Jurgen Klopp believes Euro 2022 hosts England are favourites to triumph against his native Germany in the final, but feels women's football is the winner whatever the result.

The Lionesses will compete in their first major tournament final since 2009 after three consecutive semi-final exits over the past decade, where they will face the competition's most historically successful nation.

Yet buoyed by home advantage and a string of utterly remarkable results – including a 4-0 demolition of top-ranked side Sweden in the last four – Sarina Wiegman's side likely enter Sunday's final at Wembley Stadium at shorter odds.

Liverpool boss Klopp will see his Reds side play their FA Community Shield clash with Manchester City at Leicester's King Power Stadium on Saturday in order to facilitate the showpiece clash in north London the following day.

The German feels both his adopted home and his birth nation would be worthy winners, but that it is likely England who just shade the pair, while adding the tournament's success is great for the women's game.

"I really have to say I love women's football," Klopp stated. "It's outstanding. The quality of the tournament is insane. England are doing exceptionally well, and Germany, they've [done] really well [too].

"I think it's a really good final, [with] two intense teams facing each other. You can imagine that as much I love England, in this specific case my heart is on the German side,

"[A] sold-out at Wembley with the English crowd, it'll be a massive challenge for Germany. But I think the most important thing is the fact that women's football has shown it's a fantastic game.

"We all knew that before. Women's football over the last few years [has] exploded. It's tactically [and] technically at an incredibly high level. The intensity of the game - I love watching it. I really love watching it

"I think England are a slight favourite because of playing at home, but Germany has a chance as well and that's enough."

Alexandra Popp said it would be "the icing on the cake" if she wins the Golden Boot and Germany lift the trophy in Sunday's Euro 2022 final against England.

Popp appears to be in a straight shoot-out with England's Beth Mead for the top goalscorer prize, with both players having netted six goals from five games.

Having returned from a long knee injury lay-off to make her mark, the 31-year-old Germany captain instinctively ranks winning the tournament far above the prospect of an individual accolade.

She converted two crosses from Svenja Huth, one with a smart volley and the other with a powerful header, as Germany beat France 2-1 in Wednesday's semi-final.

Mead was among the scorers as England crushed Sweden 4-0 on Tuesday to become the first team into the Wembley showpiece match.

Popp spoke after Germany's win of why it was not all about her.

"I have to disappoint you. I have to put the team in the foreground again, because if I don't get balls like that into the box, I can't score the goals. And that's where I benefit immensely from the girls," Popp said.

"Of course it makes me very happy and very proud that I get these balls and that I have the opportunity to score and that I have managed, together with the coaching team, with the team, to get back to being a goal-scoring threat like I used to be, when I didn't play for a long time.

"That makes me very, very proud. And it's not my first goal to say that I absolutely want to be the top scorer. The first goal is clearly to win the European Championship.

"If the icing on the cake is then added and I have the opportunity, then of course it would be nice. But if that doesn't happen and three other goals are scored by us and we end up as European champions, then I'll be happy too."

Popp's first-half opener made her the first player in the history of the Women's Euros to score in five successive games, having also netted in each of Germany's four previous victories.

That was Germany's 100th goal in the history of the tournament, making them the first side to reach a century of goals.

Germany have now reached the final of the Women's Euros in nine of their 11 appearances in the tournament, only failing to do so in 1993 and 2017.

Head coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg said she felt "pure pride" at the achievement, saying the semi-final game had been "super exhausting".

It opens up the possibility of another Wembley triumph for Germany.

The men's team were crowned European champions at England's national stadium in 1996, when Oliver Bierhoff was the two-goal hero in a 2-1 win over the Czech Republic.

Former striker Bierhoff is now managing director of Germany's national teams and saluted the achievements of the women's team.

"We are overjoyed, also because of the way the team performs here," Bierhoff said. "You can feel the conviction and the fun of achieving something. You can also feel that they now want to take this final step."

Alexandra Popp says "there is nothing better" than playing a final at Wembley after firing Germany into Sunday's Women's Euros showpiece with her double against France.

