England women clinch spot to defend European Championship

European champions England withstood a second-half barrage to seize a 0-0 draw with Sweden in Group A3 and qualify for Euro 2025, with the Swedes heading for the playoffs after ending third within the pool.

England completed as runners-up within the group on 11 factors, one behind winners France who slumped to a shock 3-1 defeat away to Eire — their first factors of the marketing campaign. The Swedes completed with eight factors.

Realizing they solely wanted a draw to advance, England contained Sweden effectively within the first half however got here underneath huge stress within the second.

Sweden’s Filippa Angeldahl virtually scored with a thunderous late strike, however keeper Hannah Hampton clawed it away to maintain her clear sheet intact and see England via to subsequent 12 months’s finals in Switzerland.

France, who had been already via after a win over the Swedes in Dijon on Friday, went two targets behind to Eire in Cork earlier than pulling one again, however a Ninetieth-minute aim type Anna Patten wrapped up victory for the hosts.

With the Swiss qualifying routinely as hosts, the highest two groups in every of the 4 League A teams undergo, with the third and fourth-placed sides going right into a collection of playoffs to determine who will get the remaining seven spots within the 16-team match.

Italy thrashed Finland 4-0 to high Group A1 on 9 factors with Netherlands, who drew 1-1 away to Norway in Bergen, additionally going via routinely.

In Group A2 Spain and Denmark had already secured direct qualification, with the World Cup champions closing out the marketing campaign with a 2-0 win over Belgium, whereas the Danes defeated Czechia by the identical scoreline.

Germany received Group A4 with 15 factors type their six matches, however their 4-0 win over Austria was tainted by an harm to midfielder Lena Oberdorf. Iceland took second place, two factors behind Germany because of a 1-0 win away to Poland.