England vs Sweden player ratings: Super sub Alessia Russo shines as Lionesses book Euro final spot | Football News
England Women will get their shot at silverware on Sunday as they booked their first Euro final since 2009 with a scintillating 4-0 victory over Sweden at Bramall Lane. So who stood out for Sarina Wiegman’s side?
Mary Earps – 9
Was kept busy from minute one. It took a brilliant save to deny Sofia Jakobsson as England were caught napping early on, while she also rebuffed an expeditious effort from Stina Blackstenius. She has not put a glove wrong all tournament and that continued against Sweden – wonderful improvisation also ensured Blackstenius was thwarted in the second half with a sensational fingertip save. Commanding.
Beth Mead and Lauren Hemp join Fran Kirby (centre) in celebrating her goal that put England 4-0 ahead against Sweden
Millie Bright – 7
Only looked under threat for the first 10 minutes of the tie, but was much more secure after England rode an early wave of pressure. Her relationship with Leah Williamson is the bedrock of the Lionesses’ impressive defensive stability.
Leah Williamson – 8
Assured. Not much more to say. Partners Bright perfectly at the heart of the defence and is a large part of the reason England have only been breached once this tournament. A true captain’s performance.
Rachel Daly – 7
Assured first-half performance – many thought she might miss out after a nervy display against Spain. Looked promising going forward in patches and combined well with Lauren Hemp. Also held her own physically.
Lucy Bronze – 7
Lucy Bronze celebrates scoring England’s second goal against Sweden
Caught out a few times by the pace of Fridolina Rolfo, but provided the assist for Beth Mead’s opener and scored England’s second. She was exposed by Sweden’s first-half strategy, overloading the left channel and exploiting the space left when on the attack. Her influence in the final third, though, was pivotal.
Georgia Stanway – 7
So dependable. Her goal in the last round stole the headlines and rightly so. She’s the reason England are in this position. She didn’t quite hit the same heights against Sweden but is consistently steady.
Keira Walsh – 8
Beth Mead celebrates with Keira Walsh
Dispossessed everything in her path. Doesn’t often grab the headlines but is such an important part of England’s success. Powerful, authoritative and calm and composed on the ball. Her range of passing also goes unnoticed next to the exuberant Stanway, but she’s equally as adept at picking a useful pass. There probably wasn’t a blade of the Sheffield grass she didn’t cover.
Lauren Hemp – 6
Missed a gaping goal when teed up by Alessia Russo in the second half, but worked tirelessly. She hustled and harried throughout but didn’t get the rub of the green in front of goal. She’s undoubtedly a threat, but definitely has more to give – what has she saved for the final showpiece?
Beth Mead – 7
Beth Mead celebrates after scoring England’s first goal against Sweden
Not quite as poised in possession as usual, but her touch in front of goal was as infallible as ever. Scored the opening goal, arguably against the run of play, as Sweden enjoyed a positive opening 45 minutes. The finish was symptomatic of a player in the form of her life. Her goal changed the dynamic of the tie and she delivered the corner for Bronze’s headed goal.
Fran Kirby – 8
Executed the playmaker role admirably, using her adhesive touch to pick pockets of space and invite players to join attacks. Her hold-up play was crucial for England’s second goal, feeding Hemp, who won the corner that provided the opportunity. She then scored the Lionesses’ fourth with a cheeky lob to safeguard victory.
England’s Fran Kirby duels for the ball with Sweden’s Nathalie Bjoern
Ellen White – 5
Failed to make much of an impact, but had a couple of first-half chances – owing to some clever movement. Was replaced by Alessia Russo before the hour-mark but never stopped running.
Substitutes
Alessia Russo – 9
Super sub strikes again! A ridiculously audacious finish, which stunned every onlooker inside Bramall Lane. She teed up Hemp within seconds of entering the field, before scoring with a back-flick that fooled Hedvig Lindahl into submission. Her introduction has always been impactful, but her finishing is becoming hard to overlook.
Ella Toone – 7
Didn’t have a huge amount of time to make an impact but went about her work diligently. She is always a bundle of energy from the bench.
The knock-out phase…
Quarter-finals
Wednesday July 20
Quarter-final 1: England 2-1 Spain (AET)
Thursday July 21
Quarter-final 2: Germany 2-0 Austria
Friday July 22
Quarter-final 3: Sweden 1-0 Belgium
Saturday July 23
Quarter-final 4: France 1-0 Netherlands (AET)
Semi-finals
Tuesday July 26
Semi-final 1: England 4-0 Sweden
Wednesday July 27
Semi-final 2: Germany vs France – kick-off 8pm, Stadium MK
Final
Sunday July 31
England vs Germany or France – kick-off 5pm, Wembley
Follow Euro 2022 across Sky Sports
Sky Sports News and Sky Sports’ digital platforms will be following every step of England’s Euro 2022 journey ahead of Tuesday’s semi-final.
On the road, the Sky Sports News Mobile Presentation bus will continue to bring you all the best guests and analysis from the likes of Karen Carney, Sue Smith, Courtney Sweetman-Kirk and Laura Bassett offering their expert insight. The bus will be based in the heart of Sheffield ahead of England’s last four fixture, before heading to Wembley for the final.
Across SkySports.com, the Sky Sports App and on social media, we’ll have all the big moments covered with our previews, features, reports, analysis, plus the the Sky Sports Women’s Euros podcast with Sky Sports’ senior football journalist Charlotte Marsh and Sky Sports News reporter Anton Toloui.
And if you’re new to the England squad, don’t worry – here’s our guide to meeting the Lionesses.
As well as England, Sky Sports News and Sky Sports digital will also be covering all the knockout games as we head towards the showpiece final on July 31.