The Wolfsburg striker opened the scoring in the 40th minute and then headed in the eventual winner in the second half after Merle Frohms' unfortunate own goal had levelled things up.

Popp's first-half strike made her the first player in the competition's history to score in five successive games, having also netted in each of Germany's four previous victories.

That was also Germany's 100th goal at the Women's Euros, making them the first side to reach a century of goals in the competition.

Popp is now level with England's Beth Mead on six goals for this year's tournament, with the pair set to face off in this weekend's final.

Tournament hosts England will be heavily backed in London, but Popp is relishing the chance to help Germany to a record-extending ninth Euros crown.

"I can't put this victory into words," she told ZDF following her brace against holders Netherlands' conquerors France. "We really threw everything in and are so incredibly happy. 

"The team is great. No one was counting on us and now we're in the final against England at Wembley. That was our dream, our wish, which we have fulfilled. 

"A final at Wembley... there is nothing better."

The goal scored by France was the first Germany had conceded at Euro 2022 and came in bizarre circumstances in Milton Keynes.

Kadidiatou Diani unleashed a long-range shot and the ball bounced off the post, hit the back of a diving Frohms and crossed the line.

It did not matter in the end, however, thanks to prolific Popp bailing out her team-mate with her header 14 minutes from time.

"The goal I conceded doesn't really matter to me," Frohms said. "It's bitter at the moment, but I had no choice but to try to make the save. But we didn't let that upset us.

"As soon as the final whistle blew, the tears of joy came. Before the tournament, we didn't imagine that we would make it to the final."

Germany have now reached the final of the Women's Euros in nine of their 11 appearances in the tournament, only failing to do so in 1993 and 2017.

England star Lucy Bronze has revealed she is playing through pain caused by a knee injury in order to help the Lionesses' bid a first major tournament victory, having netted in a 4-0 semi-final rout of Sweden.

Bronze's header put England two goals up against the Swedes at Bramall Lane, after which Alessia Russo's incredible backheel and Fran Kirby's long-range strike helped the hosts record the biggest ever victory in a Women's Euro semi-final.

Tournament hosts England, beaten European Championship finalists in both 1984 and 2009, will now take part in the showpiece final at Wembley on Sunday.

And Bronze, who scooped FIFA's The Best Women's Player award in 2020, is blocking out the pain in an attempt to help her country to glory, as she played down her last-four goalscoring feat.

"I've just got to play through it," Bronze said. "There are plenty of players who are having to play through pain in their career and I'm now one of them.

"I don't feel like I did a couple of years ago. The Lucy Bronze of a couple of years ago was 'the best player in the world'. 

"It's been difficult to come back from a knee injury which has lingered for a very long time and still is now."

Bronze added: "The goals and assists are not something I consider a major part of my game. I'd much rather the likes of Beth and Ellen [White] and Hempo [Lauren Hemp] get on the scoresheet. I enjoyed it, though. I'd not scored in a Euros.

"I'm still happy to be contributing to the team, still playing good football, obviously getting an assist for Beth [Mead] and getting her up there to get the Golden Boot. It would be nice to be part of her little individual journey."

England ended a run of three successive major semi-final defeats with their resounding win in Sheffield, having fallen in the final four at the 2017 Euros and the 2015 and 2019 World Cups.

And Bronze believes those painful experiences made Tuesday's win even sweeter, adding: "For players like myself and Ellen and Fran, who've experienced a lot of semi-final defeats, it's nice to get over those defeats, get over the line and finally get ourselves in the final. But it’s certainly not job done."

Meanwhile, England boss Sarina Wiegman has come in for praise after leading the side through an unprecedented 11-match winning streak, the Lionesses scoring 104 goals in her 19 games at the helm.

Bronze believes Wiegman's ability to keep the squad grounded has been a major factor in their terrific run on home soil, adding: "It's just practical information she's giving. I think that being Dutch, she's to the point. She tries not to get carried away. 

