Stina Blackstenius hits top form as Sweden win Women’s Euro 2025 group

ZURICH – Sweden’s Stina Blackstenius has timed the peak of her goalscoring form perfectly, netting the winner for her club Arsenal in the recent Champions League final. She then scored against Poland and Germany as they blazed their way into the quarter-finals at the Women’s Euro 2025 as Group C winners. 

The Swedes beat Germany 4-1 to rack up a perfect nine points from their three games. They will face the runners-up in Group D, which features England, France, Netherlands and Wales, while the Germans will meet the winners of that group. The final Group D fixtures took place after press time.

“I’m very happy that I’ve gained the confidence to play and I am happy with the goal that we got here today, but mainly because of the win today and that we are still in the tournament,” a beaming Blackstenius said at Stadion Letzigrund in Zurich. 

Despite playing her club football in England, Blackstenius said she had not thought about who Sweden might meet in the quarter-finals. 

“I don’t want to stand here and say that I prefer any of the teams – it’s an incredibly good team, no matter who we face. So it will be very exciting to see how it ends (in Group D) tomorrow, and then we will continue to prepare ourselves,” she said. 

Sweden were hammered 4-0 by eventual champions England in the semi-finals of the last European Championship in 2022, but coach Peter Gerhardsson said he is looking forward rather than backwards to that heavy defeat.

“I don’t focus on that game. That’s history. It’s a new game if we play England. We’ll write a new history, a better history,” he said.

Jule Brand had opened the scoring for the record eight-time European champions Germany in the seventh minute, before Blackstenius equalised five minutes later.

The Swedes went ahead on 25 minutes via Smilla Holmberg, with Germany’s night going from bad to worse with Carlotta Wamser’s red card for handball in the box six minutes later.

Sweden added further goals through Fridolina Rolfo and Lina Hurtig.

Said Germany coach Christian Wuck: “The red card was decisive in us not coming back. I think after the penalty, after the 3-1 and one player less on the pitch, it was clear that it would be very, very difficult for us to come back against this Swedish team.

“The quality of the Swedes is of course almost impossible to combat with one player less.”

The two teams enjoyed enormous support, with a yellow wall of Swedish fans behind one of the goals singing and drumming from beginning to end, building a big-game atmosphere. 

“I enjoy being at championships. There’s something with these games that makes it extra special,” Blackstenius said.

“When I look up at our fans today, I think they’re very visible, and it also gives a feeling that we’re doing this together. There’s a lot that drives me in the whole set-up, with all the support and knowing that there are family and friends here.”

In the other Group C match at the same time, Poland won their dead rubber with also-eliminated Denmark 3-2 at the Swissporarena in Lucerne to finish third.

Natalia Padilla made history and had Polish fans on their feet with her 13th-minute goal, the team’s first in a major tournament, when a loose ball fell at her feet and she fired home.

Ewa Pajor, Poland’s all-time leading goalscorer, doubled the lead seven minutes later when she intercepted the ball in midfield, laid it out to Padilla, then charged to the back post to head it in.

Denmark’s Janni Thomsen pulled one back in the 59th minute. But Poland restored their two-goal lead when substitute Martyna Wiankowska struck from the edge of the box, firing the ball in off the bar.

Denmark, runners-up at Euro 2017, replied in the 83rd minute when Signe Bruun headed in Katrine Veje’s pinpoint cross.

Said Poland coach Nina Patalon: “We waited a long time for it. We wanted to score that one goal, and we scored three. Today I am so proud of my girls.” REUTERS, AFP