In Video: Leah Williamson looks ahead to England's Euros quarter-final clash v Sweden

Lionesses Look to Book Semi-Final Spot Against Sweden

In an exclusive interview with Emma, Lionesses captain Leah Williamson spoke about the challenges her team will face when they take on Sweden in the quarter-finals of the Euros on Thursday night. A win for England would secure their place in the semi-finals, but Williamson knows that Sweden will be a tough opponent.

“It will be a tough game,” she said. “Sweden are a very organized team, they work hard and have a lot of threats. It’s a team full of threats, not just one or two, so it’s hard to prepare for.”

One player who will be a key threat to England is Stina Blackstén, who has scored the winner for Arsenal in the Champions League and is playing with confidence at the moment. Williamson knows Blackstén well and rates her highly. “Stina is an incredibly powerful footballer,” she said. “She’s very intelligent with her runs and she’s hard to play against.”

England’s previous meeting with Sweden in a major tournament was in 2022, and Williamson acknowledged that the Swedes may still be smarting from that defeat. However, she believes that both teams have changed significantly since then and that this will be a new and different challenge.

When asked about the group stage, Williamson said that it’s hard to focus on other teams when you’re playing in a tournament, but she did have an eye on Sweden’s game against Germany. “It was a dramatic game,” she said. “I don’t think you can focus too much on anybody else’s journey. We had our own work out for us in our own group.”

Despite the intensity of the tournament, Williamson says that the mood in the camp is good. “We’re not ready to kill each other,” she joked. “We’re actually enjoying each other’s company. We’ve had some nice moments, brought the family in and amongst it, and it’s been lovely to have a bit of a break from the football sometimes.”

Looking ahead to the game against Sweden, Williamson knows that she and her team will have to be at their best. “It’s a big challenge, but we’re looking forward to it,” she said. “We’re confident in our ability and we’re ready to give it our all.”

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