Spain overcame lacking two penalties to beat hosts Switzerland 2-0 in Bern on Friday to succeed in the Girls’s Euro semifinals for simply the second time of their historical past.
Swiss resistance was damaged by the world champions’ two targets in a five-minute spell halfway via the second half.
Ahead Athenea del Castillo got here off the bench to open the scoring and Clàudia Pina added an excellent second to safe a gathering with France or Germany in Zurich on Wednesday.
It was Spain’s first-ever knockout win at a Girls’s Euro after failed makes an attempt within the 2013, 2017 and 2022 quarterfinals, and within the 1997 semifinals, which immediately adopted a bunch stage.
“We’re very completely satisfied, and really completely satisfied to have reached the semifinals,” Athenea mentioned after the ultimate whistle. “The crew gave it their all. The ambiance was spectacular, and hopefully it may be repeated.
“The crew created many possibilities however we did not convert them, we obtained a bit caught, however ultimately we managed to get the win.”
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Spain appeared to have made the proper begin when Mariona Caldentey was upended by a rash problem by Nadine Riesen, however having opted to take the spot-kick herself the ahead rolled it broad of the publish.
Pina had a number of possibilities for Spain however stout defending by the hosts noticed them go in stage on the break, a lot to the delight of the raucous crowd.
It took a second of brilliance from Aitana Bonmatí to interrupt the impasse for the world champions within the 66th minute, teeing up Athenea with an instinctive backheel for the substitute to information the ball previous Swiss keeper Livia Peng.
5 minutes later, Pina doubled her facet’s benefit as Switzerland captain Lia Wälti was dispossessed simply outdoors her personal penalty space, and Pina curled an excellent shot into the highest nook earlier than wheeling away in celebration.
The drama continued proper to the tip, with Spain’s Alexia Putellas lacking a late penalty and Switzerland’s Noelle Maritz proven a straight pink card for a stoppage-time problem.
Spain are the primary crew to overlook two penalties in a Girls’s Euro sport since Norway towards Germany in 2013.
Because the Spaniards danced in a circle to have fun advancing to the final 4, the Swiss followers sang loudly in appreciation of the crew, and the gamers bounced collectively in unison because the hosts exited the event with their heads held excessive having made the knockout phases for the primary time.
After dropping 1-0 to Germany within the bronze medal sport on the 2024 Paris Olympics, Athenea mentioned her crew had some unfinished enterprise with the Germans, who face France within the final quarterfinal in Basel on Saturday.
“They’re two nice groups. Perhaps we would want to face Germany once more due to what occurred on the Olympics, however whoever we play, we’ll give it our all,” she mentioned.
Info from Reuters, The Related Press and ESPN Analysis was used on this report.