Match Report: Sweden 0-0 England
- E. Ijeh (83′)
- A. Russo (53′)
England seal their place at the UEFA Women's EURO 2015 Finals in Switzerland after picking up a point in Gothenburg
Highlights: Sweden 0-0 England
Watch back the best of the action from Gothenburg with our video highlights
Sweden v England
European Qualifier, UEFA Women's EURO 2025
6pm BST, Tuesday 16 July 2024
Gamla Ullevi, Gothenburg
Live on ITV
Sarina Wiegman stressed that England will be playing to beat Sweden in Tuesday's EURO 2025 qualifier in Gothenburg.
A draw would secure a spot at the competition for the Lionesses but both Wiegman and her skipper Leah Williamson are only interested in striving for three points.
Here is what they had to say in full.
Wiegman on the 1-1 draw with Sweden in April…
"I think we definitely want to do better than we did at Wembley, we could have executed better than we did and we've been working on that and I hope we will improve."
On the threat the Swedes pose…
"It's a good team. Very structured team. Powerful with lots of experience. They can play direct and get behind the defence. We are aware of that and we have prepared. They have to win but that's what we aim to do too."
On the battle to start in goal…
"There's a lot of competitiveness going on in the goalkeeping group but also in the team. There's a decision to be made for tomorrow and then we don't see each other for three months so players will play for their clubs and we will see."
The hard work continues. 💪 pic.twitter.com/ba0emBKekM
— Lionesses (@Lionesses) July 15, 2024
On how the team is evolving…
"We know what we're working on, we know what direction we want to go in. When things go really well we try to stay neutral because we know what we are doing and why we are doing it. And then when things don't go that well we also stay neutral and keep working on the things it's good to work on to improve."
On playing for a win…
"We never play a match to draw, we play the match to win. And if we win the game we might even win the group too. We're approaching the game to win and we'll see what happens."
Leah Williamson on qualification…
"We are reigning champions and we want to be in the tournament. If we can secure qualification then we have a year to prepare and we know where we will be. It's really important to us that we're focused on tomorrow. It's an exciting time."
On the Lionesses' recent goal record…
"In every game we've played we've had the opportunity to score a lot more, which would make those moments that we get a bit nervy not so nervy. It's not a lack of concentration or trying, it's just the way they've gone. We could have put them to bed a lot earlier. Friday night against Republic of Ireland was another example of that when we could have scored more goals. Obviously winning 2-1 sounds a lot closer than we would have liked considering how we dominated."
On captaining England in big matches…
"I love playing for England, anyone who gets to wear this kit is very lucky. It's been an exciting time, it's a pressurised situation and it's competitive football. We're trying to qualify for a tournament we won last time. I'm always chasing a certain level of consistency, which is a challenge in itself."
Sweden in profile
Coach: Peter Gerhardsson
Captain: Kosovare Asllani
FIFA Women's World Cup best performance: Runners-up in 2003
Previous meeting: England 1-1 Sweden
See the best of the action from England's game against Sweden, in the EURO 2025 qualifying campaign
Match Stats
● Sweden are unbeaten in four previous home meetings with England (W3 D1) with the most recent of those coming in a July 2013 friendly in Uddevalla, when the Swedes ran out 4-1 winners. Overall, only Germany (21) have beaten the Lionesses more often than Sweden (15).
● England are unbeaten in their last two meetings with Sweden (W1 D1) and could go three in a row without defeat versus the Swedes for the second time after a run of four draws between 1979 and 1983.
● After a 1-1 draw at Wembley in April, England could fail to win both meetings with a team in a single qualifying campaign for a major tournament for the first time since drawing twice with France in qualifying for the 2007 World Cup.
● Since winning four of their five home games in all competitions in 2021 (D1), Sweden have won just three of their nine such games since (D3 L3).
● England are unbeaten in each of their last 15 away matches in European Championship qualifying (W12 D3), winning each of the last eight in a row by an aggregate score of 32-1.
● England have only visited Germany (P8 D1 L7) and Norway (P6 L6) without ever winning more often than Sweden (D1 L3).
● England have scored in 21 consecutive away games (80 goals) since a 1-0 loss to France in October 2017, having never previously found the net in 10 such matches in a row.
● Fridolina Rolfö has scored six goals in her last 12 international appearances for Sweden, more than any other player for them since the start of 2023, including the equalising goal in the reverse fixture at Wembley in April.
● No England player has been involved in more goals in 2024 than Alessia Russo (6 – 5 goals, 1 assist) and could do so in three successive games for the Lionesses for the first time – the last player to do so was Beth Mead in July 2022.
