Spain secure Euro 2025 semi-final spot as they see off hosts Switzerland
Spain forward Athenea del Castillo came off the bench to open the scoring and Claudia Pina added a superb second as they beat hosts Switzerland 2-0 on Friday to reach the women's Euro semi-finals, where they will face France or Germany.
After a scoreless first half in which Mariona Caldentey missed a penalty, it took a moment of brilliance from Aitana Bonmati to break the deadlock for the world champions in the 66th minute, teeing up Del Castillo with an instinctive back-heel for the substitute to guide the ball past Swiss goalkeeper Livia Peng.
Five minutes later, Pina doubled her side's advantage as Switzerland captain Lia Waelti was dispossessed just outside her own penalty area, and Pina curled a superb shot into the top corner before wheeling away in celebration.
The drama continued right to the end, with Spain's Alexia Putellas missing a late penalty and Switzerland's Noelle Maritz shown a straight red card for a stoppage-time challenge as the hosts exited the tournament having made it to the knock-out stages for the first time.
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