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The drama in Bern: England advances after a historic penalty shootout due to their mistakes

The ball shook more than ever in Bern. England eliminated Sweden in the quarter-finals of the 2025 Women's Euro Cup, but they did so in the midst of one of the most surreal penalty shootouts in memory. The semi-final spot was decided after a heart-stopping series of shots from the penalty spot, in which 14 shots were taken... and nine were missed. Yes, nine. No one in the stadium could believe what they were seeing.

It all started with a match that seemed to be going Sweden's way. After 24 minutes, the Scandinavians were already leading 2-0 thanks to goals from Asllani and Blackstenius. But the English, led by Sarina Wiegman from the bench and a brilliant Chloe Kelly on the pitch, turned the script around in the final stretch. In just two minutes, Lucy Bronze (78') and Michelle Agyemang (80') equalised and sent the match into extra time.

Extra time did not resolve anything, but the worst — or the best, depending on your point of view — was yet to come. The penalty shootout was pure chaos. England started off strong, but then missed three in a row. The Swedes weren't much better: Jennifer Falk, their goalkeeper, saved three penalties... and then it was her turn to take hers. But the momentary heroine sent the ball flying into the clouds, leaving everything as it was.

With nerves on edge and the stands on the verge of collapse, the disaster continued: more misses, goalkeepers getting carried away, balls flying out of the stadium and tension worthy of a film. Jennifer Falk showed off again by stopping another shot, but her English counterpart, Hannah Hampton, responded with another save to keep her team alive. Amidst the chaos, Lucy Bronze reappeared — with her thigh bandaged and too weak to celebrate — to score her penalty and give England hope.

And then came the cruelest moment. Smilla Holmberg, just 18 years old, had the responsibility of keeping Sweden in the fight. The promising young Hammarby player took a brave shot... but the ball went over the crossbar. Holmberg broke down in tears as her teammates tried to comfort her. England, without having done much more, made it to the semi-finals after an exercise in emotional resilience.

After the match, Sarina Wiegman admitted that they had already prepared for the shootout, although she acknowledged that everything depends on the mood at the decisive moment. ‘You have to see who is on the pitch and who feels confident,’ she said. For his part, Peter Gerhardsson, the Swedish coach, was harsher in his analysis: "How many players take penalties at their clubs? One, two? It's difficult to prepare for something like that."

The debate is open: was it a matter of luck, preparation or pure mental block? The truth is that this shootout is already in the history books: no other Euro Cup match — male or female — has recorded so many mistakes from the penalty spot. Not even the famous Germany-Italy match in 2016, which had seven misses, came close to this nonsense.

Meanwhile, England remains alive in the tournament, although leaving more questions than answers. And Sweden, which had everything to win, leaves with a wound that will take time to heal. The Euro Cup continues, but this match has already been marked as a collective madness that no one will forget.