SHEFFIELD, United Kingdom, 17 July 2022 (AFP) – Sweden and the Netherlands qualified for the quarter-finals of the Women’s Euro Cup after finishing first and second in Group C of the continental competition on Sunday.
Thanks to Portugal’s 5-0 defeat, Sweden moved into first place tied with the Netherlands on 7 points, but with a better goal difference (+6 vs +4), after the Dutch beat Switzerland 4-1.
Unable to rely on one of their stars, Vivian Miedema, the Mark Parsons-coached men struggled to win more than the score indicated, with the game tied 1-1 after five minutes.
The Swiss opened the scoring with a goal from Stephanie van der Gracht (49) early in the second half, and although the Dutch quickly equalized with an own goal from Geraldine Reuteler (53), they were only able to secure victory at the end. Minutes with goals from Romy Leuchter (84 and 89) and Viktoria Belova (90+4)
A comfortable win for the Swedes in a game in which they took 3 points before the break thanks to a double by Filippa Angel (21 and 45) and an own goal by Portuguese Carole Costa (45+7).
Much better at set pieces, the Swedes scored in the second half with former Real Madrid player Kosovare Aslani, voted man of the match, (54, penalty), and Stina Blaxtinius scoring in stoppage time (90+1).
“We were waiting for the result of the other game and when we saw the final score 4 to 1 we were satisfied with the way we won the group,” celebrated Swedish coach Peter Gerhardsen.
“This is just the beginning for us and now we look forward to focusing on the quarter-finals,” said Alexandra Johnson.
– Netherlands-France in the quarter-finals – In the quarter-finals, reigning continental champions the Netherlands will face France in Rotherham, who have already topped Group D, on Saturday 23 July, while Sweden will have to wait for the key to be settled this Monday.
France (with 6 points) will play against Iceland (runner-up with 2 points), and in the other game they will face Belgium and Italy, both with 1 point, but with a chance of qualification. For that they need to win and the Icelanders hope not to defeat the French.
“I think they don’t want to face us. We met last time (3-1 last February), but we told ourselves that next time will be better for us,” Dutch coach Parsons said ahead of the quarter-final against France.
Only Sweden’s quarter-final is yet to be decided. Apart from France-Holland, the first two clashes are set for Saturday: hosts England play against Spain next Wednesday and Germany and Austria face each other a day later.
mve/lh/mcd/yy
Jane Austen is a writer and contributor covering culture, literature, lifestyle, and society. Her work focuses on thoughtful storytelling, social trends, and the issues shaping everyday life, delivering engaging and accessible content for readers across the United Kingdom.