"It's quite funny that pretty much everyone in the whole of Holland said they've never seen Sarina Wiegman jump around like she did after the Spain game!

"I think she said herself that the Spanish performance was one of the best she'd ever seen – to come through that was amazing not just for the team but for her as a manager and coach.

"In a home Euros there's a lot of emotion and a lot of support. We don't want to get carried away too much and she's one of those people that is very process-driven. 

"She's very excited, but once the game's done we're on to the next game. We don't get carried away with our emotions but on and off the field we still enjoy the game and still enjoy the moment at the right time."

England have been tipped to cap their stunning Euro 2022 campaign with a final victory at Wembley by Jamie Carragher, who declared: "I think it's finally coming home".

Sarina Wiegman's magnificent Lionesses cruised to a 4-0 semi-final win over Sweden – the tournament's top-ranked team – at Bramall Lane on Tuesday, reaching their first Women's Euros final since 2009.

That victory represented the largest ever recorded in the last four of a Women's Euros, while England have now scored a remarkable 104 goals in 19 outings under Wiegman.

England will have to defeat either Germany or France – who meet in Milton Keynes on Wednesday – to end 56 years of major tournament hurt on Sunday, with the Lionesses having lost European finals in both 1984 and 2009.

As the side prepare for a trip to Wembley, the ground on which Gareth Southgate's Three Lions suffered Euro 2020 final heartache last year against Italy, former England international Carragher expressed his confidence they would go on to lift the trophy.

Asked by Sky Sports whether he believed the Lionesses were set for glory, Carragher said: "Finally, it's coming home, yes, after so long. 

"We've built it up so often in major tournaments, we've come pretty close, [such as] with Gareth and the boys a year or so ago.

"I think it's finally coming home, we'll be able to sing that song hopefully on Sunday night with a trophy in our arms."

Wiegman, a Euro 2017 champion with the Netherlands, became the first coach to guide two different nations to a Women's European Championship final with the victory over Sweden, and Carragher recognised her nous as a key reason for the Lionesses' success.

"We've got a top coach who belongs at this level and has done this before, so that will give great confidence to the squad going into the game," the former defender continued.

"Obviously we've got home advantage as well, sometimes that can go for you or go against you, as long as the pressure doesn't become too big.

"But I think how the England team have coped with home advantage – they've maximised it in this tournament. 

"The fact we've got a serial winner in the coach on the sidelines should give us huge confidence."

Sweden's Magdalena Eriksson has bemoaned her side's early missed chances after they were thumped 4-0 by England in their women's Euros semi-final.

Sofia Jakobsson could have put the Swedes ahead after just 30 seconds, while Stina Blackstenius also hit the bar early on.

And they then fell behind after 34 minutes when Beth Mead smashed home from inside the box, before second-half goals from Lucy Bronze, Alessia Russo and Fran Kirby finished things off.

It means that it will be England who will play either Germany or France at Wembley Stadium on Sunday as they bid to win their first European Championship, after losing in the final in 1984 and 2009.

Chelsea defender Magdalena Eriksson was frustrated after the game, telling reporters: "I'm very disappointed of course, there's a lot of emotions at the moment.

"An extreme disappointment, it's a tough one to take because we started the game extremely well. We could have been one or two nil up after 20 minutes.

"When you don't score, you don't take your chances, when you don't score when you have momentum, it's tough.

"The timings of their first two goals are really crucial. It just became too much of a challenge when it was 2-0."

Sarina Wiegman is determined for England to make their dreams come true after they reached the final of the Women's Euros with a 4-0 win over Sweden on Tuesday. 

The Lionesses put a run of three straight semi-final defeats at major tournaments behind them to reach a showpiece match for the first time since 2009. 

England are now unbeaten in 19 matches since Wiegman took charge and head into Sunday's final against Germany or France on an 11-game winning streak. 

Stina Blackstenius hit the bar early on for Sweden but Beth Mead put England in front in the 34th minute and Lucy Bronze doubled their lead shortly after the restart. 

