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Express Tribune
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Express Tribune
England reach Euro 2025 semi-final
England roared into the semi-finals of Women's Euro 2025 on Thursday after coming back from two goals down and then beating Sweden 3-2 in a chaotic penalty shoot-out to continue their title defence. Smilla Holmberg blasted over from the spot to settle the shootout drama in Zurich after the match finished 2-2 thanks to Lucy Bronze and Michelle Agyemang's quick-fire strikes just as England looked to be limping out of the tournament. The reigning European champions were staring at elimination with 11 minutes remaining in normal time after Kosovare Asllani, who opened the scoring with her 50th international goal in the second minute, and Stina Blackstenius shot Sweden into a two-goal lead at half-time. "That was one of the hardest games I have ever watched. We could have been out four or five times," England boss Sarina Wiegman told the BBC. "We started badly. We didn't create anything so we changed shape and we scored two goals which was crazy. The shootout, we missed a lot but they missed more and we're through." England will face Italy, who are in the last four for the first time since 1997, in the last four in Geneva on Tuesday after a rollercoaster comeback. "Not how we planned it to be, of course, but it's a learning experience that we put in our back pocket and learn from going forward," Chloe Kelly, who was key to both England goals and took one of the few good penalties of the shootout, told reporters. "We solved the problems and then it was about getting back in the game. The resilience of the team is incredible." Defeat ended Sweden's bid for a first major honour since winning the first official Euros back in 1984, Peter Gerhardsson's team falling in the most painful of fashions. Goalkeeper Jennifer Falk, who saved four penalties, had the chance to send Sweden through but like Holmberg she scooped her effort over the bar and gave England the chance to reach the last four. "All analysis feels fairly pointless right now, right now it's melancholy. You feel a certain sadness that it turned out this way," said Sweden coach Peter Gerhardsson. England scored 10 goals in their final two Group D matches to reach the last eight but showed none of that attacking flair in the early stages at the Letzigrund Stadium. Sweden were on the front foot from the off and somehow it was no surprise when Asllani drilled home her opener after just one minute and 46 seconds, the attacking midfielder being left completely free to collect Blackstenius' lay-off and score. Jess Carter's loose pass led to that goal and moments later goalkeeper Hannah Hampton almost gifted Blackstenius her third goal of the tournament after miscontrolling the ball and allowing the Arsenal striker to bear down on an open goal before Leah Williamson slid in to cut out the danger. Lauren Hemp's pot shot was brilliantly tipped onto the bar by Falk but that was a rare bright spot in a dismal opening half for England, who were deservedly two behind at the break. Blackstenius showed how lethal she can be in the 25th minute when she raced in behind a dozing English defence, collected Julia Zigiotti Olme's pass, held off Carter and slotted home. England were brighter after the restart and Hemp should have halved the deficit when she failed to direct Lauren James' cross on target. And Bronze gave England hope by heading home a searching cross in the 79th minute from Kelly, one of four late substitutions alongside Agyemang who two minutes later reacted quickest to a loose ball and prodded England level. Extra time passed without much incident and that left the shootout in which a parade of poor penalties ended with Holmberg ballooning her effort way over and sending England through.
