England vs Spain LIVE: Euro 2022 result and final score as Georgia Stanway screamer settles thriller

England completed a thrilling comeback over Spain to advance to the semi-finals of Euro 2022 as Georgia Stanway’s wonder-strike sealed a dramatic 2-1 victory after extra time. The Lionesses will face either Sweden or Belgium in the last four after they were minutes from crashing out of their home tournament.

After a cagey first half, Spain struck first as substitute Athenea Del Castillo beat Rachel Daly to set up Esther Gonzalez, who took advantage of some sloppy England defending to open the scoring.

England had yet to trail at the Euros and Wiegman threw on Alessia Russo, Chloe Kelly and Ella Toone in hope of an equaliser. Lauren Hemp was denied what looked to be a penalty after being tripped by Ona Batlle in the box, before Toone made a priceless impact.

The midfielder picked up Russo’s knockdown in the box to fire England level in the 84th minute, just as the Lionesses were facing a heart-breaking elimination, and it forced extra time. Spain stood off Stanway and the midfielder hit an unstoppable shot past Sandro Panos on a memorable night in Brighton.

Relive the action below as the Lionesses advanced to the Euro 2022 semi-finals:

Euro 2022: England vs Spain

• Kick-off in Brighton was at 8pm BST, match live on BBC One

• Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman cleared to return after Covid

• NO GOAL! White strike disallowed for offside in tight first half

• GOAL! Gonzalez takes advantage of sloppy England defending

• GOAL! Substitute Toone makes priceless impact with late equaliser

• Extra-time! Toone’s 84th minute equaliser forces additional 30 minutes

• GOAL! Georgia Stanway screamer fires England in front

• FULL-TIME! England through after thrilling victory over Spain

England comeback to defeat Spain and reach Euro 2022 semi-finals

22:43 , Michael Jones

The Amex Stadium is rocking as the fans have remained behind to join in with the celebrations. ‘Sweet Caroline’ is blaring out of the speakers.

England had to dig deep to claim that win. It was such a well-fought victory that the players deserve these celebrations.

England comeback to defeat Spain and reach Euro 2022 semi-finals

22:41 , Michael Jones

“Job done, we’ll focus on the semis.” says England’s matchwinner Georgia Stanway in her post-match interview.

England comeback to defeat Spain and reach Euro 2022 semi-finals

22:39 , Michael Jones

Sarina Wiegman’s magic touch works again. This time it’s for England who fought back from a goal down to defeat Spain 2-1 after extra-time.

ET Full-time: England 2-1 Spain

22:36 , Michael Jones

120+4 mins: England win!

They’re through to the semi-finals of Euro 2022!

The Lionesses were on the brink, they were six minutes away from defeat before Ella Toone levelled to take the game to extra-time.

Georgia Stanway sealed the victory with a stunning solo effort and England reach yet another European Championship semi-final.

ET England 2-1 Spain

22:33 , Michael Jones

120+2 mins: England are almost there, the fans are clapping, chanting and cheering. They can see a spot in the semi-finals.

Greenwood takes a high boot in a 50/50 challenge and wins a free kick for England. It’s clever play from the defender.

ET England 2-1 Spain

22:32 , Michael Jones

120 mins: Alex Greenwood is booked for time-wasting and earns herself England’s first yellow card of the tournament.

Spain win a corner and Sandra Panos comes up for it. Mary Earps is closed out and the cross flies over everyone.

There’s going to be another four minutes of added time for the Lionesses to see out.

ET England 2-1 Spain

22:30 , Michael Jones

119 mins: Ella Toone struggling to keep hold of the ball as the target player for England’s clearances. Spain continue to press and push but England are going down under the simplest of touches, taking time out of the game and breaking up play.

ET England 2-1 Spain

22:27 , Michael Jones

116 mins: Keira Walsh gets a ball clear for the Lionesses and goes down with a touch of cramp. Walsh has started every game for England so far and there’s a bit of game management involved from the experienced midfielder.

Sarina Wiegman takes no chances as Walsh hobbles off the pitch, Jill Scott and Nikita Parris are brought on with Lauren Hemp the other player switched out.

ET England 2-1 Spain

22:24 , Michael Jones

113 mins: Spain are piling the pressure on the England backline but another strong defensive header from Bright knocks the ball over to Kelly who wins the Lionesses a free kick.

Seven minutes plus added time to go.

ET England 2-1 Spain

22:21 , Michael Jones

110 mins: Mapi Leon flicks the ball over the top and perfectly finds Sarriegi in the box. The forward brings the ball down shifts away from Millie Bright and shoots but Bright recovers in time to get the block in.

Nervous times for England.

ET England 2-1 Spain

22:19 , Michael Jones

108 mins: Chloe Kelly bombs it down the right side on the counter for England before darting into the box and winning a corner.

Alex Greenwood curls this set piece into the area and tries to find Russo but a Spanish head is first to the ball and it flies out of the box.

ET Second half: England 2-1 Spain

22:16 , Michael Jones

Kick off: 15 minutes for England to hold on to their lead. The Lionesses get the match restarted for the final time, if Spain score the match could be decided by penalties.

If England score that should be that.

ET England 2-1 Spain

22:15 , Michael Jones

ET Half-time: England 2-1 Spain

22:13 , Michael Jones

105+1 mins: Sarriegi lets fly from the tip of the ‘D’ but Millie Bright gets a slight deflection on the ball to take it wide of the post. Spain’s corner is initially cleared but the visitors recycle the attack and Aleixandri fires wide.

The first half of extra-time comes to an end with England leading for the first time in the game.

