Spain Defeats Switzerland, Advances to the Semis

This matchup was never in doubt. Even though the hosts had the home pitch advantage, they couldn’t find a way to dent Spain’s tough defense and were taken down. While the Swiss did have some moments of beauty, at the end of the full 90 minutes, there wasn’t a doubt who would be moving on toward the Semi-Finals as Spain won it by a final score of two goals to nil.

No goals in the opening half, with some strong defending from the Swiss. Also, some great goalkeeping from Livia Peng, who made several strong saves. But she got help from the woodwork and a missed penalty in the 9th minute from Marlona Caldentay, as she shanked the spot kick wide of the far post. She tried trickery, but, at the end of the day, her attempt lacked confidence.

In the 43rd minute, the woodwork came to the rescue as Irene Paredes nailed the near post and out, then later on in the second half, Spain continued to knock on the door and got double vexed by the woodwork in the 61st minute. Two consecutive shots that hit the near post and then the crossbar to keep the Spaniards off the scoresheet.

In the 66th minute, the deadlock was broken. Patri Guijarro got to the loose ball and quickly returned it to Aitana Bonmati, just outside the Swiss area. She sent the ball into the area, allowing Athenea to make her run, and then took a shot to beat Peng for the first goal of the quarterfinals in this match. Finally, the breakthrough that they needed after dominating the game.

Five minutes later, there seems to be some controversy, but after replays, it never showed. Swiss midfielder Lia Walti was attempting to clear the ball when she thought she was fouled by Spain’s Guijarro. Referee Maria Sole Ferrieri Caputi of Italy allowed the play to continue, and that’s when Claudia Pina took advantage of the loose ball and struck a bender inside the far post.

Spain earned a second penalty in the match as the referee pointed to the spot, as Iman Beney talked down Athenea using her left boot and studs into Athenea’s right ankle. In the 88th minute, Alexia Putellas took the spot kick, but this time Peng made the save toward the near post, and Switzerland held off the Spaniards again from adding to the scoresheet.

But the frustrations for the host nation finally exploded. In the final minute of regulation, Salma Paralluelo stole the ball and made an attacking run down the middle of the pitch/ As the Swiss defenders tried to catch her, Noelle Maritz chased her down and tackled Paralluelo down from behind. Even though she didn’t completely knock Paralluelo down, she was still the last defender to prevent a goal-scoring opportunity and was shown the straight red card.

While the Swiss made a strong attempt to play defense and steal this match, at the end of it all, Spain was too strong and too determined to be denied a place in the Semi-Finals. Now we await the final match-up in the Quarterfinals this Saturday. It should be a lot of fun, and I can’t wait to see what both Semifinals will bring in the 2025 UEFA Women’s Euros

🎟️ DON’T JUST READ ABOUT IT – BE THERE! 🎟️
StubHub: Your Ticket to Every Game
Reading about the action is great, but nothing beats being in the stands! Whether it’s Rangers at MSG, Devils at Prudential Center, or any game on your bucket list – StubHub has you covered.
✅ Last-minute tickets – even for sold-out games
✅ Mobile delivery – tickets sent straight to your phone
✅ Price alerts – get notified when prices drop
✅ 100% guarantee – every ticket backed by StubHub
Perfect for sports fans:
Compare prices across all sections
Skip the box office lines
Secure seats for playoffs and big games
Easy resale if plans change
🏆 GAME TIME: Find your perfect seats today!
Get Tickets Now → https://tr.ee/_TEZkjb6td
StubHub – Because the best seat in the house isn’t on your couch.