England Win Dramatic Shootout To Beat Sweden And Keep Alive Euro 2025 Hopes

The victor takes it all. England reached a sixth consecutive awesome tourney semi-final pinch a gut-busting capacity to travel from 2 goals down against Sweden earlier sealing triumph via a punishment shootout pinch goalkeeper Hannah Hampton nan hero.

Kosovare Asllani’s early onslaught and Stina Blackstenius’s effort had rattled Sarina Wiegman’s side. It had been each Sweden, England were down and out, headed for nan Euros exit, their crown relinquished, but you tin ne'er stake against Wiegman successful a awesome tourney and, though galore were screaming for changes to travel sooner, it was her precocious cavalry that delivered 2 goals successful 102 seconds to level nan people and forced nan crippled beyond 90 minutes. England became nan first squad to travel from 2 goals down successful nan knockout stages of nan women’s Euros since nan tourney began successful 1984 and Hampton was nan superstar, emerging from Mary Earps’ shadow, redeeming 2 spot-kicks pinch Sweden missing 3 others.

Asllani had ­promised that Sweden had nan “perfect gameplan” for ­facing nan squad pinch whom they stock galore ­similar ­characteristics. The first rustle was dealt successful nan ­second infinitesimal and nan target of Sweden’s gameplan was clear: onslaught ­England’s caller look left-hand side. Jess Carter had ­struggled astatine left-back against France and was swapped pinch nan left-sided ­centre-back Alex Greenwood for their remaining 2 group games. The move had seemed ­effective but it was compromised by the Swedes.

Hannah Hampton (right) is congratulated by Esme Morgan aft nan goalkeeper saved 2 penalties successful nan shootout. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA

Under pressure, Carter’s walk to Keira Walsh fell short and was intercepted, nan 2nd clip she had turned complete nan shot wrong a ­minute, and it fell kindly for ­Blackstenius who squared to Asllani and nan ­midfielder fired debased past ­Hampton into nan ­bottom corner.

The yellowish wall of fans down ­Jennifer Falk’s extremity roared while those successful achromatic seemed shell-shocked, England’s sloppiness and inability to flight Sweden’s property truthful untypical of nan squad that had dispatched nan Netherlands and Wales truthful easily.

Carter was exposed again soon after, a loose walk to Hampton stolen by Blackstenius but Leah Williamson raced backmost to artifact her nine teammate’s effort.

England almost had an equaliser against nan tally of play a infinitesimal later, Lauren Hemp denied erstwhile Falk tipped her changeable connected to nan crossbar, but immoderate hopes a first effort connected extremity would calm England were successful vain. Wiegman’s broadside were overrun, ­outmuscled, outfought and outthought and Sweden’s 2nd felt inevitable. It arrived successful nan 25th ­minute, Blackstenius racing clear of a ponderous Carter earlier firing debased into nan acold corner. It was excessively easy, and successful an effort to halt nan occurrence of Sweden connected their right, Williamson and Carter switched sides.

Carter was Wiegman’s attraction successful a region aft Hemp took a cynical elbow to nan caput from Hanna ­Lundkvist, nan brace successful heavy ­conversation connected the touchline.

Hampton ensured nan shortage remained astatine 2 pinch a large prevention to contradict Fridolina Rolfö soon earlier nan break and England raced down nan passageway to prime complete nan bones of an utterly humiliating first half.

There had been mixed feelings earlier kick-off complete which England would show up, nan squad that suffered a chastening 2-1 nonaccomplishment to France successful nan opening crippled aliases nan squad that had swept speech nan Netherlands and Wales scoring 10 and conceding once. It would beryllium nan former.

Michelle Agyemang scores England’s 2nd extremity to move nan necktie connected its head. Photograph: Matthew Childs/Reuters

There was astonishment that location were nary changes astatine nan break for England, nan determination to proceed pinch a intelligibly struggling Carter was baffling, peculiarly erstwhile nan acold much agile Manchester United skipper Maya Le Tissier, Washington Spirit’s Esme Morgan and nan Arsenal centre-back Lotte Wubben-Moy were connected nan bench. You could reason that Carter improved, but he reality is that ­Sweden took their ft disconnected nan gas, their property loosened arsenic they allowed ­England much clip connected nan ball.

The defending champions were amended aft nan restart. Ella Toone forced a prevention from Falk earlier Hemp flashed a header wide, but they conscionable could not get nan shot down nan right. Bronze had her arms raised for overmuch of nan first half and trim an ­isolated fig connected that flank successful nan ­second half arsenic well, contempt galore ­having identified nan left-back Jonna ­Andersson arsenic nan anemic nexus for nan Swedes successful nan build-up.

England’s changes came later than galore were calling for, ­Wiegman ­waiting until nan 70th infinitesimal to rotation nan dice. Michelle Agyemang, Beth Mead and Morgan would beryllium tasked pinch ­rescuing England, Toone and ­Stanway replaced alongside Carter.

Wiegman’s charges prodded astatine nan Sweden defence and they yet pierced it successful nan 79th ­minute, Bronze drifting past everyone astatine nan acold station to meet substitute Chloe Kelly’s transverse and caput past Falk. It was a lifeline and location was conscionable 102 seconds betwixt Bronze’s extremity and nan equaliser, Kelly’s transverse ­nodded down by Mead and turned successful by ­Agyemang. They should person grabbed nan ­winner, Alessia Russo taking 1 touch excessively galore aft she conscionable had nan keeper to hit successful virtually nan past superior onslaught earlier other time.

If England had nan marginally fresher legs connected nan pitch, it did not show successful other time, nan crippled acold much moreover that Wiegman would person liked. There were immoderate issues too, Williamson rolled her ankle forcing her to limp disconnected astatine nan midway constituent of other time, James besides felt nan afloat unit of a Lina Hurtig situation and a three-way conflict betwixt Greenwood, Hampton and a Swede near nan keeper pinch a epistaxis and nan erstwhile pinch her enarthrosis being repositioned while Bronze taped her ain thigh up.

There was not overmuch much action and a shootout was confirmed soon after. Julia Zigiotti Olme and ­Nathalie Björn scored for Sweden but Russo, Kelly and Bronze converted for ­England and Hampton saved from Filippa Angeldahl and Sofia ­Jakobsson while Magda Eriksson deed nan post. Smilla Holmberg and Falk, who had saved from James, Clinton and Greenwood efforts, fired over, to nonstop England done successful nan astir melodramatic of fashions. Phew.