ET England 2-1 Spain

22:10 , Michael Jones

102 mins: An awkward ball comes into the England box and nearly drops perfectly for Sarriegi who has just come on. Bronze stretches out and pokes it clear just as the whistle goes for an England free kick.

ET England 2-1 Spain

22:06 , Michael Jones

99 mins: It’s all about game managment now for England but they can’t be too defensive. They’ve played their best football on the front foot and need to keep pushing Spain back.

Georgia Stanway’s stellar strike has put one foot in the semi-finals for England. Can they see it home?

ET GOAL! England 2-1 Spain (96’, Stanway)⚽️

22:04 , Michael Jones

96 mins: It’s a scorcher! England recover the ball and Keira Walsh lays it off to Georgia Stanway in the middle of the pitch. Stanway drives it up to the edge of the box and the Spanish players drop off her.

Stanway goes it alone and smokes a right-footed effort across goal, leaving Sandra Panos not chance to get there as the ball rattles into the back of the net!

ET England 1-1 Spain

22:01 , Michael Jones

93 mins: Keira Walsh threads the needle expertly and slides a pass into the box for Lauren Hemp who looks to pull it back for a shot but sees her effort blocked.

England ended the 90 minutes with the momentum, can they recover it in extra time?

ET England 1-1 Spain

21:59 , Michael Jones

Kick off: Spain get the match back underway.

30 minutes or penalties to decide the first semi-finalists. Will it be England or Spain?

England 1-1 Spain

21:58 , Michael Jones

England dug deep to get the equaliser, can they draw on those levels again to win the match?

Full-time: England 1-1 Spain

21:54 , Michael Jones

90+5 mins: It looked as though England were heading out of the tournament. They were six minutes away from being knocked out but substitute Ella Toone came to the rescue with an equaliser.

This quarter-final has seen almost everything and there’s going to be another 30 minutes of action.

Who will go on to win this game?

England 1-1 Spain

21:50 , Michael Jones

90+3 mins: England remain on the front foot as Keira Walsh lobs the ball over to the right wing for Chloe Kelly. She keeps the ball in play and wins a corner as her cross is deflected behind.

England 1-1 Spain

21:47 , Michael Jones

90 mins: Lucy Bronze fizzes in a long cross from the right side and the ball just skims over the head of Lauren Hemp and bounces out of play.

Hemp is flagged offside anyway.

There’s five minutes of added time to play.

England 1-1 Spain

21:45 , Michael Jones

87 mins: Can England go on to win this game?

Millie Bright feeds the ball out to Chloe Kelly who tries to fire in a cross but sees her pass deflected. Mapi Leon clears the Spanish lines.

Spain are now the ones who look nervous.

GOAL! England 1-1 Spain (84’, Toone)⚽️

21:41 , Michael Jones

84 mins: England are back in it!

What a brilliant equaliser this is from England. Lauren Hemp is turned inside from the byline and slots the ball back to Keira Walsh. Walsh knocks it to Georgia Stanway who passes it back to Hemp just inside the penalty area.

Hemp lays the ball up to Alessia Russo who wins it in the air and nods the ball down to Ella Toone. Toone pops up in the right place at the right time and pokes it home.

England are level!

England 0-1 Spain

21:37 , Michael Jones

80 mins: Caldentey swings a free kick into the box from the right wing and Leah Williamson wins the initial header. She knocks it down to a Spanish player who stops it dead and belts one at goal only for the captain to keep it out once more.

Spain look very confident, England look nervous. 10 minutes to play.

England 0-1 Spain

21:34 , Michael Jones

77 mins: Chances! Chloe Kelly cuts in from the left and has a dart at goal, her effort deflects out to Ella Toone who drills a low volley back at goal.

A block and another deflection takes the ball over to Lauren Hemp who boots her chance over the crossbar.

England are getting closer.

England 0-1 Spain

21:32 , Michael Jones

75 mins: Del Castillo continues to cause problems for Rachel Daly. She nutmegs the left-back and fires a rapid cross into the middle that is too quick for any of her team mates to get to.

Spain are managing the game. Keeping possession and holding up the ball.

England 0-1 Spain

21:29 , Michael Jones

72 mins: Inside the final 20 minutes now and the ball falls kindly for Toone after Russo wins the ball on the edge of the box. Toone drills it first time and laces an effort over the bar but the referee has already blown for a free kick to Spain.

England 0-1 Spain

21:27 , Michael Jones

70 mins: The England supporters have been incredibly vocal since the Lionesses went behind. They are willing a goal to go in. England win consecutive corners that Chloe Kelly fizzes into the box.

Panos deals with the first one and the second skims off the head of Alessia Russo before getting knocked out for a throw in.

England 0-1 Spain

21:24 , Michael Jones

67 mins: Del Castillo’s deflected cross bounces up kindly for Mary Earps who earlier managed to keep out a skewed cross that was dropping into the net.

England are in the ‘score, don’t concede’ part of the match. Each minute that goes by, the pressure will grow on the Lionesses.

Sandra Panos has been warned about time-wasting by the referee.

England 0-1 Spain

21:21 , Michael Jones

64 mins: Keira Walsh chips a lovely ball into the box from the middle of the pitch and almost slots in Lauren Hemp but it’s good goalkeeping from Sandra Panos who sprints off her line and smothers the ball before Hemp reaches it.

Ella Toone is on in place of Fran Kirby for the Lionesses.

England 0-1 Spain

21:19 , Michael Jones

62 mins: Penalty shout for England! The ball is flicked into the box and won in the air by Alessia Russo who flicks the ball over to Lauren Hemp. Hemp takes the ball away from Ona Batlle who makes contact with the England forward and brings her down.