Gulf Today
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Gulf Today
England beat Sweden on penalties to reach Euro semis
England roared into the semi-finals of Women's Euro 2025 on Thursday after coming back from two goals down and then beating Sweden 3-2 in a chaotic penalty shoot-out to continue their title defence. Smilla Holmberg blasted over from the spot to settle the shootout drama in Zurich after the match finished 2-2 thanks to Lucy Bronze and Michelle Agyemang's quick-fire strikes just as England looked to be limping out of the tournament. The reigning European champions were staring at elimination with 11 minutes remaining in normal time after Kosovare Asllani, who opened the scoring with her 50th international goal in the second minute, and Stina Blackstenius shot Sweden into a two-goal lead at half-time. England will face Italy, who are in the last four for the first time since 1997, in the last four in Geneva on Tuesday after a rollercoaster comeback. 'Not how we planned it to be, of course, but it's a learning experience that we put in our back pocket and learn from going forward,' Chloe Kelly, who was key to both England goals and took one of the few good penalties of the shootout, told reporters. 'We solved the problems and then it was about getting back in the game. The resilience of the team is incredible.' Defeat ended Sweden's bid for a first major honour since winning the first official Euros back in 1984, Peter Gerhardsson's team falling in the most painful of fashions. Goalkeeper Jennifer Falk, who saved four penalties, had the chance to send Sweden through but like Holmberg she scooped her effort over the bar and gave England the chance to reach the last four. 'All analysis feels fairly pointless right now, right now it's melancholy. You feel a certain sadness that it turned out this way,' said Sweden coach Peter Gerhardsson. England survive: England scored 10 goals in their final two Group D matches to reach the last eight but showed none of that attacking flair in the early stages at the Letzigrund Stadium. Sweden were on the front foot from the off and somehow it was no surprise when Asllani drilled home her opener after just one minute and 46 seconds, the attacking midfielder being left completely free to collect Blackstenius' lay-off and score. Jess Carter's loose pass led to that goal and moments later goalkeeper Hannah Hampton almost gifted Blackstenius her third goal of the tournament after miscontrolling the ball and allowing the Arsenal striker to bear down on an open goal before Leah Williamson slid in to cut out the danger. Lauren Hemp's pot shot was brilliantly tipped onto the bar by Falk but that was a rare bright spot in a dismal opening half for England, who were deservedly two behind at the break. Blackstenius showed how lethal she can be in the 25th minute when she raced in behind a dozing English defence, collected Julia Zigiotti Olme's pass, held off Carter and slotted home. England were brighter after the restart and Hemp should have halved the deficit when she failed to direct Lauren James' cross on target. And Bronze gave England hope by heading home a searching cross in the 79th minute from Kelly, one of four late substitutions alongside Agyemang who two minutes later reacted quickest to a loose ball and prodded England level. Extra time passed without much incident and that left the shootout in which a parade of poor penalties ended with Holmberg ballooning her effort way over and sending England through. Wiegman hails his players: An exhausted looking Sarina Wiegman said Thursday's wild finish made England's comeback victory. 'The adrenalin is still flowing, I can't remember anything like this,' Wiegman said. 'The team just fighting to get back in the game, that's the quality that's so strong in this team, they're together, fighting back, sticking together and just showing so much resilience.' Wiegman subbed on Agyemang, Beth Mead and Esme Morgan in the 70th minute, and then Chloe Kelly shortly after, and the attacking intensity instantly picked up. 'That really helped at that moment,' Wiegman said. Agencies
News18
18-07-2025
- Sport
- News18
Women's Euro: England Secure Semifinal Spot As Dramatic Comeback Stuns Sweden
Last Updated: Defending champion England made a stunning comeback against Sweden, drawing 2-2 and winning the penalty shootout 3-2 to reach the semifinals. With just 12 minutes left, defending champion England was on the brink of elimination from the Women's European Championship. However, the Lionesses made a stunning comeback with two quick goals, drawing 2-2 against Sweden and then winning the penalty shootout to secure a place in the semifinals. 'Very hyper, still very emotional, I think lots of adrenaline still in my body, I mean," England coach Sarina Wiegman said, describing it as the most chaotic match she had ever experienced. 'I can't remember anything like this. I think that's a quality that's so strong from this team, that together they're fighting back and not playing well, but sticking together, that shows so much resilience." The penalty shootout included nine missed attempts before England emerged victorious 3-2. Eighteen-year-old Smilla Holmberg missed the decisive shot after Lucy Bronze had confidently scored for the Lionesses. 'Stressful. Stressful watching, stressful playing," England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton told the BBC when asked about the shootout. 'Every time I saved one I was thinking 'please just put it in so we have a bit of a cushion.' Their keeper then just went and saved the next one and I was thinking 'oh goodness, here we go.'" England was relieved to reach the penalty stage, as their earliest exit from a major tournament in over a decade loomed before goals from Bronze and teenage substitute Michelle Agyemang forced extra time. It marked the first time in Women's Euros history that a team had fought back from a two-goal deficit in a knockout match. 'Today I thought three times we were out," Wiegman said. 