England Women Beats Spain In EURO 2025 To Defend Their Title

England Beats Spain In EURO 2025 To Defend Their Title On Sunday After Penalty Shootouts.

England defended their European Championship title against the odds on Sunday, defeating Spain 3-1 in a penalty shootout.

After a 1-1 draw in normal time, Chloe Kelly scored the winning goal from 12 yards to end a nail-biting series of spot kicks and defeat tournament favourites Spain.

Unlike their previous knockout stage appearances, England started brightly. Leah Williamson had warned of the measured respect Spain would receive. “They are fantastic footballing team and they are the best at what they do, and we’re very much aware of that,” the Lionesses captain shrugged, before tellingly adding, “We think we’re pretty good in areas as well.”

Sarina Wiegman’s team nipped at the heels of their illustrious opponents, refusing to allow any easy pass amid the blur of red, white, and blue. This high press caught Laia Aleixandri off guard, giving Lauren Hemp a clear shot at goal from the corner of the six-yard box within the first 20 minutes. Cata Coll responded with a fine save.

The reigning world champions quickly alleviated the pressure. A group of scuttling red shirts gathered around the right side of the final third, using force and flair to find Ona Batlle on the byline. The Barcelona fullback found an unmarked Mariona Caldentey to head home a 25th-minute goal.

Lucy Bronze, the England defender who let Arsenal’s star player nod her country in front unchallenged, was left holding her head in her hands. Caldentey’s goal knocked the wind out of England. In contrast, Spain appeared to gain confidence with each deftly stroked pass. There were faint “olé”s from the crowd before Lauren James was forced off injured in the 41st minute, dealing another blow to England’s fading hopes.

Kelly, James’ replacement, was known for his unwavering confidence. Arsenal’s daring winger didn’t wait until the end to create her signature moment of magic, instead swinging a cross right onto Alessia Russo’s forehead just before the hour mark.

England’s equaliser briefly put Spain off their stride, but the imperious side, unbeaten in their previous ten meetings, quickly reclaimed control of the game. Even without Alexia Putellas, who was surprisingly substituted with 20 minutes of normal time remaining, Tomé’s team created chances while allowing none—England’s last attempt from open play came in the 69th minute. Nonetheless, these old rivals couldn’t be separated until a dramatic penalty shootout.

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