The referee awards a free kick to Spain and VAR doesn’t overturn the decision. Harsh on England.

England 0-1 Spain

21:17 , Michael Jones

60 mins: This is the first true test for the Lionesses in the tournament. If they can score they’ll wrestle all the momentum away from Spain.

Lauren Hemp curls a free kick into the box but its easily defended at the near post.

England 0-1 Spain

21:15 , Michael Jones

57 mins: England have conceded for the first time in the tournament and it’s fully deserved from Spain. They’ve been the better side but maybe that goal will unlock England and allow them to play with more freedom.

Chloe Kelly and Alessia Russo are both called into action with Beth Mead and Ellen White taken off.

GOAL! England 0-1 Spain (54’, Gonzalez) ⚽️

21:11 , Michael Jones

54 mins: Spain lead! It’s a huge error from Rachel Daly as the ball comes out wide to Spain substitute Athenea del Castillo. The winger flicks it inside Daly after she overcommits to a tackle then squares it to Esther Gonzalez.

The forward takes a touch, shoots on the spin and sinks it into the back of the net.

England 0-0 Spain

21:07 , Michael Jones

51 mins: England have come out from the break and are already pushing higher up the pitch. It’s a brave move which should see them earn more possession but will also leave them open to a counter-attack.

Lucy Bronze wins the ball for the Lionesses and feeds it to Georgia Stanway on the wing. Stanway sends in the cross but Ellen White starts her run too soon and is flagged offside.

England 0-0 Spain

21:05 , Michael Jones

48 mins: The free kick is curled into the box by Beth Mead and almost falls nicely for Leah Williamson but the England captain doesn’t make contact with the ball and clatters into Mariona Caldentey who wins a free kick of her own for Spain.

Second half: England 0-0 Spain

21:03 , Michael Jones

Kick off: England get the match back underway. No changes from Sarina Wiegman at the break.

Beth Mead wins an early free kick on the right side as she’s brought down by Olga Carmona. Can England make use of this set piece?

A quiet night

20:59 , Michael Jones

The game may be decided by the reinforcements

20:55 , Michael Jones

Four of Spain’s five goals in Euro 2022 have come from headers and they look as though that’s there plan tonight too. They’ve been gifted space out wide and are confident enough to whip in crosses.

England’s hopes may come down to the exciting talent on the bench. Chloe Kelly, Ella Toone and Alessia Russo could prove vital later on.

A tricky first half for the Lionesses

20:51 , Michael Jones

England have scored most of their goals in the second half of matches under manager Sarina Wiegman. They had a goal disallowed in that first half so will fancy their chances to score when they come back out.

The game is delicately balanced though with Spain probably having the mental edge after that first half.

Half-time: England 0-0 Spain

20:47 , Michael Jones

45+1 mins: Spain have managed to stop England from playing their naturally attacking game so far. The visitors have been exceptional, their passing and pressing has been top notch and England are finding it very difficult.

England 0-0 Spain

20:45 , Michael Jones

45 mins: One minute of added time to go before the end of the first half.

England 0-0 Spain

20:45 , Michael Jones

44 mins: Spain look as though they’re going to score whenever they get near the England penalty area for any period of time. The Lionesses seem unwilling to back themselves in tackles and the Spaniards are able to pick out passes and recycle attacks.

England hold firm though and Georgia Stanway manages to hoof the ball clear from the front edge of the penalty area.

England 0-0 Spain

20:42 , Michael Jones

41 mins: Chance! Williamson feeds the ball into the box for Mead who lays it off to Fran Kirby. Kirby has her back to goal and isn’t allowed to turn. Instead she knocks it back to Rachel Daly who fizzes a sharp cross into the middle.

It goes over Ellen White’s head and reaches Lauren Hemp who isn’t prepared for the ball. It hits her in the head and bounces well wide of the goal.

England 0-0 Spain

20:38 , Michael Jones

38 mins: Disallowed goal!

Beth Mead is brought down over on the left wing this time and Lauren Hemp swings it into the middle of the penalty area. Lucy Bronze is offside as the ball comes in and seemingly interferes with the play despite not touching the ball.

There’s a bit of a scramble and the ball bounces out to Ellen White who turns it home!

The flag does go up for offside and a VAR check confirms it. Spain have a reprieve.

England 0-0 Spain

20:36 , Michael Jones

35 mins: Keira Walsh floats a pass up the pitch and Ellen White wins the header before flicking up to the edge of the box. Lauren Hemp is a little slow off the mark and she’s beaten to the loose ball by goalkeeper Sandra Panos.

Such is the state of the game that England need to make more use of these little half-chance openings.

England 0-0 Spain

20:33 , Michael Jones

32 mins: Mary Earps commands her box from another corner. Spain are throwing players into the box from the set pieces and really trying to box in the England goalkeeper but she comes out and punches the ball away.

Aitana Bonmati meets the dropping ball on the volley from outside the box and belts it well over the crossbar.

England 0-0 Spain

20:30 , Michael Jones

29 mins: Caldentey drives the ball up the pitch for Spain in a sharp counter-attacking move. She slides it over to Marta Cardona who dinks over a cross that England captain Leah Williamson deals with.

Spain don’t let up though, Caldentey combines with Gonzalez to carry the ball to the byline but she’s shielded out of play by Millie Bright.

England 0-0 Spain

20:27 , Michael Jones

26 mins: Lauren Hemp and Beth Mead have switched sides on the pitch with Hemp now trying her luck against Olga Carmona.

A long clearance from Spain puts Millie Bright under pressure at the back but she matches Esther Gonzalez stride-for-stride and boots the ball out of play to end the attack.

