Sweden v England LIVE: Result and reaction as Lionesses qualify for Euro 2025
Sweden 0-0 England: Sarina Wiegman’s side secured their place in next summer’s tournament thanks to a goalless draw
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Your support makes all the difference.England secured their place at Euro 2025 after a nervous end to their final qualifying match away in Sweden.
The Lionesses started the match well after three changes from Sarina Wiegman brought Lucy Bronze, Ella Toone and Millie Bright back into the team. They dominated the ball over the first half, passing with tempo and looking for the opening goal. Alessia Russo and Georgia Stanway both had decent efforts but the Lionesses failed to utilise their dominance in front of goal.
As the match progressed Sweden grew in confidence and desperation. The hosts, knowing they needed to win to get through, introduced Rosa Kafaji and Evelyn Ijeh in the second half.
Both substitutes were quick and direct but the restored partnership of Bright and Leah Williamson kept them at bay. The final 10 minutes were a nervous affair but England held out and will defend their title at the Euros next summer.
Relive the action as England take on Sweden in Euro 2025 qualifying:
Sweden v England
Since winning four of their five home games in all competitions in 2021 (D1), Sweden have won just three of their nine such games since (D3 L3).
Euro 2025 permutations: What do England need to qualify for the tournament?
England will bid to secure automatic qualification for Euro 2025 as they face Sweden in their final Group A3 game.
A win over the Republic of Ireland last week has left the Lionesses in control of their own destiny as Sarina Wiegman’s side look to make certain of a trip to Switzerland next summer.
The top two sides in the group will progress directly to the tournament, with the third and fourth-placed finishers forced to negotiate play-offs.
Defending champions England have so far won three of their five qualifiers and sit second in the group.
Euro 2025 permutations: What do England need to qualify for the tournament?
The Lionesses face Sweden in Gothenburg in their final group game
Sweden v England
After a 1-1 draw at Wembley in April, England could fail to win both meetings with a team in a single qualifying campaign for a major tournament for the first time since drawing twice with France in qualifying for the 2007 World Cup.
Sweden v England
England are unbeaten in their last two meetings with Sweden (W1 D1) and could go three in a row without defeat versus the Swedes for the second time after a run of four draws between 1979 and 1983.
Sweden v England
Sweden are unbeaten in four previous home meetings with England (W3 D1) with the most recent of those coming in a July 2013 friendly in Uddevalla, when the Swedes ran out 4-1 winners.
Overall, only Germany (21) have beaten the Lionesses more often than Sweden (15).
England team changes
Sarina Wiegman makes three changes to the starting line-up for England’s match against Sweden. Maya Le Tissier and Alex Greenwood drop out of the defence with Millie Bright and Lucy Bronze brought back in.
Further up field Jess Park drops to the bench after impressing against Republic of Ireland with Ella Toone back in as her replacement.
Sweden v England line-ups
England XI: Hampton; Bronze, Bright, Williamson, Carter; Walsh, Toone, Stanway; Mead, Russo, Hemp
Sweden XI: Musovic; Lundkvist, Sembrant, Eriksson, Andersson; Angeldal, Asllani, Olme; Rytting Kaneryd, Janogy, Rolfo
Williamson feels excited and ‘lucky’ playing for England
Leah Williamson also provided an insight into how it feels to captain her country and play for the Lionesses saying: “I love playing for England, anyone who gets to wear this kit is very lucky.
“It’s been an exciting time, it’s a pressurised situation and it’s competitive football. We’re trying to qualify for a tournament we won last time.
“I’m always chasing a certain level of consistency, which is a challenge in itself.”
England can score more goals
Leah Williamson wants the Lionesses to regain their cutting edge in front of goal and start putting away chances when they create them.
Speaking about the 2-1 win over Ireland last Friday the England captain said: “In every game we’ve played we’ve had the opportunity to score a lot more, which would make those moments that we get a bit nervy not so nervy. It’s not a lack of concentration or trying, it’s just the way they’ve gone.
“We could have put them to bed a lot earlier.
“Friday night against Republic of Ireland was another example of that when we could have scored more goals. Obviously winning 2-1 sounds a lot closer than we would have liked considering how we dominated.”
Wiegman empathises with Gareth Southgate after Euros defeat
The England women’s team watched the Euro 2024 final together from their hotel in Gothenburg ahead of their qualifier and were saddened when Gareth Southgate’s side lost.
Sarina Wiegman is one of the few who can understand what Southgate went through as she took charge of the Lionesses for the 2023 World Cup final defeat.
“First of all it took me three weeks to get over it,” Wiegman said, “No it’s very hard, when you give everything and then it can go both ways of course, because you have an opponent who really wants to win too and has those qualities too, so when you have given your everything you hope you win and then when you don’t win you’re really disappointed.
“You start thinking ‘did we get everything out of ourselves?’ ‘did we do everything that we could?’ what was in our control, and then you have to accept it.
“It’s easier to accept a win than to accept a loss but for me it took a while.”
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