ZURICH: England recovered in the most dramatic fashion, from trailing Sweden three times in dramatic fashion in their UEFA Women’s Euro quarter-final – once in the match and twice in a penalty shootout as the champions eventually won a nerve-shredded penalty shootout 3-2 after a 2-2 extra-time draw.

The Lionnesses had conceded two soft goals in the opening 25 minutes and were fortunate to remain only two down at the interval. Then substitutes Chloe Kelly and Michelle Agyemang came to the rescue in the closing stages; inside 103 seconds Kelly set up a first goal for Lucy Bronze and then a second for Angemang.

In the shootout England led briefly then trailed in both the initial series of penalties and again in the sudden death phase before emerging as 3-2 winners.

Sweden will fly home baffled and bewildered at how they manage to let the quarter-final escape them, especially considering their dominance of the first half.

They also held the advantage twice in a shootout in which keeper Jennifer Falk saved four penalties but skied the potentially winning spotkick over the bar.

England’s defining star on the night were late-arriving substitutes Kelly and Agyemang plus Hannah Hampton in goal. Hamton, who suffered a bloody nose just before the end of extra time, recovered to make crucial saves in a shootout which also saw the Swedes hit a post.

England coach Sarina Wiegman said; “It’s just all gone so quick, like that last little bit in the penalty shootout, but we’re very happy, obviously.

“It was hard, one of the hardest games I’ve ever watched. Very emotional. We could’ve been out four or five times during the game. When you’re 2-0 down at halftime, it’s not good.

“We started really badly and then at the end of the first half we got better and in the second half we got better but we didn’t create anything so we had to change shape. Then we scored two goals so that was crazy already.

“Then we go into extra-time, some players injured, some players cramping, Hannah Hampton with blood all over the place, then we go to the penalty shootout and we miss a lot but they miss even more and we’re through.”

Yet Sweden had seized instant command of the game when Stina Blackstenius set up captain Kosovare Asllani to score in the second minute. Blackstenius then out-ran Jess Carter to score in the 25th minute. England, utterly out of sorts, had Hampton to thank for keeping them within touching distance.

Time was running out for an improved but increasingly desperate England when Wiegman rang the changes, bringing on Beth Mead, Agyemang and Esme Morgan in the 70th minute, and Chloe Kelly a few minutes later.

Kelly set up a headed equaliser for Lucy Bronze and hen an equaliser, 103 seconds later, for Agyemang. So to a goalless extra time and penalties which ended when Swedish teenager Smilla Holmberg fired, decisively, high over the bar.

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