𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Switzerland’s Pia Sundhage said: “The words coming to my mind are: ‘It is possible.’ So, even though it’s difficult, it is possible.

“And, as long as it’s possible, we’re trying. The quarter-final is something special. It’s in or out.

“It’s Spain – the world champions – which makes it even more special. But, the whole set-up, the fact that we are underdogs.

“Yeah, OK. Again and again, I’ll say: ‘It is possible.’”

Spain’s head coach said: “We know it’s an important quarter-final, and we’re focused on what we need to do.

“The team is ready, we have a clear plan to attack Switzerland and defend against their fast transitions. We’re eager for the match to begin.

“We know we’ll be playing away with a crowd supporting Switzerland, but we’re focused on our work and preparation.

“The players will have their minds on the game plan, and that will help us compete.”

Chloe Kelly walks up to the penalty spot as if she’s in her back garden. She stops. She pauses. She picks the ball up and spins it back onto the spot, as if no one is watching or waiting for the kick to keep England’s Euro defence alive, after three successive misses. So Kelly waits a little longer. She spins the ball back onto the spot three more times.

Kelly actually needs to pee. Some England players on the halfway line have lost track of the score as Kelly steps back. She locks eyes with goalkeeper Jennifer Falk and can’t help herself from grinning due to the sheer enormity of the moment. But Kelly sticks with what she knows: she lifts her left leg, skips a little, and, with her right foot, effortlessly places the biggest penalty of her life into the corner. Confident? That doesn’t quite cut it.

Spain XI: Coll; Batlle, Paredes, Aleixandri, Carmona; Bonmati, Guijarro, Putellas; Caldentey, Gonzalez, Pina

Switzerland XI: Peng; Beney, Calligaris, Walti, Martiz; Riesen, Reuteler, Ivelj, Vallotto; Crnogorcevic, Schertenleib

“One of a kind,” Sarina Wiegman said of Lucy Bronze. Her “fighter” of a full-back certainly offered an image that will go down in England folklore, albeit after a team performance that won’t quite be mentioned as prominently.

Only the spirit, appropriately, will prevail. After a series of absurd misses, in what might well have been one of the worst penalty shoot-outs in football history, a hobbling Bronze ripped off the strapping on her left leg, and strode forward. An astonishing eight of the 12 previous penalties had been squandered. Some had been missed in scarcely believable fashion, the emotional momentum of the shoot-out veering as wildly as some of the shots. So, Bronze just smashed it straight into the roof of the net.

England lived to fight another day at Euro 2025 after surviving a chaotic penalty shoot-out to beat Sweden and reach the semi-finals.

After England came from behind to claim a 2-2 draw following extra time, nine of the 14 penalties were missed in an extraordinary decider. With a 36 per cent conversion, according to ESPN, it was the worst combined penalty shoot-out rate in Women’s Euro history.

But after emerging through one of the worst penalty shoot-outs in major tournament history, England could still celebrate as they set up a semi-final with Italy.

Switzerland face perhaps the toughest challenge yet as they take on world champions Spain in the quarter-finals of the Women’s Euros, but coach Pia Sundhage predicted a win for her side saying that anything is possible.

Sundhage’s side have already become the first Swiss team to get out of the group stage at the tournament, and though the Spaniards represent a formidable opponent, the wily Swedish coach highlighted that big upsets have happened before.

“I would say this is the biggest ever. And the reason I’m saying that is because we’re going to play against the world champions. And also, on home soil, a quarter-final, so I think this is the moment,” Sundhage told reporters.

“We try to share stories, that’s what life is all about,” she said, revealing that the team had watched videos of the men’s side causing a similar upset by beating Spain at the 2010 World Cup.

“There are some stories you would like to happen again, so sharing stories brings us together, but they also bring a lot of energy as well, and just the mindset that it is possible.”

Spain playmaker Aitana Bonmati is back to full fitness following a meningitis scare and aiming to continue writing history when Spain take on Switzerland in their Women’s Euro quarter-final in Bern.

The reigning world and Nations League champions had their plans disrupted a few days before the tournament as Bonmati was hospitalised with suspected viral meningitis, but the 27-year-old said she is back to her best ahead of the Swiss showdown.

“I never thought I wouldn’t be here — I thought I may miss some games, but I never thought I couldn’t be here. I’m willing to be in this tournament. What happened was an unexpected thing,” she told reporters on Thursday.

“I felt super well physically, I was perfect … and all of a sudden, I was at the hospital. It was a new experience for me, obviously, I was negative because it was five days before starting the tournament and I was at the hospital.

“I was frustrated, I suffered, I must admit. All players want to enjoy tournaments but luckily enough I’m ready to play the quarter-finals.”

Switzerland squeezed through to the quarter-finals for the first time after scoring a late equaliser in the 1-1 draw against Finland and the hosts will be major underdogs when they take on world champions Spain in the quarter-finals.

In an ominous sign from the tournament favourites, Spain equalled the record set by England three years ago for the most goals scored in a Women’s Euros group stage, netting 14 across their three wins. They have shared the goals around the team but Esther Gonzalez has been prolific, with four already, while Alexia Putellas has been the player of the tournament so far with three goals and four assists.

Putellas looks back to her best after being ruled out of the previous Euros with a knee injury suffered on the eve of the tournament, which has meant Spain’s other two-time Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati has been able to slowly build into the competition after being in hospital for treatment for viral meningitis a week before their first match.

Even with the whole country behind them and momentum building, Switzerland require their greatest ever performance to continue their journey. Geraldine Reuteler has been their standout player in midfield, so there is some hope of a magic moment. Spain just have so many different threats and look unstoppable in attack.

Spain made some changes for their final group game against Italy but Aitana Bonmati should keep her place in midfield after making her first start of the tournament. Esther Gonzalez, the tournament’s top scorer with four goals, should return alongside Alexia Putellas and Mariana Caldentey. Cata Coll is yet to return in goal with Adriana Nanclares playing every game so far.

Switzerland named an unchanged team for their 1-1 draw against Finland and have been improved by Sydney Schertenleib and Svenja Fölmli coming into their attack. Schertenleib plays her club football with Barcelona while Lia Walti and Geraldine Reuteler have been their best performers of the tournament. Head coach Pia Sundhage has named the same defence for each match so far.