Spain has secured its place in the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 semi-finals, defeating host nation Switzerland 2-0 in a hard-fought quarter-final clash in Bern on Friday, July 18, 2025. The victory marks Spain’s first appearance in the Euro semi-finals since 1997, keeping their quest for a maiden European Championship title alive.
The reigning 2023 World Cup champions faced a determined Swiss defense that held them at bay for over an hour. Despite Spain’s overwhelming dominance in possession (72.3%) and shot attempts (23 to Switzerland’s 4), they struggled to convert early opportunities. A significant early moment saw Mariona Caldentey miss a penalty in the ninth minute, dragging her spot-kick wide. Spain also hit the woodwork three times in the first half, highlighting their frustration against a resilient Swiss side.
The breakthrough finally came in the 66th minute when second-half substitute Athenea del Castillo made an immediate impact, calmly slotting home just over three minutes after entering the game. Five minutes later, Clàudia Pina doubled Spain’s lead with a spectacular curling strike from range in the 71st minute, effectively sealing the win. The drama continued late in the match, with Alexia Putellas missing another penalty for Spain in the 86th minute, denied by a save from Swiss goalkeeper Livia Peng. In stoppage time, Switzerland was reduced to 10 players when Noelle Maritz received a red card for denying a goalscoring opportunity.
Switzerland’s performance, particularly their defensive solidity for much of the match, earned widespread praise. Swiss midfielder Smilla Vallotto reflected on her team’s effort, stating, "We stood up to Spain pretty well for 65 or 70 minutes, so it’s bad to concede two. We tried our best, which is most important." (The Athletic). Former England captain Steph Houghton commended the hosts, noting, "Switzerland’s performance tonight, they gave it everything. They worked hard as a team and it took a lot for Spain to break them down." (BBC Sport). The match, played in front of 29,734 fans at Stadion Wankdorf in Bern, underscored the growing support for women’s football, with the quarter-finals already setting a new attendance record for the Women’s Euros, with 78,407 fans attending the first three matches.
The tournament has seen a surprising trend in penalties, with more than half of all spot-kicks (13 out of 25, including shootouts) either missed or saved. Spain’s two missed penalties in this match contribute to this unusual statistic. Despite these misses, Spain’s offensive power is undeniable, having scored 16 goals in Euro 2025 so far, a tally surpassed only by England (22 in 2022) and Germany (21 in 2009) in a single edition (BBC Sport).
Looking ahead, Spain will face the winner of the highly anticipated quarter-final clash between France and Germany. Their semi-final match is scheduled for Wednesday, July 23, in Zurich. The other semi-final will see defending champions England take on Italy on Tuesday night in Geneva. Spain, despite a less-than-convincing performance in the first half against Switzerland, demonstrated their ability to find a way to win, a quality that will be crucial as they advance deeper into the tournament. As former England midfielder Izzy Christiansen observed, "The scary thing is they can get the job done with plenty of room to grow." (BBC Sport).
