England get boost ahead of Euro semi as captain Williamson trains
Williamson limped off with an ankle injury late in Thursday's dramatic quarter-final victory over Sweden which was decided by a penalty shootout.
Although there had been questions around Williamson's fitness, England defender Esme Morgan had said the team were "very optimistic Leah will be fine."
Jess Carter, who on Sunday announced she would be stepping back from social media after she was the target of racist abuse, also trained.
Defending champions England are appearing in their sixth consecutive European Championship semi-final.
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BBC News
14 minutes ago
- BBC News
From hospital bed to hero status - Bonmati 'could write a book'
"I could write a book about that," said Aitana Bonmati after Spain beat Germany in extra-time to seal their spot in the Euro 2025 midfielder had just been asked a question about how it felt to go from almost missing the tournament because of illness to scoring a semi-final was discharged from hospital days before the Euros started after suffering from a bout of viral she recovered quickly, the two-time Ballon d'Or winner was made to wait for her chance in Switzerland - coming off the bench in Spain's first two now the 27-year-old looks to be back to her world-class best as she skilfully side-stepped over Athenea del Castillo's pass before rifling past Ann-Katrin Berger at the near post."If Spain are going to win a game, it will be a player like Bonmati that is able to take the game by the scruff of the neck in these moments and get that goal," former England midfielder Fara Williams said on BBC One. 'Scoring in games like this is super special' Spain had dominated possession, but they had struggled to break through a resilient defence in Zurich as Christian Wuck's side dug deep to force extra with the game looking destined for a penalty shootout, Bonmati stepped up when it mattered - sending Spain to their first Women's Euro final."It was not easy for [Bonmati] at the beginning of the tournament but she has a special personality to be at the maximum level," said Spain boss Montse had cleverly darted into space between Germany defenders Rebecca Knaak and Franziska Kett, before receiving Del Castillo's pass on the the tight angle, she buried the ball in at the near post."Top-class players turn up in the moments and that's what Spain needed. That's why Bonmati is a Ballon d'Or winner," ex-Scotland defender Jen Beattie said on BBC Radio 5 England defender Steph Houghton added: "I honestly thought from Spain's point of view she was definitely their best player and she's got them through to their first-ever European Championship final."The goal sent the Spanish fans at Stadion Letzigrund into pandemonium, while the scorer was immediately embraced by members of La Roja's bench."When the ball was in, I started running and I saw the bench standing so I celebrated with them," said Bonmati."Scoring in a game like this one is super-special. If I can help the team write history, it's very special."She added: "I was confident in my mentality and my physical situation. I wanted to get to this game at my best level. Thanks to all people who were next to me to help me reach this level." 'We wrote history again' To set up an encounter with England in Sunday's final, Spain had to do something they had never done before - beat had failed in their eight previous attempts, and had lost the past four without scoring."Today I feel we wrote history again. For the first time we were able to make the final of the women's Euros and beat Germany, which we hadn't in the past," said Bonmati."We feel proud to be a generation of players to win so many things."Spain are now on the cusp of adding a European crown to their World Cup trophy from arrived at the tournament as favourites, with stats experts Opta giving them a 25% chance of going all the way in having defeated the Lionesses in the 2023 World Cup final thanks to Olga Carmona's first-half goal, they will once again be favourites on Sunday."Today we can enjoy. Tomorrow we have to start thinking of England," said Bonmati.