England 0-0 Spain

20:23 , Michael Jones

23 mins: Millie Bright brings the ball into midfield and picks out the run of Beth Mead on the right wing. Mead drives at Olga Carmona but is marshalled off the ball and Spain confidently play out from the back.

Aitana Bonmati spoke before the game about how Spain wouldn’t fear England and they’re certainly playing like that. They’ve had the better chances so far.

Another corner for the visitors is whipped in the box but Mary Earps grabs hold of it for England.

England 0-0 Spain

20:21 , Michael Jones

20 mins: A touch of frustration seems to be creeping in on England. They are used to playing with freedom in possession and stringing together flowing, sweeping moves but Spain are bossing the game.

Mariona Caldentey is hacked down by a back-tracking Beth Mead and the free kick is headed wide the back post.

England 0-0 Spain

20:19 , Michael Jones

17 mins: Spain are playing brilliantly.

They’re closing England down quickly, moving the ball with pace and finding the space around England’s backline.

The visitors win another corner that is sent in this time by Teresa Abelleira but Rachel Daly lunges at the ball near the back post to clear her lines.

England 0-0 Spain

20:15 , Michael Jones

14 mins: The game has settled into a nice, aggressive rhythm now. Beth Mead looks like she’s fouled by Teresa Abelleira but the referee is having none of it.

She lets play go on and Spain attempt to thread the ball through the middle of the pitch before switching it out to Esther Gonzalez on the right side.

Rachel Daly reads the move expertly and nips in front of the forward to recover the ball for the Lionesses.

England 0-0 Spain

20:11 , Michael Jones

11 mins: Close from England.

Beth Mead is brought down with a heavy tackle on the right wing and swings the resultant free kick smack into the middle of the penalty area.

Ellen White times her run brilliantly and gets a head to the cross but she doesn’t find the target and knocks it wide. The offside flag goes up but the replays show White had kept herself onside.

England 0-0 Spain

20:09 , Michael Jones

9 mins: Chance! The first corner of the game comes to Spain. England’s defence is poor as Mapi Leon swings in a left-footed curler that comes to Patricia Guijarro near the front of the area.

She’s unmarked and nods the ball back over to the far post where Marta Cardona sneaks in behind Rachel Daly and prods her effort wide!

Sloppy from England.

England 0-0 Spain

20:05 , Michael Jones

6 mins: Spain and England are both teams who prefer to operate in possession so it’ll be interesting to see who controls the ball more over these 90 minutes.

Spain are having the best of it in the early stages but Lucy Bronze makes a decent run down the right side but can’t get over a cross before she’s tackled by Olga Carmona.

England 0-0 Spain

20:04 , Michael Jones

3 mins: Mary Earps is called into action early as England leave too much space out wide on the right side. Olga Carmona is gifted the ball and has enough time to float a cross over to the back post.

Earps comes off her line and plucks the ball confidently out of the air but lands on top of Marta Cardona who had thoughts of an early goal for Spain.

Kick off: England 0-0 Spain

20:01 , Michael Jones

Spain get the first quarter-final of Euro 2022 started. Ellen White immediately drives up the pitch to close down Mapi Leon and gets a ball to the face for her trouble.

Luckily she has her arm guarding against the worst of the blow and is back on her feet without too much trouble.

Exciting start.

Here come the teams

19:56 , Michael Jones

It’s another sell out crowd at the Amex Stadium. The Lionesses are loudly cheered and applauded as they make their way out onto the pitch and the national anthems are played.

This should be a fascinating game but could prove to be a tricky test for England.

Kick off is next...

Wiegman is back

19:54 , Michael Jones

Sarina Wiegman is back in the dugout for England tonight after recovering from Covid-19 and she spoke to the BBC before kick off saying:

“I’m good. It’s really nice to be here. We had two scenarios – one for if I was here and one for if I was not. I’m glad it’s the first one.

“It’s OK sometimes to not have the ball. We like to have the ball, Spain like to have the ball. That’s their style of play. There will be moments when they’re tight on the ball and it’s not the moment to win it from them. We have to be patient.”

White could catch Rooney

19:46 , Michael Jones

England striker Ellen White has another opportunity to equal Wayne Rooney’s all-time England goalscoring record of 53 tonight.

White, the joint-top scorer at the 2019 World Cup, took her overall tally to 52 with her double against Norway and could fire the Lionesses into the semi-finals if she scores again this evening.

‘We’re not scared’ says Bonmati

19:42 , Michael Jones

Spain’s Aitana Bonmati claims that despite all the goals and the 100% winning record so far, tonight’s opponents not afraid of England tonight.

“It’s motivating. I’m not scared. I think my team-mates aren’t scared either,” said Bonmati.

“We know they are a good team, they are doing many good performances. We have seen their three games in the group stages and they did very well.

“We think we can beat them but we have to improve our style and be better than [Saturday’s win over Denmark]. We have never reached the semi-finals. It’s going to be very motivating for us to play against England in their home with the crowd.

“We were born to play this game. We are going to start preparing now. It was our goal [to reach the quarter-finals] and we think that we can be better.”

Mead hopes to raise the women’s game to new heights

19:38 , Michael Jones

Beth Mead is having an excellent Euro 2022 and hopes England’s performances can raise the profile of women’s football in this country and inspire the next generation to get into the sport.

“I played part-time not even eight or nine years ago for Sunderland and I look back now and the game has jumped massively, but I think sometimes you have to look back and think: ‘Wow, a lot has happened since then.’” she said.

“I think as women’s teams and women’s outfits we’ve got better at not settling. We want to keep pushing.

