Sweden secured their place in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Women's Euro 2025 with a dominant 3-0 victory over Poland. The match, held on Tuesday, saw Sweden showcase their attacking prowess, particularly down the right flank, which the Polish defense struggled to contain. This win also guaranteed Germany's spot in the knockout stage.
Sweden's victory was built on a hat-trick of headed goals from three different players. Stina Blackstenius opened the scoring in the 28th minute, followed by Kosovare Asllani in the 52nd minute, and Lina Hurtig sealed the win in the 77th minute. Sweden's aerial threat was evident throughout the match, with Asllani and Madelen Janogy both hitting the woodwork with headers before Blackstenius found the net. Poland's goalkeeper, Kinga Szemik, made a crucial save to deny Blackstenius a second goal before halftime.
Sweden's captain, Kosovare Asllani, played a pivotal role in the victory, scoring one goal and assisting another. Johanna Rytting Kaneryd was also a constant threat, contributing significantly to Sweden's numerous attacks. Fridolina Rolfö made her return from injury as a late substitute, further boosting the Swedish squad.
The win propelled Sweden to the top of Group C, ahead of Germany on goal difference. To win the group and potentially avoid a difficult path to the final, Sweden needs only a draw in their upcoming match against Germany on Saturday. The winner of Group C will likely avoid Euro 2025 favorite Spain's half of the knockout bracket. The runner-up, however, may face Spain in the semifinals.
Poland, making their major tournament debut, have been eliminated from the competition after losing both of their group matches without scoring a goal. In their first match, they lost to Germany 2-0. Ewa Pajor, Poland's captain and star forward, was effectively isolated by the Swedish defense. Poland almost scored a consolation goal in stoppage time when Milena Kokosz's long-range shot hit the inside of the post.
The UEFA Women's Euro 2025 is being held in Switzerland from July 2 to July 27. The top two teams from each of the four groups will advance to the quarter-finals. The quarter-finals will be played between July 16 and 19, the semi-finals on July 22 and 23, and the final will be held in Basel on July 27.