The Guardian
36 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Spain to face England in Euro 2025 final after Bonmatí's extra-time strike sinks Germany
The rain drenched Spain's players in this wide, sweeping bowl but nobody was in any rush to leave the pitch. They were still out there more than two and a half hours after they had begun their shot at history, waving at their exultant families and reliving what had just passed. A first European Championship final awaits on Sunday, which may have felt inevitable for three weeks but feels no smaller a milestone for that. England present a familiar last hurdle and what a tie it should be between two sides that, in different ways, had to squeeze over the line. In the end it had to be Aitana Bonmatí. Extra time was drifting to a conclusion and, for the first time this summer, Spain were screaming for a spark from the world's best player. They had plenty of chances to win inside 90 minutes but, against an outstanding Germany side, could so easily have been vanquished too. Had their keeper, Catalina Coll, not made a remarkable double save at the end of normal time they would finally have reckoned with mortality. Bonmatí, for one, did not fancy playing so loosely with the odds again. A customary stroke of genius or the spoils of sloppy goalkeeping? The debate will rage about Bonmatí's winner and a fair reading would err towards the former. Ann-Katrin Berger had been immaculate between the posts for Germany and did not look in immediate danger when Athenea del Castillo played Bonmatí, who had let the ball run through her legs and darted to meet it, through towards the right byline. Presumably Berger had set herself for a cross; she could not react in time to the thrashed first-time strike inside her near post that few players would have dared attempt in the circumstances. Nobody could doubt the scorer's intention, either. Afterwards Bonmatí explained Spain had been perfectly aware that Berger was predisposed to leaving that area of her goal exposed. This was the same Bonmatí who, a month previously, had been hospitalised by viral meningitis in a turn of events that severely clouded Spain's preparations. Back then it would have taken an admirable level of optimism to imagine her going the distance in a tense, rugged, enthralling last-four clash and ultimately waving the magic wand. England must find a way to cope with her and the rest of a team that, while short of its best here, remains a notch above any other contender at this competition. A rerun of the 2023 World Cup will hold few surprises. 'I know what they can do,' said the midfielder Mariona Caldentey of England's qualities as sheets of water continued to teem down. 'It will be a hard game. They're in the final even if they haven't played the greatest football yet. It's something we have never won and is something we are missing. We respect England, but we will go for it.' For long periods it appeared that, against the pre-match odds, Germany's muscle memory could win out. They have ruled the continent eight times and it feels a trick of the light that their drought will now extend 16 years to Euro 2029. Even if it takes a colossal stretch to cast them as plucky underdogs they could make that case here, weakened by injuries and suspensions while on the back of a remarkable win over France in which they had ground through 113 minutes with 10 players. This was a side that, similarly light on numbers for an hour, lost 4-1 to Sweden here 11 days previously. It helped that they kept a full complement against Spain and the frustration for Christian Wück's players will be that they played the occasion perfectly. The balance between defensive resolve and attacking thrust was cleverly poised; they knew Berger would be leaned on at intervals but it would have been no scandal had the dice rolled their way. Sign up to Moving the Goalposts No topic is too small or too big for us to cover as we deliver a twice-weekly roundup of the wonderful world of women's football after newsletter promotion The irrepressible Klara Bühl, an almost unplayable outlet on the left, had numerous attempts at deciding matters in their favour and missed a presentable early chance to set them on their way. She tested Coll in the second half and arrowed a free-kick just wide but it was a deflected shot from Elisa Senss that, with almost the final action before the additional period, almost broke through. A backpeddling Coll had to scramble the ball from under her bar and, when Carlotta Wamser followed up, reacted to block on the line. It was a defining moment to match Bonmatí's later flourish. Earlier Berger, hero of that epic against France, could count a spectacular tip-over from Esther González among a number of interventions. She was beaten when Irene Paredes headed against her left post but, beyond a flurry before half-time, Spain were kept at arm's length. They were rarely fluent, at least by their peerless standards, against opponents who had expected to run hard and did exactly that. Now their modern rivalry with England travels from Sydney to Basel with two years and, for those who took in both Euro 2025 semi-finals, several lifetimes in between. 'We had the correct mindset at the right moments,' Bonmatí said. Nobody exemplifies it more.
