Finalissma and in the round-of-16 shoot-out with Nigeria at the 2023 World Cup; the penalty against Sweden; the instinctive reaction to tap-in the rebound against Italy. There is always a Kelly moment at a tournament. She now has two, possibly three iconic celebrations. The one of her shirt above her head after the Euro 2022 final and Tuesday night's combination of telling the England fans to 'chill out' and recreating Thierry Henry's corner flag celebration. 'It was just 'Chill out, I was going to score! Chill, it was OK',' Kelly said of her celebration. 'Thierry Henry inspired me with that second one!' After a turbulent but wonderfully chaotic seven months, Kelly is once again the star of this England team.
