Spain see off stubborn Swiss to reach semis despite two missed penalties

The Guardian

18-07-2025

'Spain is Spain,' Switzerland's talismanic captain Lia Wälti had warned and in the quarter-final between the host nation and the world champions, she was right. Athenea del Castillo and Clàudia Pina each struck in a five-minute, second-half spell to crush rumblings of a possible upset.
It had been a game of hope, ­Mariona Caldentey's missed penalty and Livia Peng's save from an Alexia Putellas's spot-kick sandwiching the goals that crushed the resolve of a battling Switzerland.
There is the embracing of a team and a tournament and then there is the embracing of women's football as a whole, a collective opening up to the historic injustice of underfunding and a lack of support. Both have taken place in Switzerland. This is a country that has opened its eyes, and its hearts, to the battling 'Nati' who have taken them on an emotional journey. The last-gasp equaliser against Finland to set up a quarter-final with the world champions was a moment of euphoric celebration that could be heard echoing from homes and bars up and down the country and inspired a huge fan walk of 25,000 to the Stadion Wankdorf.
But this is also a country that wants more, that wants to back these women whose faces adorn all sorts of adverts and are emblazoned across the backs of shirts in greater and greater numbers every day. 'Here to stay,' read one small banner in the red block behind the Swiss goal. 'This is just the beginning,' read another.
It is the type of reaction and level of support Spain long for, their World Cup success celebrated back home in the immediate aftermath but failing to trigger a step-change in the country's attitude towards the women's game. There was a nod to their struggles above the small section of Spanish fans, a banner reading: 'Estamos con Jenni H' ('We are with Jenni Hermoso') next to another which said: 'Abuchea el sexismo! #seacabo' ('Down with sexism #itsover'), the legacy of the kiss forced on forward Hermoso by then Spanish football federation president Luis Rubiales during the World Cup trophy presentation.
The task in Berne was a big one for the hosts, the biggest perhaps. Spain had earned three large wins over the Swiss in 2023, scoring 17 and conceding twice, in the World Cup and then two Nations League games. Almost two years later could the host nation stem the expected flow from a rampant Spain who won all three group games comfortably?
There were two changes for Pia Sundhage's side, Julia Stierli and Svenja Folmli dropping to the bench and Noemi Ivelj and Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic called in. They set up in a back five, with the Arsenal defensive midfielder Wälti between the centre-backs as an extra protection.
Spain manager Montse Tomé, with the benefit of having been able to rest players for their final group game against Italy with Spain having already earned progression, returned five to the starting XI. Few had given Switzerland any chance of being able to compete with her passing dynamos, but this was a Swiss side ready to make a statement. They should have been behind in the eighth minute, Nadine Riesen's late challenge on Mariona Caldentey conceding a penalty, but the Arsenal forward placed her spot-kick wide of the upright. It was the stroke of luck that the Swiss needed, the cow bells and drums drowned out by the thunder roll from the crowd as the ball thumped the hoarding.
The hosts had their first chance 15 minutes in, Wälti the instigator, finding Iman Beney, who carried it into the area before Spain cleared her dangerous ball into the middle.
Wälti was magnificent for the Swiss, tirelessly shifting between the midfield and defence as they chased and harried and frustrated their opponents. That they reached half-time with the game goalless was a remarkable achievement. Irene Paredes's header off the outside of the post shortly before the break was the closest the favourites would go.
The crowd acting as the 12th man is a cliche, but in the cauldron of red, as every clearance, tackle, turnover, foul, even pass, received a deafening roar, it was hard not to feel that it was fuelling the players in white and adding to the frustrations of the Spanish.
The Spanish were patient though, poking away at the wall of white, which they breached twice in the space of five minutes. It required a moment of magic from Aitana Bonmatí to set up Del Castillo. The second was a stunner too. Pina clipped the ball from the feet of Wälti, who was convinced she was fouled and paused to protest, and then fired into the top corner from 20 yards.
There was drama late on, as Peng saved from Putellas after Beney conceded a penalty for a challenge on Del Castillo and Noelle Maritz was shown a red card in injury time, but it mattered little.
Spain march into the semi-finals, ready to face the winner of Saturday's quarter-final between Germany and France. Switzerland, through, march into an exciting future.