Switzerland’s Riola Xhemaili on Thursday scored a last-gasp goal to salvage a dramatic 1-1 draw with Finland that sent the joyous hosts through to the quarter-finals at Euro 2025, and heartbroken Finland home.
Switzerland, who needed only a draw to advance based on goal-difference, finished second in Group A behind Norway to go through to the knockout round for the first time and are to face the winners of Group B, which would be world champions Spain as things stand.
“I think we set ourselves a goal on the pitch, to write history, to go into the knockout stages, which we’ve never done before,” Switzerland captain Lia Walti said.
Photo: Reuters
Finland looked to be heading for the knockout round after Natalia Kuikka scored a penalty in the 79th minute, awarded after Viola Calligaris’ foul on Emma Koivisto.
Centerback Kuikka calmly slotted home a low shot as Switzerland goalkeeper Livia Peng dived the wrong way.
Roared on by the home crowd, Switzerland kept up the attack in the breathless dying moments and Xhemaili, a second-half substitute, scored in the 92nd minute when Geraldine Reuteler mishit her shot on goal and Xhemaili was there to tap it in, blowing the roof off at Stade de Geneve.
Photo: AFP
“I really have to say that I didn’t think that we’re going home because I really believed in this team, until the last second, and I knew we were going to score,” Xhemaili said. “I knew that Geraldine Reuteler, she will hit the target, of course, because she’s one of our best players, so I was like, just stay on the right spot in the right moment and wait until the ball is coming, and it did.”
The desolate Finland players collapsed to the pitch in tears at the final whistle, while the hosts lingered after the game’s end to pose for pictures and their famed manager Pia Sundhage wrapped her assistants in huge hugs.
For most of the nervy night, the game was far from a classic, with desperation showing in both sides with the stakes sky high.
Photo: Reuters
Switzerland started brightly and put Finland goalkeeper Anna Koivunen to work early with a couple of chances, but momentum shifted midway through the half to quiet the nervous crowd and Peng made a huge save on the goal-line seconds before the break to preserve the draw.
The intensity picked up in the second half and Sundhage threw virtually every attacker on her bench into the game in search of the equalizer, with Switzerland ending the night with 15 shots to Finland’s six.
“I am going to dance tonight,” a smiling Sundhage told SRF.
Kuikka said Switzerland were the better team on the night.
“They came to the game like they wanted to win and it kind of showed,” she said.
In the other match in Group A, Norway sailed into the last eight with a perfect three wins from three after beating rock-bottom Iceland, who finished with no points.
Signe Gaupset and Frida Maanum both scored twice to pull Norway 4-1 ahead after Sveindis Jonsdottir gave Iceland a shock lead in the sixth minute.
Norway survived a scare with late goals from Hlin Eiriksdottir and Glodis Viggosdottir cutting the gap for Iceland, but it was too little, too late.
Additional reporting by AFP
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