The defending European champions, England, found themselves in a nail-biting battle. They had to dig deep on Thursday to keep their title hopes alive. After a dramatic 2-2 draw, England finally overcame Sweden in a tense penalty shootout.
The match at Letzigrund Stadium in Zurich was a rollercoaster. Sweden came out strong, stunning England with two early goals. Asllani scored just two minutes into the game. Then, Blackstenius, a forward from Arsenal, added another goal at the 25-minute mark. She had also set up the first goal. Sweden had built a solid lead in the first half, putting the champions on the back foot.
England’s coach, Sarina Wiegman, made a crucial change. She brought on Chloe Kelly, and that decision changed everything. Kelly delivered two perfect crosses. Lucy Bronze scored with a powerful header in the 79th minute. Just two minutes later, in the 81st minute, substitute Michelle Agyemang found the net. These two quick goals wiped out Sweden’s advantage and tied the game. England avoided an early exit, which would have been their first before the semi-finals of a major tournament since 2013.
The 90 minutes ended with both teams level. Extra time couldn’t separate them either. So, the match went to a penalty shootout, a test of nerves for everyone.
The shootout became a real drama. It featured many missed shots and incredible saves by the goalkeepers. Sweden’s goalkeeper, Falk, made four saves. England’s Hampton stopped two shots. After a marathon of 14 attempts, the reigning champions finally secured the win. Sweden’s Holmberg missed her penalty, right after England’s Lucy Bronze had calmly scored hers.
England escaped and will now face Italy in the semi-finals. Italy earned their spot by beating Norway 2-1 on Wednesday. That crucial semi-final match is scheduled for next Tuesday in Geneva. The other semi-finalists will be decided soon. On Friday, the World Champions Spain will play Switzerland. The final semi-final spot will be filled on Saturday, after the big match between France and Germany.