England marched through to their third Women’s Euro final with a 4-0 victory over Sweden at Bramall Lane after an explosive second half.
The Lionesses got past the Scandinavians with a fiery second-half performance. Beth Mead struck again; the Arsenal attacker increased her goal tally to six with her eyes fixed on the golden boot.
Here’s how we rated the performances of Sarina Wiegman’s side:
ALSO READ: How to buy tickets for England's final at Women's Euro 2022 and prices
Mary Earps: As solid a goalkeeping performance as you’ll ever see. Earps made a great save early on in the first half when Rolfö was clear on goal early on and denied Stina Blackstenius with a beautiful parry in the 65th minute. - 8
Lucy Bronze: She provided the assist for the first goal and then scored early in the second period from a corner. However, the Barcelona full-back was out of position too often; England’s defensive weak spot that Sweden looked to exploit consistently in the first half. - 8
Leah Williamson: She played some dangerous long balls from the back line that spread the play well. The captain took a less active role as a centre-back, but she was always reliable when called upon. - 7
Millie Bright: A dependable performance by the ever-consistent Bright. Defensively strong and a creative threat playing out from the back. - 7
Rachel Daly: A flurry of Cruyff turns and flair in the first half showed an inferior performance against Spain hadn’t knocked Daly’s confidence. Daly’s threat on the overlap alongside Hemp opened Sweden up well. - 8
Keira Walsh: Marshalled out of the game in possession by Sweden in the first half, she did well with the little space afforded. Defensively Walsh effectively covered gaps left by Lucy Bronze and Rachel Daly. – 7
Fran Kirby: A performance topped off with a chipped goal that befuddled the goalkeeper. Kirby saved England in the first half, too, with a well-timed block when Jakobsson was lurking on goal. - 8
Georgia Stanway: Alongside Kirby, Stanway found pockets of space expertly. Sometimes in the first half, the Manchester City midfielder could have been stronger on the ball but was frequently battling in the centre of the park. – 7
Beth Mead: Mead struck for a sixth time to give England the lead and settle a frantic opening to the match. Mead has beaten Jodie Taylor’s record for most goals at a tournament for the Lionesses. A goal and two assists to make for a mighty performance. - 9
Ellen White: Still chasing Wayne Rooney’s goalscoring record, White troubled the Swedish defence with her presence but couldn’t convert. - 6
Lauren Hemp: Excellent traditional wing-play by Hemp, who took on her wing-back frequently and often won. A mazing dribble around Hanna Glas in the 67th minute followed by a clinical cross was a highlight in a strong. - 8
Subs
Alessia Russo: An audacious and sensational back heel, typically seen only on the training ground, sealed the deal for England to make it 3-0. Russo made an immediate impact and almost provided an assist seconds after entering the field too, but Lauren Hemp squirmed the chance. As impactful a substitute appearance as you will ever see. – 9
Ella Toone: Continued where Kirby left off, allowing England to ride the wave of her replacement’s goal. – 6
Jill Scott: Came on and kept the momentum going. - 6
Chloe Kelly: Closed out the game well from the bench. - 6
Alex Greenwood: Slid into the defence well to see out the game in the closing stages. - 6
