14 penalties, 5 scored, 9 missed/saved – England dramatically through to the Women’s Euros semi final, beating Sweden in the shootout.
It was quite a bonkers game of football, Kosovare Asllani and Stina Blacktenius had put Sweden 2-0 up in the first-half.
However, the Lionesses hit back late on with goals from Lucy Bronze and Michelle Agyemang to take the game to extra-time.
But neither could find the net. So penalties it was, and it was quite possibly one of the worst, yet most dramatic of shootouts we’ve ever seen.
ENG 1-0 SWE – Russo A. (Penalty scored)
ENG 1-0 SWE – Angeldal F. (Penalty saved)
ENG 1-0 SWE – James L. (Penalty saved)
ENG 1-1 SWE – Zigiotti Olme J. (Penalty scored)
ENG 1-1 SWE – Mead B. (Penalty saved)
ENG 1-1 SWE – Eriksson M. (Penalty hits post)
ENG 1-1 SWE – Greenwood A. (Penalty saved)
ENG 1-2 SWE – Bjorn N. (Penalty scored)
ENG 2-2 SWE – Kelly C. (Penalty scored)
ENG 2-2 SWE – Falk J. (Penalty missed)
ENG 2-2 SWE – Clinton G. (Penalty saved)
ENG 2-2 SWE – Jakobsson S. (Penalty missed)
ENG 3-2 SWE – Bronze L. (Penalty scored)
ENG 3-2 SWE – Holmberg S. (Penalty missed)
England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, speaking to BBC Sport: “It just all has gone so quickly, that last little bit of the penalty shootout. We’re very happy. The fans knew we could bring this back and you never write us off.”
On what the shootout was like: “Stressful. Stressful watching, stressful playing. Every time I saved one I was thinking ‘please just put it in so we have a bit of a cushion’. Their keeper then just went and saved the next one and I was thinking ‘oh goodness, here we go.’
“I think I was better in the game when I had one nostril than when I was completely fine! Just happy and relieved now.”
On her nosebleed: “It’s fine. Me and nosebleeds never go well. Me and the doctor have had some great history in the past with having to go to hospital and stuff so as soon as he came over he was thinking ‘not again’. I’m better with one nostril now.”
On whether she could feel the fans’ impact: “Yeah. I could tonight, especially in that shootout. They were cheering non-stop. It helps you get that little bit of an edge over them and stretch a little extra for each dive. They were definitely behind me and I really appreciated all of the support.”
England captain Leah Williamson, speaking to BBC Sport: “I just feel really, really proud. That was awful to watch at the end but the girls, I just know that we don’t ever give up and we’ve said it before, we’re never done, we never believe that we’re ever done and the fightback, the quality to turn the game around and then stay in it mentality, just incredible.”
On how much they prepared penalties: “Loads, I know there were a few more misses than normal but everybody does. It’s something you have to box off before a tournament. There’s so much science about it nowadays. It’s the easiest and the hardest thing in the world.
“That’s what I’m most proud of that you hope that you create an environment that everybody’s ready, that everyone feels valued enough and that’s what you just saw. Everybody covered so much ground, did work for themselves, did their job and they can help out each other as well. I’m so proud of them.
“I said we’ve played three finals in a row, in terms of if you lose you’re going home and we have the belief, we have the proof, it’s just about turning up and doing the job, so I’m a happy girl today.”
On her injury: “That’s not fair, it wasn’t about me, a game like that requires you to be at 100% and nobody can put a foot wrong. It wasn’t the time to stay on the pitch but I don’t know.”
England manager Sarina Wiegman, speaking to BBC Sport: “It was hard. One of the hardest games I’ve ever watched. Very emotional. We could’ve been out four or five times during the game. When you’re 2-0 down at half-time it’s not good.
“We started really badly and then at the end of the first half we got better and in the second half we got better but we didn’t create anything so we had to change shape. Then we scored two goals so that was crazy already.
“Then we go into extra-time, some players injured, some players cramping, Hannah Hampton with blood all over the place.
“Then we go to the penalty shootout and we miss a lot but they miss even more and we’re through.
“I need to decompress I think!”
Sarina Wiegman, speaking to BBC Sport on how she felt going into the shootout: “We already prepared before the game what would be the options and we know the players’ preferences. Then you have to know who’s on the pitch and who is still confident to take one. I think that was the easiest job today.”
On whether bringing on Michelle Agyemang was brave: “This is basically why we selected her. We know she hasn’t been in our environment for a long period of time but the moment she came in she did really well and she brings something different. She has shown that in training, against Belgium, against France. She’s so strong and then she scores a goal too. She’s shown that she can do that.”
