Sweden made the most of the sending-off of Germany defender Carlotta Wamser to sweep to a 4-1 win and secure top spot in their Group C clash on Saturday, with the Germans also going through to the quarter-finals as runners-up
The Swedes finished top of the group with a perfect nine points from their three games and will take on the runners-up in Group D – which features France, England, Netherlands and Wales – with the Germans taking on the winners of that group.
Germany defender Wamser set up Jule Brand for her side’s opener in the seventh minute, but the Swedes hit back through Stina Blackstenius five minutes later and they took the lead through a fortuitous goal from full back Smilla Holmberg in the 25th minute.
Wamser’s red card for a deliberate handball in the box in the 32nd minute allowed Fridolina Rolfo to confidently slot home the resulting penalty, and substitute Lina Hurtig rubbed salt in Germany’s wounds with an 80th-minute goal to seal an emphatic win.
RM Block
Poland’s Natalia Padilla-Bidas scored her country’s first goal at a major women’s tournament in a 3-2 victory over Denmark that sends Poland home from their European Championship debut on a high note.
Both teams had already been eliminated from quarter-final contention so Saturday’s match was about final group placings with Poland finishing third and Denmark fourth.
Bayern Munich’s Padilla-Bidas brought the Polish fans to their feet at Allmend Stadion with her historic strike in the 12th minute when a loose ball fell at her feet and she fired home.
Ewa Pajor, Poland’s all-time leading goalscorer, doubled their lead eight minutes later when she intercepted the ball in the midfield, laid it out to Padilla-Bidas then charged to the back post to head it in.
Janni Thomsen pulled one back in the 59th minute but Poland restored their two-goal lead when substitute Martyna Wiankowska struck from the edge of the box, firing the ball in off the bar.
Denmark, runners-up at Euro 2017, replied in the 83rd minute when Signe Bruun headed in Katrine Veje’s pinpoint cross.