Alessia Russo's brilliant backheel put the Lionesses out of reach and Fran Kirby capped a magnificent team display by chipping Hedvig Lindahl in the 76th minute. 

"The second half we did really well. I thought in the first half we struggled a little bit. The second half we had total control of the game and got some more space," Wiegman, who became the first coach to lead two different nations to a Women's Euros final, told the BBC. 

"We'll celebrate now a little bit. But as I said before the tournament, we have a dream. We've come very far, but now we want to take it away. 

"In the second half we played so much better. I think it was such a good performance that everyone will talk about it. 

"I think we have shown a couple of times that we're very resilient. I thought we didn't start well so we had a hard time. But the players found a way in the game to get out of their pressure, and I'm so, so incredibly proud of them." 

Mead's goal was her sixth of the competition – the most an England player has managed in a single edition of the Euros – and moved her one shy of the record tally set by Inka Grings in the 2009 tournament. 

The Arsenal forward also set up Bronze and Kirby, taking her total goal involvements at Euro 2022 to 10. 

"At the full-time whistle we didn't really know what to do! We’re ecstatic to be in the final," said Mead. 

"I enjoyed my goal – I think it came at a good time, as they’d had chances and there was pressure on us. I'm happy to help the team again." 

Alessia Russo's stunning backheel goal helped England to a brilliant 4-0 win over Sweden at Euro 2022, ending their wait for a semi-final success. 

The Lionesses weathered a strong start from Sweden that saw Stina Blackstenius rattle the crossbar and they took the lead when Beth Mead drilled home in the 34th minute. 

Lucy Bronze doubled England's lead three minutes after the restart and a moment of magic from substitute Russo put England out of reach in the 68th minute.

Fran Kirby audaciously chipped Hedvig Lindahl with 14 minutes remaining, as England ended a run of three straight semi-final defeats at major tournaments and booked their place in Sunday's showpiece at Wembley.

England needed Mary Earps to keep Sofia Jakobsson at bay after just 20 seconds, with Sweden's bright start seeing Blackstenius hit the bar with a header from a corner in the ninth minute. 

The game soon settled down but England controlled possession and they were rewarded when Mead controlled Bronze's cross expertly and fired a fine finish beyond Lindahl. 

Bronze placed a header from Mead's delivery into the bottom-left corner as the Lionesses made a phenomenal start to the second half, with the bar stopping Lauren Hemp from making it three before the hour mark. 

Earps did brilliantly to keep Blackstenius at bay as Sweden looked for a way back into the game but Russo backheeled a shot through Lindahl's legs to sap Sweden's resolve.

Kirby completed the scoring when she spotted former Chelsea team-mate Lindahl off her line to round off a resounding win for the Lionesses at Bramall Lane.

David Beckham has wished Sarina Wiegman's "inspiring" England team good luck ahead of their Women's European Championship semi-final clash with Sweden on Tuesday, as the Lionesses look to end a run of major semi-final defeats.

Wiegman's side have produced several scintillating performances as tournament hosts, scoring a remarkable 14 goals as they cruised through a group containing Austria, Norway and Northern Ireland, before coming from behind to clinch a 2-1 quarter-final win over Spain.

Georgia Stanway's extra-time stunner against La Roja was the 100th goal England have scored in just 18 matches under Wiegman, while their current 10-game winning run is their best ever such streak.

However, England are likely to face a tough test when they meet Sweden in their Bramall Lane semi-final, having fallen at this stage in three consecutive major tournaments (the 2017 Euros and World Cups in 2015 and 2019).

Ahead of that vital contest, the Lionesses have been wished well by England legend Beckham, who thanked the team for inspiring his own daughter through their performances.

"I just wanted to send you a message, firstly, to say congratulations on an incredible tournament so far," Beckham said in a video posted to the team's Twitter account.

"It's been so uplifting, it's been so exciting, and it's been so inspiring. For me personally, I have a daughter, and for her to be inspired by you girls and your performances has been incredible.

