England defeated Sweden on a chaotic penalty shootout and rallied from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Letzigrund on Thursday to advance to the Euro 2025 semi-finals. Sweden’s Jennifer Falk set a Women’s Euro penalty shootout record with four saves. As England won 3-2, she received no support.
After Lucy Bronze scored for the Lionesses, 18-year-old Swedish Smilla Holmberg missed the final penalty. Sweden captain Kosovare Asllani scored in the second minute after Stina Blackstenius assisted him perfectly.
Blackstenius outran Jess Carter to put her team up 2-0 in the 25th minute. England scored their first goal through Bronze with 12 minutes left, and teenage substitute Michelle Agyemang scored two minutes into extra time.
Goalkeeper Hannah Hampton of England was the match’s hero. After being punched in the face minutes earlier, the 24-year-old made two crucial saves in the shootout, but the opposition missed three, two of which went miles over the bar.
Lionesses Alessia Russo and Chloe Kelly scored, but Sweden keeper Jennifer Falk saved Lauren James, Beth Mead, Alex Greenwood, and Grace Clinton’s weak shots. Bronze undid the strapping and went up to smash her penalty home after several weak attempts were saved.
“I just felt a little bit tight at the end of the game and I thought I just need to get through to make sure I can keep going, but I thought (the bandage) is going to hinder me in a penalty,” he added.
“I didn’t take it off because I didn’t expect the sixth penalty. When it was my punishment, I thought, “I need to take this off because I’m going to absolutely smack it.”
On Tuesday in Geneva, England will play Italy in the semifinals.
