England beat Sweden 4-0 to reach the Euro 2022 final at Wembley. The Lionesses will play the winner of the Germany vs France clash in the last act.
England went 1-0 up after 34 minutes thanks to a goal from the tournament’s top scorer, Bethany Mead. Sweden came out for the second half hoping for an equalizer, but all doubts regarding the first finalist of the Euros soon disappeared. Lucy Bronze made it 2-0 just minutes after play resumed from halftime. Alessia Russo’s backheel goal extended England’s lead to 3-0, then Fran Kirby turned off the scoreboard at 4-0.
England for the record books
The match at Bramall Lane in Sheffield marked an attendance record for a final four game at a Women’s Euro as 28,624 fans watched from the stands while England put on a show. The final on Sunday at the 90K capacity Wembley Stadium is sold out.
From her 19 games as England boss, Sarina Weigman won 17 and finished two in draws. In the process, England scored 104 goals and only conceded four, reaching the final of the Women’s Euros, qualifying for the 2023 Women’s World Cup, and winning the Arnold Clark Cup.
At this year’s Euro tournament, England won each of its five games, scoring 20 goals and conceding just one. With six goals to her name at Euro 2022 so far, Beth Mead matched Inka Grings’ performance at Euro 2009. Mead can become the top goal scorer in a single Women’s Euro Championship if she hits the net in the final.
What do the odds predict for the final?
Thanks to their victory over Sweden, England reached its third-ever Women’s Euro final. The Lionesses lost the previous two finals in 1984 and 2009. The bookies favor them ahead of Germany and France to keep the trophy in London this year. England currently sits at -140 to triumph on home soil, with Germany behind at +275 and France third at +300.
An evenly-matched semifinal between Germany and France is awaited. Germany stands at +165 to win in normal time, while France is at +190. A draw returns +210.