"But it's not just the girls being inspired, the boys are getting inspired as well by this, we all know that when big tournaments come around, our country and our fans get behind us like no other.

"It's been incredible to see the performances but for me personally, the game against Spain was what really brought the nation together.

"To win a game like that, in that manner, has really uplifted the whole country.

"Good luck for the semi-final, we're all behind you, we're all excited to see it and I know there's one person that is really excited to see it; my daughter Harper. Thank you for inspiring her and good luck girls."

Should England extend their fine run with victory in Sheffield, a Wembley final against either Germany or France – and a shot at a first major tournament success in the women's game – will await on Sunday.

England must focus on the present if they are to end their semi-final hoodoo when they take on Sweden in the last four of the Women's Euros, says Sarina Wiegman. 

The Lionesses will contest their fourth straight semi-final at a major tournament at Bramall Lane on Tuesday, having reached the stage in successive World Cups either side of the 2017 European Championship. 

England have featured in five previous Euros semi-finals and only progressed from two of them, in 1984 and 2009. 

Wiegman, who is yet to taste defeat in 18 matches in charge of England, wants the team to forget their previous defeats as they look to close in on a first major trophy. 

"I think it is necessary to be in the now and I do think you always have to learn from your experiences and take out the things you can take out to be better, become better or to learn," said Wiegman in a pre-match news conference.

"But it's no use now to talk about that all the time because it's now. It is now. So why should we talk about that all the time? 

"We first have to play a semi-final and that's the only thing that counts. Again, we're in the now. All the focus is on our game against Sweden – that's the only thing we talk about. 

"How do we want to play? How do we collaborate as a team? How do we try to exploit their weaknesses, take out their strengths and use our own strengths? That's the only thing we're talking about. 

"I think reaching the semi-final has been really great already and we saw that we brought a lot of inspiration. 

"But I think our fans gave us a lot of inspiration too. We are only focused on tomorrow and that's what it is, and we hope we get the result we want. 

"The England team is ready to play the best game against Sweden, and hopefully we can inspire the nation." 

Millie Bright scored an own goal in the Euro 2017 semi-final loss to the Netherlands and was sent off as England fell to the United States in the last four of the 2019 World Cup. 

She said: "We are on a new journey. It's a new path for us as a group. Like I said, [we've got] different players in, so for us it's kind of a fresh slate almost and again we focus on the here and the now. 

"The position we are in as a squad going into this game is that we are in a very good position and we are ready to fight. Everyone is feeling great." 

Sweden's Kosovare Asllani has criticised the use of VAR at the Women's Euros and referred to the tournament's approach as "strange" ahead of her side's semi-final against England at Bramall Lane on Tuesday evening.

The criticism comes after Rebecka Blomqvist had a goal disallowed against Switzerland in her team's 2-1 group stage victory.

The Swedish football assocation contacted UEFA afterwards over the incident, and Asllani has personally been critical of the amount of VAR cameras that are being used in the competition.

The 32-year-old told reporters: "Well using 50 per cent fewer cameras in our tournament than in the men's game, that’s a catastrophe really because the decisions can’t be made with the same precision.

"It's not just for us, there are other teams. There are situations where you should have more cameras and it can be really decisive.

"I think it's strange because I like VAR, I think it’s fair when they have it, but if we have one game where they make a mistake, because they draw the line on the wrong side, and we heard they don’t have the same number of cameras, for me it’s not acceptable."

Manager Peter Gerhardsson also spoke on the matter, commenting: "There shouldn’t be a difference whether it’s women's or men's football.

"It’s not good enough that there are goals that are disallowed that way when VAR is incorrect.

"My feeling is, sometimes we put too much trust in VAR. We’re going to have to hope that they’ve looked at improving themselves for the semi-final tomorrow."

Despite missing training in recent days, it's understood that Milan forward Asllani will be available for the huge clash with hosts England, as both teams bid to reach the final at Wembley on Sunday evening.

