Latest news with #Kosovare Asllani
CNA
4 days ago
- Sport
- CNA
England beat Sweden on penalties to reach Women's Euro semis
ZURICH :England came back from two goals down to draw 2-2 before beating Sweden 3-2 in a nail-biting penalty shoot-out to reach the semi-finals of the Women's Euros, with Sweden's Smilla Holmberg firing over to end the contest. Stina Blackstenius teed up Sweden captain Kosovare Asllani to score in the second minute after England gave the ball away cheaply, and Blackstenius then out-ran Jess Carter to score with a confident finish herself in the 25th minute. Lucy Bronze pulled a goal back for England in the 79th minute, meeting Chloe Kelly's cross and heading home from a tight angle to re-ignite the white-clad fans in the crowd and substitute Michelle Agyemang levelled two minutes later with a superb poacher's finish to send the game to extra time. Both sides had their fair share of chances in extra time but the game went to penalties. Swedish keeper Jennifer Falk saved four spot kicks and skied the potentially decisive penalty over the bar, but Lucy Bronze fired England into the lead and Holmberg skied her attempt as the champions went through to the last four.
Telegraph
4 days ago
- Sport
- Telegraph
England vs Sweden: Score and updates from Women's Euro 2025 quarter-final
The Swedes head into the match on the back of a 4-1 demolition job of Germany and with the best defensive record in the tournament, conceding only one goal in the group stage. They topped their group and fear no one. 'We respect England, the team they have and everything they have achieved so far. But fear? No. We don't have the word fear in our dictionary,' Sweden captain Kosovare Asllani said. 'We look up the word courage. Of course you have to respect one of the best sides in the world but we have the perfect game plan for this match. 'We want to achieve the football we want to represent. In our minds there is only one outcome and that is to win the game.' England's defeat to France meant they finished second in the group and know that victory tonight will see them face Italy, who beat Norway 2-1 in the first quarter-final yesterday. There was talk that this would benefit the Lionesses as it would mean avoiding facing Spain until the final. Wiegman, however, denied that there was an easier side to the draw. 'You try to win every game then see where you finish in the group, then you play who's in front of you,' she said, knowing all too well that Sweden will provide a formidable test this evening. 'If you want to be successful in the tournament you should be able to win every game, so that's how we approach it.'
Al Arabiya
5 days ago
- Sport
- Al Arabiya
Sweden happy to be 'flying under the radar' ahead of Euro 2025 Quarterfinal against England
ZURICH (AP) – Sweden is happy to be flying under the radar at the Women's European Championship, but if it ousts defending champion England, that might not be the case anymore. The two nations face off in Thursday's quarterfinal in Zurich. Sweden topped its group with maximum points after three wins, including a memorable 4-1 victory over Germany, while England finished second in its group after bouncing back from an opening loss to France by thrashing the Netherlands and then Wales. But while England is considered one of the favorites at Euro 2025, Sweden is rarely mentioned when it comes to naming the potential tournament winners. 'We are always flying under the radar, I would say,' Sweden captain Kosovare Asllani said Wednesday, 'and it is something that kind of suits us because obviously we think that we are one of the best teams in the world due to the results we have been doing the last few years from the tournaments. But people rarely speak about us as someone that can win the gold … and it suits us kind of because we know we can beat any team in the world when we have our best day.' Sweden has collected a whole host of silver and bronze medals at tournaments but hasn't lifted a trophy since winning the first Women's Euros in 1984. In coach Peter Gerhardsson's eight-year tenure, Sweden was twice a World Cup semifinalist, took the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics, and reached the Euro 2022 semifinals – where it was routed 4-0 by England. However, the players sense that this could be the year the team shakes off its bridesmaid reputation. 'We have an incredible belief in one another and the entire team, and we do play very intense and physical football,' Asllani said. 'Since Peter took over as coach ... we have developed enormously over these past few years and got better and better. It feels as if we are a very hungry side now. We want success.' Sweden and England have been evenly matched since that semifinal in 2022, with their two encounters in the Euro 2025 qualifiers ending in draws. England is also only one spot above sixth-placed Sweden in the world rankings. 'It's the kind of game that both teams want, and I mean any top player in the world wants to be playing in the big games,' England defender Lucy Bronze said. 'For me, it's probably the most exciting quarterfinal because the teams are so full of confidence quality … I think they're probably two of the highest ranked teams facing off against each other. But we knew that coming into the quarterfinals it was going to be against a tough team. We obviously watched Sweden and Germany play each other … These are exciting times being in a tournament playing against top teams.'