● Fran Kirby has scored more goals in her England career against Sweden (3) than any other opponent, including a goal versus the Swedes on her senior international debut in August 2014.
From the archive: England 4-0 Sweden
A look back to our game with Sweden at Hartlepool in August 2014
England Squad News
Ticket Information
Away supporters can buy tickets for this game. Members of My England Football also receive priority access for home tickets.
How to watch or stream
This game will be shown live on ITV in the UK.
Sarina Wiegman has named her England side to take on Sweden in Tuesday's EURO 2025 qualifier.
The Lionesses boss makes three changes to the XI that beat Republic of Ireland at Carrow Road on Friday, with Lucy Bronze, Millie Bright and Ella Toone coming back into the team.
England: 1 Hannah Hampton, 2 Millie Bronze, 3 Jessica Carter, 4 Keira Walsh, 5 Millie Bright, 6 Leah Williamson (C), 7 Beth Mead, 8 Georgia Stanway, 9 Alessia Russo, 10 Ella Toone, 11 Lauren Hemp
Substitutes: 12 Niamh Charles, 13 Mary Earps, 14 Fran Kirby, 15 Alex Greenwood, 16 Maya Le Tissier, 17 Chloe Kelly, 18 Grace Clinton, 19 Aggie Beever-Jones, 20 Jess Park, 21 Khiara Keating, 22 Jess Naz, 23 Millie Turner
The reigning European champions dominated first-half possession but were unable to find the net in a hard-fought contest between two sides looking to claim the remaining automatic qualification spot in Group A3.
England had to remain firm to keep Sweden out in the final moments of the match, with a notable late save from Hannah Hampton to preserve a clean sheet.
And with the Lionesses winning three of their previous five qualifiers, including a 2-1 victory over the Republic of Ireland on Friday, a draw was enough to see Sarina Wiegman’s side qualify to defend their European title in Switzerland next summer.
England came out of the blocks the stronger side and despite having the lion’s share of possession in the first half, they were unable to break down Sweden’s well-organised defence.
The best chance of the first half came from a 37th-minute Georgia Stanway effort from outside the area that flew wide, as she tried to replicate the 25-yard screamer she scored in the victory against France last month.
The last five minutes of the first half brought a period of Swedish pressure, with Chelsea’s Johanna Rytting Kaneryd looking lively, but Leah Williamson was on hand to diffuse the threat.
Sweden started the second half with tempo and Hampton made a brilliant save to deny a shot from Filippa Angeldal after a well-worked corner.
A Mead pull-back allowed Stanway to take another shot from the right of the box two minutes later, but her strike hit the side netting.
Sweden, knowing they needed a win to avoid the play-offs, pulled out all the stops in the final 15 minutes, forcing England’s back line to fight hard and ward off the pressure.
But a dipping long-range shot from Angeldal in the 83rd minute was well kept out by Hampton as the Lionesses held on for a draw in front of 16,789 fans at Gamla Ullevi Stadium.
England’s first point on Swedish soil for 42 years means they will bypass the play-offs and qualify in second place.
Substitutes: 17 Chloe Kelly (Manchester City) for Mead 74’, 12 Niamh Charles (Chelsea) for Hemp 90’, 14 Fran Kirby (Brighton & Hove Albion) for Toone 90+3’
Subs not used: 13 Mary Earps (PSG), 21 Khiara Keating (Manchester City), 15 Alex Greenwood (Manchester City), 16 Maya Le Tissier (Manchester United), 18 Grace Clinton (Manchester United), 19 Aggie Beever-Jones (Chelsea), 20 Jess Park (Manchester City), 22 Jess Naz (Tottenham Hotspur), 23 Millie Turner (Manchester United)
Head Coach: Sarina Wiegman
Sweden: 1 Zecira Mušović, 2 Jonna Andersson, 6 Magdalena Eriksson, 3 Linda Sembrant, 4 Hanna Lundkvist, 9 Kosovare Asllani, 15 Julia Zigiotti Olme, 16 Filippa Angeldal, 18 Fridolina Rolfö, 7 Madelen Janogy, 19 Johanna Rytting Kaneryd
Substitutes: 17 Evelyn Ijeh for Janogy 45’, 20 Hanna Bennison for Zigiotti Olme 63’, 11 Rosa Kafaji for Asllani 63’
Subs not used: 12 Jennifer Falk, 21 Emma Holmgren, 5 Anna Sandberg, 8 Matilda Vinberg, 10 Sofia Jakobsson, 13 Hanna Glas, 14 Nathalie Bjorn, 22 Josefine Rybrink, 23 Elin Rubensson
Head Coach: Peter Gerhardsson