England are looking to avoid losing a fourth consecutive major tournament semi-final when they take on familiar foes Sweden at Bramall Lane on Tuesday.

The Lionesses cruised through the group stage, scoring a record 14 goals in the process, before surviving a scare to overcome Spain 2-1 after extra time in the quarter-finals.

Reaching this stage is nothing new for England, having also made it to the final four of the 2015 and 2019 World Cups, either side of their run to the semis at Euro 2017.

However, they suffered defeat on all three of those occasions, going down to Japan, the United States and the Netherlands respectively.

Fran Kirby played in each of those losses and is extra motivated to go at least one step further this time around on home soil.

"I don't want to be another player that loses in another semi-final and doesn't get to a final of a major tournament with England," she said.

"We spoke about the semi-finals we have lost previously and it takes a long time to recover from losing a semi-final like that. 

"I don't want to experience having to take a month to get over not getting to a final. It would mean everything to reach a final with this England team."

Ahead of the showdown in Sheffield, Stats Perform picks out some of the key Opta facts.

SEMI-FINAL PEDIGREE

Not only are England competing in a third straight major semi-final, this will also be their sixth appearance at this stage of the Euros (also 1984, 1987, 1995, 2009 and 2017).

They have progressed from just two of the previous five, though, and were heavily beaten 3-0 by the Dutch five years ago.

Sweden are into their ninth semi-final in this competition. After advancing from three of the first four, they have since lost three of the past four, most recently in 2013.

WE MEET AGAIN

England and Sweden are meeting in the Women's Euros for a seventh time, making it the third most played fixture behind Germany against Norway and Germany versus Italy.

The Lionesses have won only one of those past six encounters, with that solitary victory coming in the second leg of the 1984 final, which they went on to lose on penalties.

History is not only on Sweden's side when these sides meet in this competition, but also in overall meetings with England down the years.

Indeed, only against Germany (21) have England lost more times against an opponent than they have Sweden (15), with those defeats coming across 29 matches.

FORM SIDES COLLIDE

That past is the past, though, and England find themselves in superb form. With their comeback win against Spain, they have won 10 matches in a row – their best-ever streak.

Georgia Stanway's extra-time winner in that game was the 100th goal scored under head coach Sarina Wiegman in 18 matches, meaning they have averaged 5.6 goals per game.

That makes for a tantalising contest in Sheffield as Sweden are the highest-placed contender on the FIFA rankings list, sitting second behind the United States.

Bidding for a first trophy since the 1984 Euros, Sweden are undefeated since March 2020 and a staggering 34 matches in total.

Something has to give in this latest clash between the heavyweights, however, with a showdown against either Germany or France awaiting in Sunday's final.

Sweden goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl believes the investment and improvement in the English game in recent years means her nation's good record against their Women's European Championship semi-final opponents will mean very little.

The Swedes needed a late Linda Sembrant goal against Belgium in their quarter-final to advance to play tournament hosts England, who edged past Spain 2-1 in the last eight thanks to an extra-time thunderbolt from Georgia Stanway.

The two teams will face off on Tuesday at Bramall Lane, Sheffield for a place in the final.

England have won just three of their 26 meetings with Sweden in all competitions (D8 L15), while they have only lost more often against Germany (21) than they have against the Swedes.

However, when asked if this impressive record gives them an advantage during the team's media day on Sunday, former Chelsea stopper Lindahl said: "No, because we all know the development that's been in the English league, and the investment that's gone into English football in the last seven years.

"I know it first hand because I came to Chelsea in 2015 and I've seen the game take off in England. Obviously that will have an effect on the national team, because the league has grown and people have to grow with it. So you can't really rely on history.

"But what I do take with me is that we know these are players we've beaten. We've managed to beat them before and we can do it again."

The 39-year-old has made eight saves across her team's four games so far, conceding just two goals, and is looking forward to returning to Sheffield, where Sweden played their first two games against the Netherlands and Switzerland.