“Yes, the game has jumped leaps and bounds but we still expect more. We still want to push it to the next level and I think that’s one thing recently that’s changed; the expectation and the expectation that we have on the game.

“ We want it to jump to the next level even more so and not settle for what we’re given. So I think it’s really one of the big things recently I’ve seen in the game.”

Mead leads the way

19:32 , Michael Jones

Beth Mead has scored five goals at the 2022 Women’s Euros which is the joint-most ever by an English player in a single edition of the tournament alongside Jodie Taylor in 2017.

Mead has had a hand in 31 goals in all competitions under coach Sarina Wiegman (19 goals, 12 assists), eleven more than any other England player.

Will she add to her tally tonight?

England vs Spain

19:26 , Michael Jones

The fans are gearing up for tonight’s crucial quarter-final but who will be victorious in Brighton, England or Spain?

Can Spain reach the semi-finals again?

19:20 , Michael Jones

Spain have never reached the final of a major tournament, with their best performance coming in 1997 when they reached the last four.

The expectation on the national side is high though. They are ranked higher than England and given Barcelona’s recent success in domestic football - won the Champions League in 2021 before losing in the final to Lyon this year - there is real hope that the team can make it deep into the tournament.

Former captain captain Vicky Losada said Spain’s performances at the Euros so far had been good but “maybe not as good as we were expecting.

“We’re seeing Spain not playing with the same energy, not enjoying the game.”

Daly on England’s squad depth

19:13 , Michael Jones

“Every single member of that squad can step onto the pitch and be ready. It’s the most depth to a squad we have ever had.” is the assessment of England’s Rachel Daly who will start her fourth Euro 2022 game in a row when she lines up against Spain tonight.

“It’s not just eleven players on the pitch. We feel that. Everyone feels that. From starters to the players coming on, they’ve showcased themselves well.

“We’re on the same path we’ve always been on. You know, we stick together. We are in the quarters now. We will be ready for the quarters.

“We wanted to go out and put up a good performance and end the group games really well, we wanted to do the fans proud and enjoy the moment so yes, it’s been going well.

“Every time they show up, live in the stadium it’s a massive help. You see how much we interact with them at the end of games and take them on a journey with us.”

England vs Spain

19:05 , Michael Jones

Mariona Caldentey leads all Spanish players for both shots (11) and chances created (12) at the 2022 Women’s Euros.

The 23 shots that she has been directly involved in is the most by a Spain player in a single edition of the tournament since Adriana Martín in 2013 (also 23).

Can Spain rediscover their power in time for England quarter-final?

18:58 , Michael Jones

“We’ve seen that they have some vulnerabilities,” the England manager Sarina Wiegman said of the team who, until a couple of weeks ago, were favourites for Euro 2022.

That it is Spain standing in England’s path would normally have struck fear into the hearts of the Lionesses but, although bad luck and cruel timing has undoubtedly played its part, it is clear that Spain is not this Spain.

While Wiegman remained cautious and respectful, warning that England will be facing one of the best teams in the world in the quarter-finals tonight, the circumstances have played into their hands and an opportunity now awaits.

England arrive in the knockout stages flying high on confidence. And Spain, on the surface, may still look like Spain and there remains the certainties of their play.

Just like in their three group games, against England they will aim to have around 65 per cent of the possession and look to complete close to 600 passes. Many will be short, sharp and at its best Jorge Vilda’s side will tick along with tempo that few can match.

But what are certainties if there is no, well, certainty?

Can Spain rediscover their power in time for England quarter-final?

The stage is set

18:50 , Michael Jones

The first quarter-final of Euro 2022 kicks of tonight as England take on Spain in Brighton. Here are the Lionesses arriving at the ground.

England team news

18:44 , Michael Jones

Another unchanged team from Sarina Wiegman:

England XI: Earps, Bronze, Bright, Williamson, Daly: Walsh, Stanway; Kirby, Mead, White, Hemp

Spain XI: Panos; Batlle, Paredes, Leon, Carmona; Bonmatí, Guijarro, Abelleira; Caldentey, Gonzalez, Cardona

Back to business for Lionesses

18:42 , Michael Jones

England return to the Amex Stadium for their quarter-final match against Spain this evening.

Brighton was the venue for the Lionesses record breaking 8-0 over Norway last week, can they pick up their second win of the tournament here tonight?

Euro 2022 group stage review: Group D

18:38 , Michael Jones

France qualified as group winners with a game to spare, largely on the back of a five-star display in their opening game against Italy. Les Bleues netted five times from 14 attempts in the first 45 minutes, but only managed three goals from their next 46 shots in the remaining two-and-a-half matches.

The Italians finished bottom of the group despite ranking second behind France for possession, goal attempts and number of attacks. Italy were the most profligate side in the tournament, scoring just twice from 55 shots.

Belgium took advantage of this to secure qualification with a 1-0 win over Italy on Monday night, scoring with one of their two shots on goal. The Belgians edged through having recorded just 22 goal attempts – the lowest tally among the eight quarter-finalists.

Iceland were the only side to go unbeaten in the group phase and finish outside the top two. They enjoyed just 42 per cent of possession across the three games, as goalkeeper Sandra Sigurdardottir produced a tournament-high 17 saves in a string of impressive displays.

Euro 2022 group stage review: Group C

18:32 , Michael Jones

Sweden and the Netherlands, ranked second and fourth in the world respectively, matched each other statistically in the only group in which the battle for top spot went to the final game.

Both teams had 44 total shots, 18 on target and scored eight goals, as well as drawing 1-1 with each other in the opening game, with Sweden winning the group on goal difference thanks to their superior defence.

