There’s drama, and then there’s England’s quarterfinal against Sweden at Women’s Euro 2025.
Surely one of the most chaotic matches in the tournament’s history, England outlasted Sweden and advanced to the semifinals by winning 3–2 in a penalty shootout after the game had finished 2–2 after extra time.
“A lot of adrenaline [is] still in my body … crazy game, I can't remember anything like this,” England head coach Sarina Wiegman said after the game.
England was 2–0 down after 25 minutes when a physical and intense Sweden side took a commanding lead via Kosovare Asllani and Stina Blackstenius.
Somehow, the Lionesses pulled level at 2–2, and then prevailed in a rollercoaster penalty shootout that saw nine out of 14 takers fail to convert from the spot.
It was the first time England had come back from two goals down at the Euros since 2009. It was just the second time under Wiegman that England had managed to get a result from a two-goal deficit.
“The Finishers”
One of the biggest themes for England during Women's Euro 2025 has been the influence of the bench players, nicknamed “The Finishers.” In the quarterfinal win over Sweden, the group was excellent.
Defensively sound for 70 minutes, Sweden looked uncatchable before the introduction of substitutes Michelle Agyemang, Beth Mead, Esme Morgan and Chloe Kelly.
The quartet completely turned the game on its head, and in the 78th minute, Kelly crossed the ball with her first touch of the game, and Lucy Bronze headed it in to make it 2–1.
Then, just two minutes later, Kelly sent in another cross that was headed down by Mead and finished off by Agyemang. The 19-year-old showed tremendous composure in just her third appearance for England.
“I was like, ‘Come alive now. Mich, come alive now.’ For the next five minutes, I felt like she [Agyemang] had real energy,” Kelly said of Agyemang after the game in Zurich. “She’s a bright young girl, and she’s got so much talent, but she brings such strength to our squad, her power, her speed, and, yeah, holds the ball up really well. So it’s incredible to see her shine on the big stage.”
Ice-Cold Kelly
Kelly’s influence off the bench wasn't limited to the role she played in both of England’s goals. With Sweden ahead 2–1 in the shootout, and elimination from Women's Euro 2025 on the line, Kelly converted England’s fifth penalty kick to make it 2–2.
This is the third time Kelly has converted a decisive penalty kick for England. According to Kelly, her secret to maintaing a relaxed demeanor is her mind being elsewhere.
“Just the same as in the Nigeria game [at the 2023 Women’s World Cup], I was bursting for a wee. So, I said to Beth [Mead], ‘I need a wee, really bad,’” Kelly said.
A Slice of Luck
England was courageous and resilient in fighting back from the death, but Sweden could have killed the game off in normal time or the shootout.
Three consecutive Lionesses penalty takers, Lauren James, Mead and Alex Greenwood, missed their shots in their opening five kicks of the shootout.
However, after Kelly’s kick made it 2–2 in the shootout, goalkeeper Jennifer Falk could have sealed the win for Sweden. Instead, she skied the shot over the bar.
“I thought about the three times we were out,” Wiegman said. “You miss so many penalties, and then I was really concerned. Okay, it’s done, and then they missed again. Yeah, that little bit of luck.”
Hannah Hampton’s Heroics
Once Grace Clinton had missed a fourth penalty for England, Sofia Jakobsson was the next Swedish player tasked with killing the game.
This time, England didn’t rely on a Swede losing their nerve and missing the target. Jakobsson’s effort was extinguished by Hampton, who came up huge with a diving save that was tipped onto the post and wide. She was also awarded player of the match for the feat.
“It was a good save to be honest, I really don't remember it,” Hampton said. “I tried to just park everything. If something goes right, if something goes wrong, just focus on the next action, and then I'll come back and review it afterwards. So I'll be sure to watch that over if it's a good save.”
Hampton played extra time with a bloody nose after a collision with a Swedish player on a corner kick. The knock only added to the battle-like feel of the quarterfinal.
Lucy Bronze Warrior Mode
“The Miracle in Zurich,” as some might refer to England’s win over Sweden at Women’s Euro 2025, may go down in history as a career-defining game for Bronze.
The defender is the most experienced player on the England squad and has been ever-present in the team’s extraordinary run of six consecutive major tournament semifinals since 2015.
Bronze simply was not walking off the pitch at Stadion Letzigrund on the losing side. After she scored England’s first goal to ignite her team’s improbable comeback, she thrashed her left cleat into the sponsor boards in both relief and frustration.
That rage turned into a rallying cry. And England bounced into life, buoyed on by Bronze’s never-say-die attitude. She converted England’s seventh and final penalty kick with extraordinary technical skill and gusto. A primal roar exhaled from her in front of the England fans in the aftermath.
After Leah Williamson went off with an ankle injury in extra time, Bronze was handed the captain’s armband. When Hampton was receiving treatment, Bronze grabbed some medical tape from the physio and taped up her thigh to stay on the pitch.
“Lucy bronze is just one of a kind, I have never, ever seen, seen this before in my life,” Wiegman said. “What defines her is that resilience, that fight. I think the only way to get her off the pitch is in a wheelchair.”