'And then when you miss so many penalties then I was really conscious 'OK now it's done' and then they missed again. So that needs a little bit of luck of course that they then missed, for them of course the most horrible way to go out of the tournament and for us maybe even more exciting." England will now face Italy in a semifinal in Geneva on Tuesday. Sweden had dominated its group with maximum points after three wins, including a memorable 4-1 victory over Germany, and continued their strong form in Zurich. England seemed on the back foot from the start. A pass deflected off Filippa Angeldahl and landed with Stina Blackstenius, who set up an unmarked Kosovare Asllani to score in the bottom left corner just 1 minute, 46 seconds into the match. Sweden exploited space on the right flank again to double their lead. Blackstenius raced onto Julia Zigiotti Olme's pass, held off Jess Carter, and calmly slotted the ball into the far bottom corner. Hampton made crucial saves to deny Fridolina Rolfö and Blackstenius, keeping England in the game. Chloe Kelly was introduced in the 78th minute and immediately impacted by crossing from the left for Bronze to head in at the back post. Just two minutes later, another precise cross was nodded down for substitute Agyemang to head in the equaliser. It was the 19-year-old's second goal for England in her third appearance. With few chances in extra time, penalties were needed to separate the teams. Both Sweden and England had won their last penalty shootouts in the round of 16 at the 2023 World Cup. Four players from each side missed their spot kicks before Bronze scored hers, and Holmberg shot over. Sweden goalkeeper Jennifer Falk saved four penalties but missed her own attempt. This shootout evened the teams' records at the Euros. The only other time they had faced off in a shootout was in the 1984 final, which Sweden won. 'All analysis feels fairly pointless right now, right now it's melancholy. You feel a certain sadness that it turned out this way," said Sweden coach Peter Gerhardsson, who is leaving after eight years in charge, during which he led the team to two World Cup semifinals, a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics, and the Euro 2022 semifinals. First Published: July 18, 2025, 14:30 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The Journal
18-07-2025
- Sport
- The Journal
Stunning drama as England knock Sweden out on penalties
LAST UPDATE | 49 mins ago ENGLAND ROARED INTO the semi-finals of Women's Euro 2025 after coming back from two goals down and then beating Sweden 3-2 in a chaotic penalty shoot-out to continue their title defence. Smilla Holmberg blasted over from the spot to settle the shootout drama in Zurich after the match finished 2-2 thanks to Lucy Bronze and Michelle Agyemang's quick-fire strikes just as England looked to be limping out of the tournament. The reigning European champions were staring at elimination with 11 minutes remaining in normal time after Kosovare Asllani, who opened the scoring with her 50th international goal in the second minute, and Stina Blackstenius shot Sweden into a two-goal lead at half-time. 'That was one of the hardest games I have ever watched. We could have been out four or five times,' England boss Sarina Wiegman told the BBC. 'We started badly. We didn't create anything so we changed shape and we scored two goals which was crazy. The shootout, we missed a lot but they missed more and we're through.' England will face Italy, who are in the last four for the first time since 1997, in the last four in Geneva on Tuesday after a rollercoaster comeback. 'Not how we planned it to be, of course, but it's a learning experience that we put in our back pocket and learn from going forward,' Chloe Kelly, who was key to both England goals and took one of the few good penalties of the shootout, told reporters. 'We solved the problems and then it was about getting back in the game. The resilience of the team is incredible.' Defeat ended Sweden's bid for a first major honour since winning the first official Euros back in 1984, Peter Gerhardsson's team falling in the most painful of fashions. Advertisement Goalkeeper Jennifer Falk, who saved four penalties, had the chance to send Sweden through but like Holmberg she scooped her effort over the bar and gave England the chance to reach the last four. 'All analysis feels fairly pointless right now, right now it's melancholy. You feel a certain sadness that it turned out this way,' said Sweden coach Peter Gerhardsson. England scored 10 goals in their final two Group D matches to reach the last eight but showed none of that attacking flair in the early stages at the Letzigrund Stadium. Sweden were on the front foot from the off and somehow it was no surprise when Asllani drilled home her opener after just one minute and 46 seconds, the attacking midfielder being left completely free to collect Blackstenius' lay-off and score. Jess Carter's loose pass led to that goal and moments later goalkeeper Hannah Hampton almost gifted Blackstenius her third goal of the tournament after miscontrolling the ball and allowing the Arsenal striker to bear down on an open goal before Leah Williamson slid in to cut out the danger. Lauren Hemp's pot shot was brilliantly tipped onto the bar by Falk but that was a rare bright spot in a dismal opening half for England, who were deservedly two behind at the break. Blackstenius showed how lethal she can be in the 25th minute when she raced in behind a dozing English defence, collected Julia Zigiotti Olme's pass, held off Carter and slotted home. England were brighter after the restart and Hemp should have halved the deficit when she failed to direct Lauren James' cross on target. And Bronze gave England hope by heading home a searching cross in the 79th minute from Kelly, one of four late substitutions alongside Agyemang who two minutes later reacted quickest to a loose ball and prodded England level. Extra time passed without much incident and that left the shootout in which a parade of poor penalties ended with Holmberg ballooning her effort way over and sending England through. – © AFP 2025 Written by AFP and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won't find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women's sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here .
