England Aims To Sustain Urgency As They Face Sweden In Euros Quarter-Finals

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England's manager, Sarina Wiegman, has urged her team to maintain the same intensity that saw them through a challenging group stage at Euro 2025. After finishing second to France in Group D, England secured a quarter-final match against Sweden following their 6-1 victory over Wales. This marks the sixth consecutive major tournament where England has advanced past the group stage, joining Sweden and France as the only European nations to achieve this since the 2015 World Cup.

The Lionesses began their title defence in Switzerland with a loss to France but bounced back with a commanding 4-0 win over the Netherlands. Knowing that a win against debutants Wales would secure their progression, England delivered a convincing performance. They have now triumphed in their last nine matches against fellow home nations, achieving an aggregate score of 39-3 against Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

Wiegman emphasised the importance of building on their victory over Wales as they prepare for Sweden. "I think we built momentum also from the France game because that really brought us together and everyone really wanted to perform and be successful," she stated. The team demonstrated urgency and cohesion during their match against the Netherlands by playing to their strengths.

England will face Sweden on Thursday, a team they have defeated only once in their last six encounters across all competitions (D3 L2). Wiegman acknowledged that while they are in a good position, Sweden will present a different challenge. "We are in a good place and are really happy. At the same time, we know Sweden will be a totally different game than it was tonight," she noted.

Tournament Dynamics

The events at St. Jakob-Park were crucial in determining England's next opponent. With the Netherlands leading France 2-1 at halftime, England seemed set for a quarter-final clash with Germany. However, Laurent Bonadei's team turned things around with Delphine Cascarino scoring twice to secure France's top spot with a 5-2 win.

Despite these developments, Wiegman remained focused on her team's performance rather than potential outcomes. She stressed the importance of winning each game without worrying about future matchups: "If you start thinking like that, then it's very tricky... If you want to be successful in the tournament, you should be able to win every single game."

As England prepares for their encounter with Sweden, maintaining focus and building on past successes will be key to advancing further in Euro 2025.