by By Laura Howard, Sportsbeat
When England and Sweden met at the European Championships in 1984, they represented the two best teams on the continent.
While the football of women has continued under great transformation, the fact remains unchanged that they both have to be considered to be the best in 2025.
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It was Kenilworth-Straße in the fit of Kenilworth Bog Bog-one, which delivered the backdrop-that the pages met 41 years ago in the second leg of the final of the first European Championships.
Then Linda Curl’s 31st-minute strike with the level of England on Agregate, before Pia Sundhage, now the Swiss boss, achieved the penalties at the following shootout in order to hand over the title.
Since then, Blågult has not won a big tournament, but her record on the international stage shows that there is still a lot to be feared.
It took England until 2022 to raise the trophy that they had picked up two stain kicks from the claim in 1984.
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On this famous day in Wembley three years ago, it was a certain component of the years of injuries and catapulted women’s football in the country into a new stratosphere.
However, both teams are used to making it into the semi -finals of euros and world championships, and not being satisfied with a quarter -finals.
In fact, England follows a sixth and cassinated major tournament, which in 2013 did not make this phase in 2013.
Sweden has a similarly imposed tournament record recently, which in 2017 no longer set up the semi -finals of a big tournament when they were triggered by the final winners Netherlands – trained by Sarina Wiegman – in the quarter -finals of the euro 2017.
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In 2022, the two sides met in the semi -finals when England triumphed in Bramall Lane in a strong manner to win 4-0 and fly until the final.
But just as the difference between a practically not playable field in Luton Town with minimal supporters and press in 1984 compared to the sold-out Wembley Stadium in 2022, the contexts have shifted again.
In the three years in between, the two teams have held two draws in the qualification for Euro 2025 – Fridolina Rolfo canceled Alessia Russos’ strike in April 2024 before playing a goalless draw just three months later.
England entered the tournament in 2022 when external calls, nobody believed that they would go all the way, and now they have become fixed favorites with all the expectation and examination.
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But Sweden may have the feeling of standing in a similar position that England was in 2022 and played with swing, self -confidence and without fear.
“I have the feeling that Sweden always flies under the radar. It suits us,” said Captain Kosovare Allani.
“Obviously we think we are one of the best teams in the world of what we have done. But people rarely talk about us as [a team] Who can win gold.
“We know that we can beat every team in the world when we have our best day. People should definitely talk about us.
“We respect England, the team that you have and everything you have achieved so far. But fear? No. We are not afraid in our dictionary.”
Its shape in Switzerland has proven to be the same. The victories over Denmark and Poland followed an average 4-1 win against Germany in their last group game.
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And the threat results from their cohesion and strength on the field with six different goal scorers in their three group stage games.
But England also threatens themselves with eight different goal scorers.
No team will be satisfied with relying on the story to insure you with a semi-finals, whereby you are guaranteed to lose your series at large international tournaments.
“We are a” New England “and a new team,” said Lucy Bronze England. “We have many younger players and new players who have very different experiences with playing for England compared to people like me.
“England of the past was that you had to dig up performances, and it was that you might be the outsider, not the favorites.
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“While this England team has developed, football has changed. But we never want to forget that we are England, we are really England and when the thrust pushed, we can definitely win a game.”
The Alpine surroundings of Zurich’s Linkigrund Stadium will be far from the Battle of Kenilworth Bog, and journalists and fans will flock inconceivably in 1984.
But in the historical match-up, the players’ wish will remain unchanged on the field.
