Sweden vs Belgium LIVE: Result and reaction as Sweden dramatically set up semi-final against England
Reaction as last-gasp Linda Sembrant goal books Sweden a semi-final against England on Tuesday
Defender Linda Sembrant fired a stoppage-time winner to give Sweden a 1-0 win over Belgium and set up a Euro 2022 semi-final against hosts England next Tuesday.
The Swedes kept Belgium pinned back for most of the first half and should have taken the lead when Stina Blackstenius slotted the ball home in the 25th minute. However, a VAR review showed that she was just offside when Kosovare Asllani passed her the ball and the goal was chalked off.
The second half was almost identical with the Swedes pouring forward and the Belgium defence standing resolute, and goalkeeper Nicky Evrard pulled off a brilliant reflex save to deny Blackstenius in the 73rd minute.
The game looked to be heading for extra time when the Swedes won a corner in the second minute of second-half stoppage time, and Sembrant reacted quickest to rifle the ball home to send the Swedes through to the last four.
Follow all the reaction from the Euro 2022 quarter-final as Sweden join England and Germany in the next round:
Sweden 0-0 Belgium
79 mins: Lovely play from Sweden see them work the ball up to Rolfo who flicks it back to Asllani. She shoots but her effort deflected out to Nilden who wins another corner.
Nothing comes from this one either.
Sweden 0-0 Belgium
76 mins: De Neve blocks another cross out behind and Sweden win yet another corner. Can they create something from this one as well?
It gets curled into the box and flicked on to Bjorn. She tries to take her first time and scuffs the attempted volley wide of the post.
Sweden 0-0 Belgium
73 mins: Save! A Swedish free kick is swung into the box and the initial ball is cleared. Sweden recycle it and pick out Blackstenius in the six-yard area. The forward heads it towards goal and from point blank range Evrard dives to her right and pushes it wide!
Fantastic stop from the goalkeeper.
Sweden 0-0 Belgium
70 mins: Belgium look increasingly more tired but Sweden are lacking creativity. A corner is swung over everyone’s heads before Bjorn jogs out to collect it. She flicks a cross back over to the far post where Asllani pops up and heads it wide.
Sweden 0-0 Belgium
67 mins: Belgium have a good chance to create something from a counter attack as substitute Elena Dhont drives down the right side. She brings the ball into the box then looks lost trying to decide whether to pass or shoot. She does neither and Sweden manage to get back and dispossess her.
Sweden 0-0 Belgium
64 mins: Sweden have done everything but score in this second half. Belgium have been properly penned into their own half and it seems like a matter of time before they concede.
The Swedes win a corner that Asllani swings straight into the side-netting of the goal.
Sweden 0-0 Belgium
60 mins: Close! Linda Sembrant knocks the ball up to Kosovare Asllani who lays it off to Filippa Angeldal. Angeldal carries the ball a couple of steps closer to the penalty area before belting another long ranged effort.
She hits it well and gets a hint of dip but the effort skims the top of the crossbar and goes over.
Sweden 0-0 Belgium
56 mins: Sweden have an attack break down as Asllani fails to get a shot away before committing a foul trying to recover the ball. At the other end of the pitch Belgium try to pick out Tessa Wullaert but the winger looks a bit tired which isn’t good news for the Red Flames, she’s been their most threatening player.
Sweden 0-0 Belgium
53 mins: Janice Cayman’s cross from the right is too easy for Hedvig Lindahl to pluck out of the air. The Swedish keeper has kept her head tonight, she’s not had much to do so far but has remained switched on whenever Belgium get close to her box.
Contrast that to Nicky Evrard who’s had to make four or five decent saves already for the Red Flames. Both goalkeepers are enjoying strong performances for different reasons.
Sweden 0-0 Belgium
50 mins: Off the bar!
Kosovare Asllani is seeing more of the ball in this half and is already causing trouble up the pitch. She chests down a forward pass before dinking it over to Amanda Ilestedt who whips a head onto the ball and rattles it into the crossbar!
The offside flag goes up though so it wouldn’t have counted even if the ball snuck in.
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