England kept their Women’s Euro 2025 title hopes alive by beating Sweden in a nerve-wracking penalty shoot-out after a 2-2 draw in regular and extra time. The dramatic match of England vs Sweden Women’s Euro 2025 saw England come from behind and eventually win 3-2 in penalties, with only five out of 14 spot-kicks converted.
A Shaky Start and Sweden’s Early Dominance
It was a nightmare beginning for the Lionesses in the England vs Sweden Women’s Euro 2025 quarter-final. Just two minutes into the match, England’s Jess Carter played a poor pass, which left Keira Walsh in trouble. Her attempt to recover was blocked, and the ball landed at the feet of Kosovare Asllani. The Swedish forward took full advantage, firing the ball into the far corner to put Sweden 1-0 ahead.
England looked rattled and struggled to cope with Sweden’s pace. They nearly went 2-0 down soon after, but Leah Williamson’s last-second tackle stopped Stina Blackstenius from scoring. Then, Lauren Hemp hit the crossbar with help from goalkeeper Jennifer Falk, showing signs of England fighting back.
But Sweden soon doubled their lead. In the 25th minute of the England vs Sweden Women’s Euro 2025 clash, Blackstenius picked up the ball in midfield and raced past Carter before calmly finishing into the bottom corner. At this point, it looked like England’s title defence was falling apart.
By half-time, the Lionesses had offered little in attack and were lucky not to be further behind. Their sloppy passing and defensive mistakes gave Sweden all the momentum.
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Super-Sub Chloe Kelly Sparks England Comeback
The second half of the England vs Sweden Women’s Euro 2025 thriller saw England take more control of the ball, but they still struggled to create clear chances. Sweden looked comfortable, and the match seemed to be drifting toward a Swedish victory. But then came a game-changing moment.
In the 72nd minute, manager Sarina Wiegman brought on Chloe Kelly, and it paid off almost instantly. Just over a minute later, Kelly whipped in a cross from the right that Lucy Bronze headed in from a tight angle. Suddenly, England had hope.
Then, only 103 seconds later, Kelly delivered another cross, this time finding 19-year-old Michelle Agyemang. She poked the ball into the net to score her first-ever goal in a major tournament. The teenager had only made three appearances for England before the England vs Sweden Women’s Euro 2025 encounter, but this was her big moment.
The match was tied 2-2 and went into extra time. The first 15 minutes were evenly matched, but Sweden had the better chances in the second half of extra time. However, they couldn’t find a winner, and the game headed to penalties.
Penalty Shoot-Out Tension as England Edge Sweden
The penalty shoot-out in the England vs Sweden Women’s Euro 2025 quarter-final was full of nerves and mistakes. Alessia Russo scored the first penalty for England, but both sides struggled to convert their chances. Sweden’s Julia Zigiotti Olme scored their second penalty, while England’s Chloe Kelly also found the net.
Sweden’s Nathalie Bjorn added another, but overall, nine penalties were either missed or saved. The tension increased as the shoot-out entered sudden death.
Lucy Bronze, who had already scored in the match, stepped up and scored England’s seventh penalty to make it 3-2. Sweden’s teenager Smilla Holmberg took the next one, but her shot was saved by goalkeeper Hannah Hampton. That save sealed the England vs Sweden Women’s Euro 2025 win and sent the Lionesses through to the semi-finals.
It was a cruel end for Sweden, who had the upper hand in the first half of the England vs Sweden Women’s Euro 2025 clash and looked likely to win. It also marked the end of manager Peter Gerhardsson’s time in charge, as he exited in the quarter-finals for the first time during his reign.
England will now face Italy in the semi-final on Tuesday, July 22.
Reactions: Relief and Pride After Emotional Win
England manager Sarina Wiegman admitted it was one of the toughest matches she had ever watched.
“That was very emotional,” she said. “We could have been out of the game three or four times. The start was really bad, but then we changed shape and scored two goals—crazy. We missed a lot of penalties, but they missed more. The England vs Sweden Women’s Euro 2025 game was a rollercoaster.”
She praised Michelle Agyemang for her strength and impact off the bench.
Captain Leah Williamson shared similar emotions:
“I feel proud. That was awful to watch at the end. We’re never done, and we showed the quality to come back. We’ve prepared for penalties, and everyone stepped up when needed.”
She added that England had now played “three finals in a row,” referring to the pressure of recent knockout matches in tournaments like the England vs Sweden Women’s Euro 2025 showdown.
Now, with Italy waiting in the next round, England hopes to continue their dream of defending their European title, and this dramatic England vs Sweden Women’s Euro 2025 win may give them the belief to do just that.
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