England 2-2 Sweden (July 17, 2025) game analysis

The defending champion England defeated Sweden on Thursday in a Nagel Biting elf-mission to reach the semi-finals of the women's European Championship after scoring a remarkable late recovery from two goals to 2-2.

The Swedish goalkeeper Jennifer Falk saved four punishments, a record for a euro shooting for women. But she drove over the bar with the potentially winning point when England triumphed 3-2. The 18-year-old Smilla Holmberg missed the last after Lucy Bronze sent her powerfully for the lionesses.

“Stressed. Stress observation, stressful game,” said England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton of the BBC when asked about shooting when she saved two punishments, with three more missing.

“Every time I saved one, I thought 'Please just enter it so that we have a little pillow.' Her goalkeeper then just went and saved the next and I thought: 'Oh god, we go here.' “

England would have been grateful to come to the penalties, since Sie-Fast followed up on goods-2: 0 because 12 minutes were remaining before gates from bronze and teenage substitute Michelle Aggyemang took the match in the extension.

It is the first time in the history of women -Euro that a team struck back in a KO game of two goals.

England will compete in the semifinals in Geneva on Tuesday.

It all looked so different for Sweden as they took the lead early.

Stina Blackstenius Teed in the second minute after England had given the ball cheaply, and Blackstenius, then Jess Carter, scored a goal even in the 25th minute.

After the interval, coach Sarina Wiegman rang in the changes and brought Ageyemang, Beth Mead and Esme Morgan in the 70th minute, and the introduction of Chloe Kelly a few minutes later added an even more attacker verve.

Bronze scored a goal for England in the 79th minute, scored Kelly's cross and went home from a narrow corner to develop the white fans in the crowd, and Agyemang was an excellent poachous two minutes later to send the game to the time.

Both sides had a reasonable proportion of opportunities in the extension, but the game was punished, and although the Swedes missed their first spot kick, Falk soon put great parades on the driving seat.

She had the chance to win it, but she sent her up over the bar, and although she saved from Grace Clinton, bronze hit her from the spot.

After Sofia Jakobsson's Miss, the pressure for Holmberg, who fired an unforgettable shootout for the ninth Miss.

Wiegman's team reached their fourth semi -finals in the last five euros and in 2009 became the first champions since Germany to go beyond the quarter -finals at the following tournament.

“It was difficult. One of the most difficult games I have ever seen,” said Wiegman. “Very emotional. We could have been traveling four or five times during the game. If you are 2-0 at halftime, it's not good.

“We started really badly and at the end of the first half we got better and we got better in the second half, but we didn't create anything, so we had to change the shape. Then we scored two goals so that it was already crazy.

“Then we go into extra time, some players have injured, some players cramp, Hannah Hampton with blood everywhere, then we go to the penalty shot and we miss a lot, but they miss even more and we are through,” she added.

In this report, information from Reuters, Associated Press and ESPN research was used.

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