Netherlands goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar, pressed into service after an early injury to captain Sari van Veenendaal in the opening game, has nonetheless acquitted herself impressively with 13 saves – only four keepers in the tournament have made more.

Portugal impressed as a late replacement for Russia but conceded 10 goals from only 42 shots faced and 16 on target, while Switzerland gave up 131 attacks – fourth-most in the group stage.

Euro 2022 group stage review: Group B

18:26 , Michael Jones

Germany matched England with three wins and three clean sheets, beating Spain to top spot thanks to a 2-0 win in the meeting between the sides, while Alexandra Popp scored in all three games – a feat shared with only the Lionesses’ Beth Mead.

Spain held off Denmark for second place, with the Scandinavian side managing only one goal from 36 shots across their three games with only a quarter of those on target. Discipline also proved costly for the Danes, as they ranked fourth for fouls committed and had the most bookings, six, while only they and Belgium have had a player sent off.

Spain lead the way in possession and attacks, with only their poor conversion rate – five goals from 62 attempts – preventing them from qualifying more comfortably.

Bottom side Finland managed only 15 total shots, ahead of only Northern Ireland (13) in that category.

Euro 2022 group stage review: Group A

18:20 , Michael Jones

Norway were the surprise casualties of round one, finishing third behind England and Austria, and their defensive record illustrates what went wrong.

The 8-0 defeat to the Lionesses was the most striking result and, despite a mid-ranking 115 attacks against them, according to Uefa’s official stats, Martin Sjogren’s side gave up five clear chances across their three games.

That matched group rivals Northern Ireland, the lowest-ranked side in the tournament and one of only two to finish without a point, for the most in the group stage. The only goals Norway scored also came against the minnows.

England marched to top spot, scoring 14 goals from 69 shots for a tournament-high 20 per cent conversion rate, while Austria secured their progress by conceding only one goal in three games.

Russo thriving with England

18:12 , Michael Jones

Alessia Russo has been directly involved in eight goals in her 10 games for England with seven goals and one assist.

Seven of her goal involvements for the Lionesses have come as a substitute (six goals, one assist), scoring twice last time out versus Northern Ireland.

Indeed, Russo became just the third player to score 2+ goals in a Women’s Euros game as a substitute after Lena Videkull in March 1995 (Sweden vs Norway) and Fatmire Bajramaj in August 2009 (Germany v Norway).

Russo on playing for England

18:04 , Michael Jones

Alessia Russo made her impact on Euro 2022 when she came off the bench and bagged a brace in England’s 5-0 victory over Northern Ireland last time and the Manchester United striker has been speaking about what playing for the Lionesses means to her.

“I enjoy every game in an England shirt, to come on and score is great, I’m buzzing to get the three points and move onto the next stage of the tournament,” she said.“I luckily got in the right place at the right time and was able to put them in the back of the net. Obviously I want to play every game for England, but I’ve just got to be patient.

“The girls did brilliant first-half and second, it took a while to break them down but we knew that they were going to put a block on and sit deep but we broke them down and got the two goals leading into half time.”

Sarina Wiegman hopes England team will be more racially diverse in future

17:57 , Michael Jones

Sarina Wiegman hopes the England team will be more racially diverse in the longer term.

Former Lionesses defender Anita Asante believes the pathway into the elite women’s game has to be reformed to achieve greater diversity, with just three of the 23 members of Wiegman’s Euro 2022 squad from black, Asian or mixed heritage backgrounds.

Writing in The Guardian, Asante said: “Young girls who cannot see anyone who looks like they do lack heroines to emulate - and that matters.”

She called for a more imaginative approach to scouting in urban and inner-city areas, and for more resources to be assigned to the scouting network in the women’s game.

Sarina Wiegman hopes England team will be more racially diverse in future

England under Wiegman

17:47 , Michael Jones

England have scored 93 goals in their 16 games under Sarina Wiegman, netting at an average of 5.8 goals per game.

Indeed, the Lionesses have conceded just three goals under Wiegman and never more than once in a game keeping 14 clean sheets on the way.

Daly on competing for places

17:38 , Michael Jones

Rachel Daly says the competition for starting places in the England team is very strong and the desire to hold onto a role can make you a better player. Daly has started all three games for England at the Euros this summer, making the left-back role her own but she knows that could change saying: “You don’t take anything for granted. The competition is so, so strong and anyone can play in any role.“It’s good for me, but I just want to keep a clean sheet and keep winning. That’s all that matters.”

Speaking about being moved to the left-side of England’s set up Daly replied: “Do you think I’m enjoying playing there?

“I enjoy it, I love it. I think it really suits my attributes. But again, like I say, I’ll play whatever role I’m asked to on the pitch.”

Ellen White can change the way women’s football is thought about, Kelly Smith claims

17:30 , Michael Jones

A record-breaking Euro 2022 from Ellen White would ignite a paradigm shift in the perception of women’s football, says former England star Kelly Smith.

White can match Wayne Rooney’s 53-goal England record as early as Wednesday if she nets in the their quarter-final clash with Spain.

The Manchester City striker surpassed Smith’s 46-goal tally in November to become the Lionesses’ all-time top scorer and edged ever closer to Rooney’s total with a brace in England’s 8-0 group stage rout of Norway.

While White herself prefers to redirect attention to her Group A-topping squad’s collective efforts, Smith, who won 117 caps for England, was more than willing to wax lyrical about the self-effacing Lionesses lynchpin.

Ellen White can change the way women’s football is thought about, Kelly Smith claims

England vs Spain

17:22 , Michael Jones

England have won seven of their last eight matches at the Women’s European Championships (one loss), as many as they’d won in their first 23 games in the competition (three draws, 13 defeats).

