England Building 'urgency' - Are They Ready For Sweden?

England booked their spot successful nan quarter-finals of Euro 2025 successful style pinch a thumping triumph complete Wales - truthful are they fresh to return nan adjacent step?

They showed why they mean business successful Switzerland, beating Wales 6-1 aft a important 4-0 triumph complete nan Netherlands.

It has not been each soft sailing - their 2-1 nonaccomplishment to France successful nan opening lucifer put them connected nan backmost ft - but England are building momentum.

Sweden are up adjacent connected Thursday (20:00 BST) successful a repetition of nan Euro 2022 semi-final arsenic England look to proceed nan defence of their title.

The group stages showed nan champion and nan worst of England arsenic France exploited their protect frailties and kicked them into cogwheel for nan remaining 2 matches.

Bruised by their opening defeat, nan Lionesses vowed to do their talking connected nan transportation - and they did.

Emphatic victories against nan Netherlands and Wales followed arsenic they vanished runners-up successful nan group, avoiding a heavyweight quarter-final necktie pinch Germany successful nan process, and a imaginable gathering pinch world champions Spain aliases hosts Switzerland successful nan semi-finals.

Where they vanished successful nan group did not interest head Sarina Wiegman - outwardly astatine slightest - but she was pleased pinch nan "urgency" that nan France nonaccomplishment gave them.

"That really brought america together and everyone really wanted to execute and beryllium successful," she said.

"In nan Netherlands game, we really created urgency and momentum by playing really good and to our strengths.

"With that loss, nan urgency came and I deliberation nan squad really responded well. Now hopefully we tin show that again against Sweden."

England were ascendant successful their wins complete nan Netherlands and Wales, scoring 10 goals successful nan process, and displaying immoderate of their champion free-flowing football.

Lauren James stood retired pinch her individual quality, Ella Toone proved her worthy successful nan starting XI and Alessia Russo was nan glue up top.

"It doesn't look it astatine nan clip but [losing to France] was astir apt nan champion point that could person happened to america arsenic a squad and it motivated us," said England guardant Beth Mead.

"We had difficult conversations, we figured things out. You don't triumph aliases suffer a tourney successful nan first game.

"Now we are successful a position wherever we are building rather nicely."

Midfielder Keira Walsh said their "slow start" whitethorn person "kicked them into gear" but they recovered assurance and bravery that had been lacking successful Zurich.

It would person been a immense disappointment had England grounded to suffice for nan knockout stages but having progressed from nan toughest group successful nan tournament, Georgia Stanway said it was thing worthy celebrating.

"There person been galore days successful this tourney wherever we could person been going home. To beryllium staying a fewer much days is thing we tin beryllium proud of," she added.

There is plentifulness for Wiegman to deliberation astir going into nan quarter-finals.

She was criticised for her set-up successful nan opening defeat, erstwhile James started successful nan number 10 domiciled and England's midfield was carved apart.

Jess Carter was heavy tested astatine left-back and Stanway struggled to person an effect connected nan shot successful midfield.

But she reacted and sewage it spot connected against nan Dutch, moving James retired wide, bringing Toone into nan starting XI and swapping Alex Greenwood and Carter's positions successful nan backmost four.

It was truthful successful that she named nan aforesaid starting XI against Wales.

Asked what nan cardinal to England's midfield improvement was, Walsh said: "I deliberation monolithic in installments to Ella Toone. She's travel successful and done an unthinkable job.

"People speak astir her offensively, but nan protect activity she does for maine and Georgia [Stanway] erstwhile she's successful location is incredible.

"She covers a batch of spaces that we can't. That's astir apt been nan main point that's stopped different teams from playing arsenic well."

Whether Wiegman sticks aliases twists again is yet to beryllium seen but intelligibly she has recovered a winning formula, and she is simply a head who likes continuity, having won Euro 2022 pinch nan aforesaid starting line-up for each six matches.

She has besides learned astir her squad extent pinch Aggie Beever-Jones coming disconnected nan chair to people against Wales, while teen Michelle Agyemang had a beingness successful her short cameo against France.

Sweden person started powerfully successful Switzerland, producing nan equipment successful a thrilling 4-1 triumph complete Germany connected Saturday to spell done arsenic Group C winners, picking up 9 points from their 3 matches.

They are nary strangers to England having faced each different successful nan semi-finals of Euro 2022 - the Lionesses won 4-0 successful emphatic style.

They besides met successful Euro 2025 qualifying pinch Sweden holding England to a frustrating 1-1 tie astatine Wembley successful April 2024, followed by a goalless draw 3 months later.

Both nations person now progressed from nan group stages successful their past six awesome tournaments, truthful this is acquainted territory.

"We watched their crippled [against Germany]. It was a very absorbing game," said Mead.

"They airs a very different threat and it's a squad we person played a batch successful nan past. Hopefully we tin nullify what they are bully astatine and bring our strengths."

The United States head Emma Hayes told ITV that if England were not set-up properly, Sweden will "cause them a batch of problems".

With Chelsea's Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, Arsenal's Stina Blackstenius and Fridolina Rolfo - who precocious near Barcelona - among Sweden's ranks, England cognize they look a beardown counter-attacking team.

Walsh says they are besides a "really physical" squad who person been ruthless successful their 3 matches truthful far.

Former England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley is besides alert of nan threats that nan Lionesses' adjacent opponents will offer.

"Sweden person sewage speedy wingers, a really talented, knowledgeable midfield and threats in-behind," she told BBC Radio 5 Live. "They are respective things that England person struggled with."

But while Sweden are afloat of confidence, England person built their ain momentum and Bardsley is assured they tin progress.

"I judge successful nan Lionesses. I deliberation they tin win. It is going to beryllium a importantly different order," she told BBC Radio 5 Live.