England Stun Sweden on Penalties to reach Euro Semis

England produced a remarkable comeback and held their nerve in a chaotic penalty shootout to defeat Sweden and advance to the semi-finals of the UEFA Women’s European Championship, keeping their title defence alive.

Defender Lucy Bronze scored the decisive seventh penalty to seal the shootout victory after goalkeeper Hannah Hampton had made two crucial saves. The dramatic conclusion followed a thrilling match in which Sarina Wiegman’s side fought back from a 2-0 deficit with just 11 minutes of normal time remaining.

The Lionesses will now face Italy in the semi-finals in Geneva on Tuesday, July 22.

For much of the game, it appeared England’s reign as European champions was over. A blistering start from Sweden saw them take a 2-0 lead inside 25 minutes. Captain Kosovare Asllani coolly slotted home the opener in under two minutes, before Arsenal’s Stina Blackstenius exposed England’s defence to double the advantage.

Struggling to create chances against a dominant Swedish side, England looked destined for an exit. However, the introduction of substitutes sparked a late revival. In the 79th minute, Lucy Bronze headed in a Chloe Kelly cross to give England hope. Just 103 seconds later, teenage substitute Michelle Agyemang calmly finished from close range to level the score and force the tie into extra time.

After a tense and goalless extra 30 minutes, the match was decided by a remarkable penalty shootout. Both teams struggled from the spot, with Sweden missing five of their seven attempts. Goalkeeper Hannah Hampton was the hero for England, saving two penalties, while her Swedish counterpart Jennifer Falk also made four saves but crucially missed a chance to win the shootout herself when she sent her own penalty over the bar.

The drama culminated with Bronze, one of England’s most experienced players, stepping up to slam her spot-kick into the roof of the net and secure a memorable victory.

The win marks the first time a team has progressed from a knockout tie at a women’s Euros after trailing by two or more goals. It also continues England’s perfect record in penalty shootouts under manager Sarina Wiegman, who will now prepare her resilient side for a semi-final clash with Italy.