Sweden concluded their group stage campaign with a decisive 4-1 victory over Germany.
As Sweden prepares to face England in the Euro 2025 quarter-finals on Thursday, captain Kosovare Asllani asserted that her team “don’t fear” the Lionesses.
Reigning champions England currently hold the fifth position in the world rankings, closely followed by Sweden, who secured the top spot in their group.
Under the guidance of Peter Gerhardsson, Sweden amassed the maximum possible nine points, culminating in an impressive 4-1 triumph against Germany in their final group match.
Following England’s commanding 6-1 win over Wales, midfielder Ella Toone suggested to ITV Sport that Sweden “should be scared,” a sentiment Asllani firmly dismissed.
“We respect England, the team they have, and everything they have achieved thus far. But fear? No. The word ‘fear’ is not in our vocabulary,” Asllani stated.
“We embrace the word ‘courage.’ Naturally, we respect one of the world’s top teams, but we have formulated the perfect game plan for this match.”
“Our aim is to showcase the brand of football we aspire to represent. In our minds, there is only one outcome, and that is victory.”
Sweden’s performances have been a highlight of the tournament, and England captain Leah Williamson acknowledged that they “deserved a little bit more recognition.”
Alongside England and France, Sweden has consistently reached the quarter-finals in all five major tournaments since 2017.
“I feel like Sweden is always flying under the radar, which, in a way, suits us,” remarked London City Lionesses midfielder Asllani.
“We believe we are among the best teams in the world, based on our achievements. However, we are rarely mentioned as a team capable of winning gold.”
“We are confident that on our best day, we can defeat any team in the world. People should definitely be talking about us more.”
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In the Euro 2022 semi-finals, England defeated Sweden 4-0, but the two teams played to two draws in the Euro 2025 qualifiers last year.
Sweden’s manager, Gerhardsson, is well aware of the threats posed by England and expressed relief that he would not personally have to defend against Chelsea forward Lauren James.
The 23-year-old has scored two goals in three games and proved to be a challenging opponent for both the Netherlands and Wales.
“She is one of those exceptional players – we prepared for Pernille Harder of Denmark, Ewa Pajor of Poland, and Lea Schuller of Germany, all of whom are special players – and James is also a special player,” Gerhardsson noted.
“I appreciate that type of player because she possesses something unique, with her movement and other qualities, and she makes decisions on the pitch based on her instincts.”
“As a coach, you sometimes desire structure – ‘do this, do that.’ However, James, even when listening to the coach, ultimately makes her own decisions.”
“Every coach values that kind of player. But I hope we can contain her.”
Lucy Bronze is set to participate in her seventh major tournament for England.
Sweden recorded the highest number of open-play crosses during the group stage (61) and is renowned for its aerial prowess.
Arsenal forward Stina Blackstenius is a key player, alongside Chelsea winger Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, with 65% of Sweden’s chances originating from her right flank.
“Johanna is probably the person I get along with best at Chelsea. She is one of my best friends there. The thing with Johanna is probably her mindset,” said England defender Lucy Bronze.
“She is very competitive. I’ve seen that this season at Chelsea. She will run through a brick wall for her team. How to stop her? Hopefully she’s on the other side to me.”
While Bronze typically plays as an attacking full-back for England, she may have her hands full against her former Barcelona teammate Fridolina Rolfo on Thursday night.
Asked if she will have to adjust her playing style, Bronze responded: “I do whatever [manager Sarina Wiegman] tells me. I am in the positions that benefit the team.”
“Yes, I enjoy attacking, but I also relish defending. We are aware of the threat that Sweden poses in many of those wide positions, but we are also a strong team.”
“We don’t want to make too many changes because we want to focus on our strengths and what we can bring to the game.”
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