The Lionesses have netted more goals at Euro 2022 (14) than they have in any previous edition of the competition (previous highest was 12 goals in 2009). England have alsomwon both of their previous Women’s European Championship matches at the quarter-final stage, winning 3-2 vs Finland in 2009 and 1-0 against France in 2017.

Spain, meanwhile, have lost both of their matches at this stage of the competition – both in the last two tournaments, 1-3 vs Norway in 2013 and a penalty shootout defeat to Austria in 2017.

Martens out of Euros

17:13 , Michael Jones

Looking forward to the Netherlands’ quarter-final against France on Saturday Dutch midfielder Lieke Martens’ tournament has been brought to a premature conclusion by a foot injury.

The 29-year-old Paris St Germain summer signing sustained the problem during Sunday’s 4-1 Group C win over Switzerland.

Head coach Mark Parsons told the Oranje’s official website: “This is terrible news for Lieke and for us. She has fully committed herself to the team during this tournament.

“It is very unfortunate that her European Championship has to end like this.”

Sarina Wiegman to return for England vs Spain after negative Covid Test

17:07 , Michael Jones

Sarina Wiegman is fit to return to the sidelines for England’s Euro 2022 quarter-final with Spain on Wednesday night.

The Lionesses head coach missed Friday’s 5-0 group-stage victory over Northern Ireland at St Mary’s following a positive test, with assistant Arjan Veurink taking the lead from the dugout, has been watching training from a distance with a mask on.

But following a negative test she will be back as England look to book a place in the last four at the Amex Stadium

Sarina Wiegman to return for England vs Spain after negative Covid Test

Wiegman back on touch line

17:00 , Michael Jones

England head coach, Sarina Wiegman, missed the lionesses final group game against Northern Ireland due to testing positive for Covid-19.

She has since observed training sessions from afar and worn a mask to keep potential transmissions to a minimum.

It is now confirmed that Wiegman has returned had a negative Covid test and will be able to manage from the dugout during tonight’s quarter-final.

How can Hemp improve her decision-making?

16:57 , Michael Jones

“Well, I think it’s quite hard,” replied the 21-year-old when the question was put to her. “Just getting that experience in games. You’re obviously never going to be in the same situation twice so it is obviously hard to make a split-second decision but I think the more games I play, the more it’s going to come and obviously the older I get, hopefully I’ll become more consistent.

“And then practising it in training at the end of sessions. Grabbing Ellen [White] and people like that, who I link with on the pitch and have good connections with. Whether it’s running down the line, crossing the ball and getting it in the right areas, things like that.

“It is hard to work on your decision-making when you only get seconds to think about it in the game so I think with experience it’ll come.”

Hemp outlines areas of improvement

16:48 , Michael Jones

Lauren Hemp may be one of the best wingers on display at Euro 2022 but she knows that she can still improve on her recent performances.

She said: “I think one of the main things to improve is my decision-making, whether that is cutting on the inside, going on the outside, shooting, crossing, driving at a player, things like that.

“Obviously when you get the ball and everyone comes towards you, it’s that split-second decision and what you’re going to do on the ball, so that is one of the massive things I’ve been working on this year.

“I think with the decision-making then comes becoming more consistent with goals, the assists, and things like that. Hopefully that’ll show in my stats.

“But also my right foot. That’s another one of the many things I’d like to improve. There’s a lot of little things and now it is a case of putting that together.”

England vs Spain

16:40 , Michael Jones

England have never lost against Spain when facing them in their home country. In seven games they’v won four and drawn three while they have also won four of the five such meetings that have taken place this century.

Spain are the opponent that England last failed to win against, with their 0-0 draw in February being the final result before Sarina Wiegman’s side embarked on nine-game winning streak.

Indeed, Spain are the only side that England have failed to score against in their 16 games under Wiegman.

England forced to change training session times in wake of heatwave

16:32 , Michael Jones

England had to adjust the timing of their training sessions ahead of their Euro 2022 quarter-final due to the heatwave sweeping the country.

The Met Office has forecast that temperatures early in the week could reach as high as 40C.

And the start times for the Lionesses’ sessions on Monday and Tuesday at their tournament base in Teddington, south-west London, were brought forward to 10.30am, around an hour earlier than originally scheduled.

The team are preparing to play against Spain in the quarter-finals at Brighton’s Amex Stadium on Wednesday evening.

Group stage matches involving Sweden and the Netherlands on Sunday included cooling breaks midway through each half due to the temperatures in England.

England forced to change training session times in wake of heatwave

Spain to play their own game against England

16:23 , Michael Jones

Spain captain Irene Paredes has insisted her side must play their own game as they attempt to find a way past free-scoring England.

La Roja have dominated possession during the group stage, but struggled to convert it into goals, managing just five in their three Group B fixtures.

However, Paredes said: “I don’t think we need to adapt our game to England and we won’t. The best thing we can do is play our game, try and keep our possession – attack is the best form of defence for us.

“Any player would love to be involved here tomorrow, we will give it everything. We haven’t stopped talking about it over the last couple of days.”

Spain set up England quarter-final at Euro 2022 as Marta Cardona’s late winner defeats Denmark

16:15 , Michael Jones

For a team who started Euro 2022 with such high hopes, progress to the knockout stages was not secured until the very end. Spain were already scraping through to the quarter-finals when Marta Cardona’s 90th-minute header finally put an end to Denmark’s fight, but only after a tense evening at the Brentford Community Stadium that suggested that England should take confidence into their meeting down in Brighton. Spain only needed to draw to advance at the expense of Denmark, who required a victory - and for large parts of the evening they looked the side most likely of securing the result that was required.

