Spain reached the semi-finals of the European Women’s Football Championship on Friday. Despite two missed penalties and three shots hitting the post, the title favorite won 2-0 against host nation Switzerland.
Spain only distanced themselves from Switzerland halfway through the second half. Substitute Athenea del Castillo scored with a shot into the far corner, after a beautiful backheel from Aitana Bonmatí. Clàudia Pina decided the match not much later with a stunning long-range shot.
In the final phase, a penalty from Spanish star player Alexia Putellas was stopped, and Swiss player Noelle Maritz received a red card for bringing down a player with a clear goalscoring opportunity. The Swiss fans in Bern were not pleased. The Italian referee Maria Sole Ferrieri Caputi received a loud booing.
Putellas’s miss from the spot was not an isolated incident, because until Del Castillo’s opening goal, it was a frustrating evening for Spain. Mariona Caldentey also missed a penalty in the ninth minute (wide). Irene Paredes, Patricia Guijarro, and Esther González then hit the post.
Due to the victory over Switzerland, Spain is in the semi-finals of a European Championship for the second time in history. Only in 1997 did the Spaniards also reach the last four. The country has never been European champion.
Spain against France or Germany
In the semi-finals, Spain awaits a duel with France or Germany in Zurich on Wednesday. These two countries will play against each other on Saturday in the quarter-finals. The other semi-final is between Italy and defending champion England, where Sarina Wiegman is the coach.
Spain is the top favorite for the European title. The team of coach Montserrat Tomé is the reigning world champion and has won all matches at the European Championship in Switzerland with convincing numbers so far. Spain scored sixteen times and conceded only three goals.
For Switzerland, the European dream is over. The host country made history with a place in the quarter-finals of the European Championship. Never before had the country come so far in a final tournament (European Championships, World Championships, or Olympic Games).