Spain was made to work and missed two penalties but eventually broke the resistance of hosts Switzerland while the favorites of Euro 2025 won 2-0 to continue to the semi-final.
Match report
Although they had worked hard for it, pre-tournament Favorites Spain progressed to the semi-final of the UEFA Women's European Championship with a 2-0 win over hosts Switzerland, which they have now defeated in five consecutive H2HS.
Second half goals from Athenea del Castillo and Claudia Pina were enough to make the progress of Spain in the face of a vocal home crowd, but it was sometimes difficult.
With Switzerland who played a quarterfinals in their first tournament against one side that scored 14 goals in their three group matches, it looked like a mismatch of a last eight collision on paper-but Spain was frustrated for more than an hour due to a wasteful performance in Bern.
The world champions had a golden chance to break the impasse in the beginning when Mariona Caldentey was knocked down by Nadine Riesen for a Stonewall penalty.
But Women's Super League player of the season that Caldentey might have paid too good attention to the chaotic penalty shoot-out of England with Sweden while her spot-kick shockingly widely dripped and added more confidence to the Swiss effort.
Despite the possession of Spain, Switzerland kept their opponents at a distance – until the woodwork came to the rescue. Before peace, Irene Paredes crashed the post from a corner and the second half of Patri Guijarro and Esther Gonzalez met the same fate of further set pieces.
While Switzerland Cata Coll tested for the first time through the shot of Alayah Pilgrim during the break, Spain knew that something had to change – and the introduction of del Castillo did it.
The Spain No 10 had opened the score within a few minutes after the rise. A complicated Spanish move saw the forward lock on the film of Aitana Bonmati in the penalty area and she printed an attempt along the Swiss goalkeeper Livia Peng.
Six minutes later the tie was ready. Lia Walti – who celebrated a final victory of the Champions League with Arsenal against many of these Spain players in Barcelona two months ago – gave the ball away under pressure from Guijarro and while she called Spain the time on the game.
Pina grabbed the loose ball in the room and she curled a characteristic finish of 20 meters in the top corner.
Spain thought they had set a third goal when Del Castillo was captured too late by Iman Beney in the box, but incredibly Alexia Putellas – one of the players of the tournament so far – saw her punishment kept out of a stunning Peng Parry.
It now means from the 25 criminal attempts – including in shoot -outs – 13 have not resulted in goals.
And despite some late hope for the Swiss after that penalty miss, they were then reduced to 10 players when Noelle Maritz of Aston Villa was fired for a late professional error on Salma Paralluelo.
That was that for Switzerland, who still managed to inspire a generation of fans in their country – the presence of 78,407 was a record for a quarterfinals of a Damroeuro.
For Spain it is a delicious semi -final against one of France or Germany next week.
Line-ups
Spain XI: Esther Gonzalez, Alexia Putellas, Irene Paredes, Mariona Caldentey, Patri Guijarro, Aitana Bossi, Cata Coll, Laia Aleixandri, ONA Batlle Pascual, Claudia Pina, Olga Caronaa
Subs: Leila Ouahabi, Esther Sulastres, Lucía García, Alba Redondo, María Méndez, Jana Fernandez, Athenea del Castillo, Cristina Martín-Prieto Gutiérrez, Adriana Nanclares, Maite Zubieta, Salma, Salma, Salma, Vicky López
Switzerland XI: A. Crnogorčević, L. Wälti, N. Maritz, V. Culararis, G. Raander, Livia Peng, Smilla Vallotto, Nadine Riesen, Iman Beney, Noemi iVelj, Sydney Schertleib
Subs: M. Terchoun, S. Mauron, J. Stierli, A. Lehmann, E. Herzog, C. SOW, S. Fölmli, Laiia Balleste, Sirola Xhemaili, Nadine Böhi, Alayah Pilgrim, Leila Waneer