Spain and England was a popular pre-tournament pick for the Wembley final - it will instead arrive earlier than that but, after losing to Germany and edging past Denmark here, it is clear this is not the same Spain. There are understandable reasons for that, the absence of Alexia Putellas and Jennifer Hermoso to begin with, but a team who until five days ago were unbeaten in 24 matches are suffering a crisis of confidence in attack, while displaying glaring vulnerabilities in defence. The prospect of facing an England team who scored 14 goals in finishing top of Group A should be a frightening prospect.

Spain set up England quarter-final as Marta Cardona’s late winner defeats Denmark

Williamson relishing battle with Spain

16:07 , Michael Jones

England captain Leah Williamson has insisted England are relishing their winners-takes-all clash with Spain.

The Spaniards are ranked seventh by FIFA, one position higher than the tournament hosts, who have been hugely impressive to date.

Williamson said: “Obviously it’s knockout football, the game changes once you get through the group, the nature of the game is different. There will be one winner and that’s it.

“We know the situation, but we choose to look at it as an opportunity and we’re confident. We’re in good form, and hopefully we can do what we have been doing in this tournament tomorrow night.”

England vs Spain

15:57 , Michael Jones

England and Spain have faced each other on 15 previous occasions, with the Lionesses (six) winning twice as many games as La Roja (three) across all their meetings (six draws).

But, Spain are unbeaten in their last two meetings with England, beating them in the SheBelieves Cup in 2010 (1-0) and drawing against them in the Arnold Clark Cup (0-0) in Fenruary.

Only once previously have they gone three in a row without defeat against England, doing so between 1993 and 1996 (four games).

Lauren Hemp wants to be one of world’s best

15:49 , Michael Jones

England forward Lauren Hemp has had a sharp rise to the top of the game.

In June she became the most decorated PFA player of all time when she won her fourth Women’s Young Player of the Year Award and she’s still only 21.

She has pace, dribbling skills, and an accurate end product which has made her one of the most dynamic wingers in the world but Hemp admits she does not usually celebrate her own success.

“It’s incredible to think the last few years have been such a whirlwind. I’ve gone from playing back in Norfolk to playing now on the biggest stage possible.” she said ahead of the Euro 2022 tournamen, “It’s important to take a step back and realise how far I’ve come. I don’t think I do that enough. I don’t think I celebrate my individual awards and things like that as much as I should. I think it’s time to do that and recognise how far I’ve come.

“It’ll only give me confidence going into the Euros because I think for me having belief and confidence is what’s going to bring out the best in me.

“I think it’s important to put yourself under pressure because that’s what the best players do and how they reach the top levels – and one day I’d love to be one of the best.

“I know the way to get there and I know that I’m far from it. But like I said, I think it is important to look back at how far you’ve come. I am doing that more often and I think it’s important to keep doing it because I enjoy the ride.”

Alessia Russo eyes more improvement despite England dominance at Euro 2022

15:39 , Michael Jones

Alessia Russo believes England still need to improve in a number of areas ahead of their Euro 2022 quarter-final despite having finished top of their group with a 100 per cent record.

The Lionesses brushed aside Northern Ireland 5-0 in Friday’s final Group A game in Southampton and reached the knock-out stages without conceding a goal while scoring 14 at the other end.

Russo has netted three times in as many games, including twice against Northern Ireland just minutes after being brought on at half-time, but despite England’s impressive performance she is striving for better.

“I think obviously the group stages have gone very well. I think we’ve grown in our performances, but also there are lots of things that we still need to improve on and still need to work on,” Russo said.

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Alessia Russo eyes more improvement despite England dominance at Euro 2022

White talks Euro 2022

15:30 , Michael Jones

Ellen White dropped by the diary room at St. George’s Park to chat all things Women’s Euros including training in heatwave temperature’s, playing at Old Trafford and how she expects the quarter-final against Sapin to go tonight.

Have a watch at her interview:

Fran Kirby’s thought’s on Northern Ireland match and knockout stages

15:20 , Michael Jones

Lioness Fran Kirby broke the deadlock against Northern Ireland with her brilliant strike just before half-time which opened the floodgates for England allowing them to rack up another four goals.

Kirby spoke about the feeling of winning the game and whether her team mates are ready for the knockout stages.

“Overall, really happy with the result and the win,” said Kirby. “We wanted to make sure we had a positive start and I thought we did that, even if the goal didn’t come straight away. We had a really aggressive start and we’re really happy with the win.

“They [Northern Ireland] always make it difficult. They have a strong team, they know their setup, they know their game plan. It’s a massive credit to them for getting here, getting qualified and showing an amazing account of themselves – not just them but their fans as well who I think were incredible. They made it tough for us but we know we’re going to get chances and if we can put them in the back of the net then we’re in a good place.

“It [the feeling] never changes, scoring in a major tournament. Luckily for me, I’ve scored in every tournament I’ve played for England so far, so that’s a really special memory for me now. I’ve been getting myself in decent positions in previous games but maybe it hasn’t quite fallen for me, so I thought put your foot through it and see what happens and luckily it went in the back of the net.

“I think we’re really ready [for the knockouts]. The way everyone has handled themselves in this tournament so far has been amazing, everyone has put a shift in when they needed to, subs have come in off the bench and made a massive impact on games.

“This is what we need in order to get to these places. Tournament football is so different, it’s a case of who can be the freshest for longest and who can take their chances. We need to get over this win, get our recovery right, and get ready for the next game.”

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