Key events
England are expected to have a full squad available tonight. Jess Park missed training yesterday due to a migraine but Sarina Wiegman insisted that she will be fine to feature this evening.
We are lucky enough to have Emma Hayes on board as a columnist this month. Here is what she had to say about tonight’s quarter-final clash between Sweden and England in her latest column…
Chloe Kelly also revealed the meaning behind the ‘clicking’ celebration used by Aggie Beever-Jones and Beth Mead during England’s 6-1 win over Wales on Sunday. Both forwards, along with Kelly, were seen running over to the bench while clicking their fingers after scoring.
Kelly explained: “t’s great. We have a little group of us, the finishers, the positive clique [pronounced click by Kelly] we call it. We said if one of us comes on to score then we should do that as our celebration.
“We work really hard on the training pitch, in the gym, making sure we’re prepared when we go on to the pitch and we have a great group of girls so it’s about enjoying the whole experience as a group.”
England stars Chloe Kelly and Leah Williamson previewed tonight’s meeting with Sweden earlier this week.
Kelly said: “They are a team we definitely respect as England. They are maybe a team that does go under the radar but the consistency they have shown is impressive. They have so much talent. We have done our homework.”
Meanwhile, captain Williamson said: “When you have a team who work for each other like Sweden, then you don’t need to necessarily have a crazy standout threat because everyone plays their roles. They are hard to prepare for in that sense. The discipline for them all to complete their jobs on the pitch makes them a dangerous side.”
Jonathan Liew
“Sweden’s reliability has made them a tournament team to be respected. But by the same token England’s unpredictability has made them a tournament team to be feared. In 2022 and again in 2023, they exhibited an expert ability to focus their efforts where they would be most needed, the ability to do just enough to win. There are goals coming from all areas of the pitch. This may just be the worst time to play them…”
As I briefly mentioned earlier, Italy will face the winner of tonight’s match between Sweden and England next Tuesday.
On that note, let’s look ahead to the 8pm BST kick-off…
It would probably be fair to say that last night was another missed opportunity for Norway, a team with so much potential and, on paper, one of the most impressive squads at Euro 2025.
Norway never really looked convincing in the group stage, despite racking up a maximum nine points. They won each match by a one-goal margin and with performances that didn’t match up to the standard you’d expect from a team with the likes of Caroline Graham Hansen, Guro Reiten, Ada Hegerberg and Frida Maanum.
In case you missed it, Italy stunned Norway last night to reach their first major women’s tournament semi-final in 28 years. The Italians took the lead through Cristiana Girelli just five minutes into the second half. Ada Hegerberg then missed a penalty for Norway, blasting her effort wide. However, she quickly bounced back to equalise.
As the clock approached the 90-minute mark, the match looked as though extra time would be needed. However, Girelli struck again, this time with a headed effort at the back post from a Sofia Cantore cross.
Euro 2025 quarter-finals:
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Norway 1-2 Italy
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Sweden v England
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Spain v Switzerland
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France v Germany
More on Olivia Smith’s move to Arsenal:
Upon her arrival at Arsenal, Olivia Smith said: “It’s a privilege and an honour to sign for Arsenal. It’s my dream to compete for the biggest titles here in England and in Europe and I’m excited to get started and contribute to doing that here with Arsenal. The atmosphere the supporters create at Emirates Stadium is incredible and I can’t wait to have that behind me now.”
Head coach Renée Slegers said: “Olivia is an exciting young player and we believe she can make a big contribution here at Arsenal. We’ve been impressed by her mentality and character, excelling in two European leagues at such a young age. I know she has a level of ambition that matches our own and we’re looking forward to working with her as she continues to grow at the club.”
Smith will wear the No15 shirt for the Gunners.
Arsenal sign Olivia Smith for world-record fee
Arsenal have confirmed the signing of Olivia Smith for a world-record £1million fee. The 20-year-old has penned a four-year deal with the European champions.
Preamble
Hello, good morning and welcome to another Euro 2025 Matchday live! Italy said ‘ciao’ to Norway last night after booking a place in the semi-finals with a 2-1 win. They will face either Sweden or England in the final four next Tuesday.
Speaking of, those two teams go head-to-head tonight in what is set to be a closely contested clash. I’ll be counting down to kick-off all day, bringing you the latest news from Switzerland.
Join me!