On whether Hannah Hampton silenced her doubters: “She didn’t have doubters in our bubble. I think she had a very impressive performance. She had some very good saves in the second halves. She had one penalty on the right side that was an incredible save. Pretty big contribution today.”
On whether she can begin to think about the semi-finals yet: “At the moment I’m just thinking about how this team turned this around again, how this team showed resilience and kept going. Tonight we showed we’re absolutely never done.”
‘I need to decompress I think!’
Sarina Wiegman is exhausted after England’s penalty shootout success.
#BBCFootball #WEuro2025 pic.twitter.com/Cybkwh6hIo
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 17, 2025
England’s Lucy Bronze, speaking to BBC Sport about her penalty: “I actually hurt my leg a little bit in the game, which is why I had to take the tape off, so I kind of changed my mind. That’s why I took it off because I thought I’m not sure if I’m going to hurt myself doing something different.
“Also I watched the goalkeeper in every single penalty and she dived quite early and statistically in a penalty shootout it’s quite risky for the goalkeeper to stand still and go down the middle. Also you’re more likely to win if you go first – winning the coin toss played into that. So yeah – I love maths.
“I’ve been around long enough. I need to know the ins and outs of the game. All the little things can make a difference and for me it felt like it did tonight.”
England’s Lucy Bronze, speaking to BBC Sport about facing Italy in the semi-finals: “I mean obviously on paper they’re ranked lower than us but for them they’ve got everything to win in that game, considering I think it’s their first ever Euros semi-final. You saw how much it meant to them yesterday getting through.
“Even against Spain I thought they did quite well, although the scoreline probably doesn’t look like it and Spain are a top team. I’ve watched them throughout the tournament and they deserve to be in the semi-final. I don’t think we’ll take anything for granted after this game tonight so we have to be at our best if we want to be in the final.”
‘I just wanted to create some goals for the girls’
Chloe Kelly showed her magic after her appearance off the bench tonight
#BBCFootball #WEuro2025 pic.twitter.com/KIdpQouFgW
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 17, 2025
England manager Sarina Wiegman, speaking to Uefa: “It was a dramatic night. It was a very emotional night. It went from left to right, and back and forth. We started not good, we went down 2-0, we were really struggling but we fought ourselves back in the game. I thought the team showed so much resilience, that was just incredible, we made it 2-2 then to extra time and some injuries, some cramp. That was really tough too.
“Then we got this penalty shootout, I’ve never experienced anything like this, that was so crazy. I thought three times we were out and they missed again and then at the end we scored one more than they did and we’re through.”
On Hannah Hampton’s performance: “I’m very pleased with the team performance but she made a difference today. We know she’s a very intelligent keeper and she showed that during the game and also in the penalty shootout when she had that save.”
On facing Italy: “I don’t have thoughts on that yet. We have four days, which is nice to have an extra day. Tonight it’s just we’re so happy to be through and tomorrow we start thinking about Italy.”
England defender Lucy Bronze, speaking to Uefa: “It’s just overwhelming. I think both teams deserved to go through, if I’m being honest. Scoring the goal in the game, I felt ecstatic, that’s something I know I can bring to the team, I can always bring energy when we’re lacking.
“I don’t know about penalties, I’ve never taken one for England but I know that I’m confident in my ability and in Hannah [Hampton] as a keeper, so I knew I had to step up and take one for the team. I never had any doubt of where I was going or what I was doing and I knew Hannah would come up with the goods.”
On being a game away from the final: “Amazing, This England team, as long as I’ve been playing in it, we’ve always go to the semi-finals, so couldn’t let ourselves down today by not getting there. I think Italy offer a different test to Sweden but another top team, a team we’ve watched throughout the Euros, fully deserve to be in the semi-final and we’re really excited to play against them.”
‘I love that we don’t ever give up!’
Leah Williamson is so proud of her England team-mates
#BBCFootball #WEuro2025 pic.twitter.com/NVNTLPdyb5
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 17, 2025
England goalscorer Chloe Kelly, speaking to BBC Sport: “We were just as stressed as the fans, I think. We knew we had to bounce back, we weren’t at our best in the first half but we knew we were capable of doing so.
“I didn’t feel under pressure, I just wanted to create some goals for the girls and do my best. I think there are times against a top team where you are struggling a little bit, I think that’s football. It’s about sticking together in those moments, it’s riding the storm together and knowing we’ve got resilient moments and can bounce back from anything.”
On feelings going into the penalty shootout: “We worked hard on the training pitch. We had the experience of playing in a shootout in 2023. I think there’s a lot of belief within us. We got the job done.”
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