BBC News
44 minutes ago
- BBC News
We meet again - England & Spain set for 'amazing' Euro 2025 final
England were heartbroken two years ago - but now they will get their shot at extra-time victory over Germany means they will face the Lionesses in Sunday's Euro 2025 final. It's a repeat of the 2023 World Cup final - which Spain were the two best sides in the world 24 months ago and they remain the best two sides in Europe now."It's going to be incredible," said former England forward Ellen White, part of the side who beat Germany in the Euro 2022 final. "It's a one-off game. On England's day they can beat anyone, on Spain's day they can beat anyone, so that match-up is so amazing to see."I'm so excited."While this eye-catching Spanish side look to complete a treble of major trophies, having also won the Nations League in 2024, England are bidding to defend their European crown."I'm just so buzzing for the girls," added ex-Lionesses captain Steph Houghton. "There's no reason, with the squad that we have, that we can't go and beat Spain."So which way will it go? What does history tell us? And what's changed since that World Cup final? Painful memories for England... Having won their first women's major tournament 13 months earlier with victory over Germany at Euro 2022, England had high hopes of backing that up against Spain in wasn't to Lionesses, looking to become the first senior England side since the men's team in 1966 to win a World Cup, were outplayed by a Spanish side full of flair and captain Olga Carmona slotted the winner past goalkeeper Mary Earps in the first half, capitalising after England's Lucy Bronze lost possession in a repeat be likely on Sunday? Not beat the world champions at Wembley in February - the last team to do so - although Spain won their most recent meeting 2-1 on 3 Lionesses' overall record in the fixture is also decent, losing just five of 19 competitive fixtures."I don't think England will see themselves as underdogs - they're European champions," former England defender Fara Williams said on BBC One."Yes, Spain beat them in the World Cup final but this is their trophy. They've got to hand it over and they're not going to want to do that. They're not going to lie down and make it easy for Spain."I think they know they can beat Spain."Houghton agrees."I don't think the [World Cup final] will be in the back of England's minds," she told BBC Radio 5 Live. "This is a fresh slate and there are a lot of new players." What's changed since 2023? Seven of the 11 who started against Spain in the World Cup final were in England's line-up for Tuesday's win over there have been big changes within the Lionesses squad since then too - some as recently as the 10 days leading up to Wiegman's squad announcement last month, she had two senior international retirements and the withdrawal of her World Cup captain to contend goalkeeper Mary Earps announced her shock international retirement, then midfielder Fran Kirby followed suit a week later and, on the eve of the squad's confirmation, Millie Bright made herself unavailable for herself described it as "a new era and a new England team", with players like super-sub Michelle Agyemang only capped for the first time this something this "new" England side will have to deal with is pressure, according to Williams."I think the Lionesses carry a lot of pressure," she said. "In terms of growing the game in England, we're still reliant on the Lionesses doing well - they never had that pressure in 2022, but they had it in the World Cup final and they have it now." Spain, meanwhile, have a familiar feel to their squad - albeit they are now led by a different manager in Montse was Jorge Vilda's assistant in 2023, meaning the coaching setup and philosophy has remained much the d'Or Feminine holder and semi-final matchwinner Aitana Bonmati remains - despite a pre-tournament bout of viral meningitis - while Alexia Putellas, also a two-time Ballon d'Or winner, continues to shine having started the World Cup final on the Gonzalez, an unused substitute in 2023, has been one of the stars of Euro 2025 and is on course to win the Golden Jenni Hermoso, who missed a penalty in that final, is a notable receiving her World Cup winner's medal, Hermoso was kissed by Spain's former football federation boss Luis Rubiales without her said the kiss was consensual, but in February was found guilty of sexual assault by Spain's top criminal court, and ordered to pay a fine of 10,800 euros (£8,942). Did England learn anything from the semi-finals? England boss Wiegman must come up with a gameplan to stifle a Spain side used to bossing the ball and controlling the had nearly 67% possession in their semi-final win over Germany - but it wasn't always straightforward."I feel like we saw for the first time a Spanish team play with frustration at times," said Williams. "That's not like them."They are patient in what they do and they trust in what they do. They were forced to go direct at times."We did see a different side to them. This is the only game in the competition they have faced a real challenge, an intense game. In terms of that level that is needed in a final, Germany gave them that today, so they will be thankful for this game."Ex-Germany defender Josie Henning says the key battle will be in midfield."With the midfield of Spain, you have to decide if you want to play up against them or around them," she said on BBC One. "I think Germany showed a little bit that if you press them collectively, it works."
