England’s feeling a lot more optimistic about their European Championship title defense now, especially after bouncing back from that tough loss to France at the start. Those impressive wins over the Netherlands and Wales—10 goals in total—have really boosted the Lionesses' confidence as they head into the quarter-finals. Ella Toone even said it best: “I think they should be scared,†when asked about Sweden on ITV.
Now, if you switch gears and look at Sweden, they’re riding a similar wave of confidence. Under Peter Gerhardsson, they’ve swept through their group stage, winning all three matches and only conceding once in a dominating victory over Germany. That sets the stage for a rematch of their Euro 2022 semi-final, where England won 4-0. But as Chelsea winger Johanna Rytting Kaneryd pointed out, this time feels different. “Maybe we’ve always been a bit of an underdog, but winning 4-1 against Germany still says a lot,†she said. “I really think teams are starting to realize we’re not the underdogs anymore, and maybe they don’t want to face us.â€
After so many near misses and heartbreaking moments, could this finally be the year that this amazing generation of Swedish talent grabs their first major title? They’ve got every reason to believe they can.
England’s captain Leah Williamson made a good point, saying her teammates need to acknowledge that Sweden “deserves a little bit more recognition†after their strong group stage performance.
“Sweden’s past results at tournaments are impressive. They’re relentless when it comes to tournament football,†Williamson mentioned. “Maybe ‘disrespectful’ is a bit too harsh, but I really think they deserve more credit."
“When you’ve got a team that works so well together like Sweden, you don’t necessarily need a standout star player because everyone knows their role. They’re tricky to prepare for. Their discipline in doing their jobs on the pitch makes them a really dangerous team.â€