England revel in ‘unbelievable atmosphere’ as Lionesses beat Sweden to reach Women’s Euro 2022 final

The Lionesses reached a major tournament showpiece for the third time and their first Euro final since 2009 with a clinical display in the semi-finals.

But they were under the pump for the first half an hour with Sweden striking the bar and peppering Mary Earps’s goal with shots.

“We played so much better in the second half and it was such a good performance,” England manager Sarina Wiegman said.

“We’ve shown a couple of times that we’re very resilient. They began the game well and they had a good start, but we found a way and we found a way to get out of their pressure.

“We were so solid and I’m incredibly proud of them.”

Beth Mead scored a nerve-settling opener on 34 minutes to make it six for the tournament, equalling an England record with a game still to play.

Lucy Bronze’s header minutes into the second half cemented the home side’s supremacy and Alessia Russo’s impudent backheel got the Euro record crowd on their feet again.

Either old rivals Germany or France await in Sunday’s sellout Wembley final.

Wiegman said: “We’ll celebrate now but before this tournament we had a dream. We’ve come very far now and no-one can take it away.

Mead added: “When the full-time whistle went, we didn’t know what to do!

“It’s an unbelievable atmosphere and we’re excited for the final. I enjoyed my goal and it came at a perfect time. There was a lot of pressure on us and they had a few chances, so it was good to get ourselves in front.”

Tickets are on sale now for fans to experience a history-making tournament that aims to unite football and communities and amplify the growth of the women’s game. www.uefa.com/womenseuro/ticketing