England’s women banished the heartbreak of their two recent major semifinal defeats by beating Sweden 4-0 to reach the final of Euro 2022.
It didn’t all go host England’s way, however, as Sarina Wiegman’s side had to weather some serious first-half pressure from a world class Sweden side.
But Beth Mead’s smart turn and finish after the half-hour mark settled England’s obvious nerves and from then on there only looked like being one winner.
Lucy Bronze’s header from a corner early in the second half and then a stunning back-heeled goal from substitute Alessia Russo sent the 28,624 fans inside Bramall Lane into rapture, before Fran Kirby’s lob added gloss to an already remarkable scoreline.
Sweden, after all, is currently ranked second in the world, with England only previously recording three wins over Sweden in its entire history.
In what has already been a record-breaking tournament for attendances and viewing figures, Tuesday’s game set a new record attendance for a Euros semifinal.
After defeats in the semifinals at the 2019 World Cup, Euro 2017, England will now play in the final against either Germany or France at Wembley Stadium on July 31.
“I think they have shown a couple of times they are very resilient,” Wiegman told the BBC. “We didn’t start well, we had a hard time.
“We found a way. The players in the game found a way to get out of their pressure. I’m so incredibly proud of them.”
