England expects as the Lionesses are just two victories away from winning their first ever major tournament trophy, with Sweden the Euro 2022 semi-final opponents at Bramall Lane on Tuesday evening (kick-off 8pm BST).
England swept through the group stage, scoring a record 14 goals without reply against Austria, Norway and Northern Ireland but came perilously close to exiting their home tournament in the quarter-finals when they trailed Spain 1-0 with six minutes to play before Ella Toone dramatically equalised and Georgia Stanway’s stunning goal secured a 2-1 win after extra-time.
The Lionesses will be roared on by another capacity home crowd but their semi-final record at major tournaments doesn’t bode well – defeats at the 1987, 1995 and 2013 Euros combining with losses at the 2015 and 2019 World Cups for a record of five defeats to just two wins (1984 and 2009 Euros). However, right-back Lucy Bronze is confident things will be different this time.
“It’s a huge opportunity,” said Bronze. “I’m lucky enough to have experienced semi-finals, unlucky enough to have experienced defeat. So far things have been a little different from previous tournaments, but psychologically we’ve always been prepared to be at the top. A lot of players are used to being in winning teams now more than ever.” Here’s everything you need to know:
When is England vs Sweden?
The match will kick off at 8pm GMT on Tuesday 26 July. It will be played at Bramall Lane in Sheffield.
How can I watch it?
It will be shown live on BBC One, with coverage starting from 7:25pm. It will also be shown live on the BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website.
What’s the team news?
England have named an unchanged line-up for every Euro 2022 match so far and, with no injury worries, Sarina Wiegman has the option of doing so again. Alessia Russo and Ella Toone have repeatedly impressed off the bench and could theoretically start ahead of Ellen White and Fran Kirby respectively, while left-back Rachel Daly had a torrid time against Spain which means Alex Greenwood could start ahead of her, but Wiegman is most likely to stick with the XI that have got her this far – and allow the substitutes to continue to impact games off the bench.
Sweden’s issues mainly revolve around Covid-19, with Hanna Glas, Emma Kullberg and Jonna Andersson all missing the quarter-final win over Belgium after testing positive. Providing the trio are available, Glas and Andersson will likely start as the two full-backs but the remainder of the team should be unchanged, including a front three of Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, Fridolina Rolfo and Stina Blackstenius, despite Rolfo struggling to affect proceedings against the Red Flames.
Predicted line-ups
England XI: Earps; Bronze, Bright, Williamson, Daly; Walsh, Stanway; Kirby; Hemp, White, Mead
Sweden XI: Lindahl; Glas, Ilestedt, Eriksson, Andersson; Angeldahl, Asllani, Bjorn; Rytting Kaneryd, Rolfo, Blackstenius
Odds
England: 5/6
Draw: 12/5
Sweden: 7/2
Prediction
England’s record in semi-finals at major tournaments is dicey but in Wiegman, they have the ultimate tournament manager and this is a side bristling with confidence and self-belief. The Lionesses are a better team than Sweden and should be able to get the job done. England 3-1 Sweden