"I had imagined coming into this tournament that we would face England at some point. I wasn't aware of when we were able to see each other," she said. "I thought it was going to be at Wembley, but now it's in Sheffield, and I think that's a good thing for us because we played a few games there. It's kind of like our home pitch, and so I look forward to it."

Lindahl is well aware of the dangers England pose, with tournament top scorer Beth Mead in the form of her life, scoring five goals in the Euros and having had a hand in 31 goals in all competitions under Sarina Wiegman so far (19 goals, 12 assists) in 18 games.

"I think we've all seen how much success they've had with their wingers, especially Beth Mead," Lindahl added.

"They have quality players in every position and two of them in every position. So I think we're gonna face a collective, well-organised team under the leadership of their new coach. So it's going to be a tough one."

Fran Kirby says England will "lean on" the experience of head coach Sarina Wiegman in their Women's Euros semi-final showdown with Sweden.

Wiegman's side are seeking a third appearance in the final of this competition when they clash with the 1984 champions at Bramall Lane on Tuesday - and first since 2009.

Following their dramatic quarter-final victory over Spain, the Lionesses are now unbeaten in 18 matches, while Sweden have not lost since a 2-1 defeat by Denmark in March 2020.

The tournament hosts will also be aiming to avoid a fourth successive semi-final defeat in major competitions, having fallen at this stage of the 2017 European Championship as well as the World Cup in 2015 and 2019.

Meanwhile, Wiegman is looking to lift this trophy for the second time in as many editions, after guiding her native Netherlands to glory five years ago.

And Kirby, who has played in every match of England's run to the last four, believes the 52-year-old's previous experience of the big occasions will be hugely beneficial in the Lionesses' quest to avert further semi-final heartache.

"She's been there and done it; she's got to finals, she's won major finals," the forward said. "The best person to get us through is her.

"I think she'll come with a lot of experience and a lot of advice; she already has done leading into this tournament.

"For her, it's a case of doing what's normal because she's been to a few now. I'm sure we'll lean on her a little bit in order to get through it.

"First and foremost, she's a great coach; the way that she sees football, the way that she analyses other teams. 

"But I think her management of players sticks out for me and the way that she's made every person feel valued in this team - whether you're a starter, whether you're coming in as a sub, whether you don't get any minutes.

"I think everyone knows what their role is in the team and what they're there to do. They've taken that in their stride.

"I think that's a compliment to her in how people have managed themselves and made sure that when you're called upon, you're ready to go. It's not easy to do things like that when you've been sat on the bench.

"To make people still feel valued and feel hungry when they come on the pitch that they can change it, and they can help is a really special quality, and I think she has that."

Jubilant Sweden star Magdalena Eriksson is targeting the scalp of hosts England in the Euro 2022 semi-finals and admits it would be fun to "ruin their party".

Sweden, ranked second in the world by FIFA, have quietly come through the rounds to reach the last-four stage.

They beat Belgium 1-0 in Friday night's quarter-final at Leigh, with near-relentless pressure paying off in stoppage time when Linda Sembrant finally found the net.

Eriksson, who captains Chelsea in the Women's Super League, is set to face club-mates including Fran Kirby and Millie Bright in Tuesday's Bramall Lane semi-final clash.

England have reached the final four for a second consecutive Women's European Championship, and they lost 3-0 to the Netherlands last time.

This time the Lionesses are riding the wave of popular support in England, with a huge audience of 9.1million tuning in on television and online to watch the 2-1 quarter-final win over Spain.

Quoted in Swedish newspaper Expressen after Friday night's game, Eriksson said she was relishing the prospect of tackling Sarina Wiegman's team at the home of Sheffield United.

"It is incredibly special. I was happy when they progressed, it will be an incredibly cool challenge," Eriksson said.

"We want to do everything we can to ruin their party. They have done well and I know a lot of their players."

Match-winner Sembrant said it felt "absolutely magical" to get over the line against Belgium and tee up the England clash.

"It will be a hugely exciting match to meet them in England in a semi-final," Sembrant said. "It will be really cool. Now we have to recover and recharge."