RTÉ News
18-07-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Hannah Hampton hails England's resolve after dramatic penalty win against Sweden at Euro 2025
England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton declared "proper England is back" after the defending champions booked their place in the Euro 2025 semi-finals with a dramatic 3-2 penalty win over Sweden. Lucy Bronze's winning spot-kick - England's seventh of an error-strewn shootout - coupled with Smilla Holmberg's miss, booked the Lionesses a last-four meeting with Italy after they staged a stirring late fightback to snatch a 2-2 draw in 90 minutes. Bronze and substitute Michelle Agyemang scored in the space of 103 seconds to cancel out Kosovare Asllani's opener and Stina Blackstenius' 25th-minute strike, while Hampton earned player-of-the-match honours for a massive shift which included two saves in the shootout. "It shows proper England is back," said Hampton, when asked about the Lionesses' commitment to fight with everything they had - even at the expense of her own nose - after clawing their way back into the contest. "We're going in the right direction. I think you know that everyone would be putting their bodies on the line. Literally you could see that out there. "We said at half-time, 'we don't want to go home, so it's down to us to turn the game around'." Much of the build-up to this tournament centred around Chelsea shot-stopper Hampton, who had gradually usurped popular Euro-winning keeper Mary Earps as Sarina Wiegman's first choice. Earps announced her shock international retirement before Wiegman's squad announcement, as a result leaving major-tournament debutant Hampton with the weight of the nation's expectations on her 24-year-old shoulders. "It's obviously been a difficult couple of years within the England environment," said Hampton, "(but) all the girls were ecstatic (tonight). They've seen all the hard work that I've put in and how difficult it's been, and how they've helped me get to the point that I am now, where I am happy to be wearing an England shirt again." For nearly 80 minutes victory seemed out of reach, but the introduction of three 70th-minute substitutes - including Agyemang - followed shortly by Chloe Kelly - sparked England to life. It was Kelly who made an instant impact, her deep cross picking out 33-year-old Bronze - England's oldest and most experienced major tournament player - who cushioned a header past Jennifer Falk to give England hope. Moments later, 19-year-old substitute Agyemang, the youngest of the group winning just her third cap, scored to force extra-time. The error-strewn shootout saw Falk make four saves, but Sweden's own misses - including one from their keeper - allowed Bronze to emphatically fire in the one that ultimately counted. England boss Wiegman agreed it was the most chaotic contest she had ever witnessed, the usually composed Dutchwoman admitting even she was still feeling "hyper" and "very emotional" long after the final whistle. Wiegman rarely dishes out individual praise, but allowed herself to laud Bronze, who before this contest had reminded England that they were capable of "win(ning) a game in any means possible." "Lucy Bronze is one of a kind," said Wiegman. "I have never, ever seen this before in my life, and I'm very lucky person that I've worked with so many incredible people, incredible football players, and there are so so many, but what she does, and her mentality. "That penalty, the goal, but that's not (even) what defines her. It's that resilience, that fight. I think the only way to get her off the pitch is in a wheelchair."
