Spain are through to the Women’s World Cup final after a 2-1 victory over Sweden in Auckland.
Spain will play the winner of tomorrow’s semi-final between England and Australia.
Live reaction continues below
10:58 AM BST
Tears for Sweden
Devastation on the faces of the Sweden players but they didn’t really do enough to win this. Spain were far the better side and eventually made their superiority tell – despite that dramatic late equaliser.
10:55 AM BST
FULL TIME: Spain 2 Sweden 1
They’ve done it. Spain are into the World Cup final. What a last ten minutes we had at Eden Park.
10:53 AM BST
90+6 min: Spain 2 Sweden 1
Spain are seconds away as Hurtig concedes a free kick deep in the Spain half. That could be that…
10:51 AM BST
90+2 min: Spain 2 Sweden 1
Seven minutes of added time. Sweden clip a free kick into the Spain box and are pleading with the referee for a penalty. Not sure why though…
10:46 AM BST
GOAL (Spain 2 Sweden 1)
What is going on here!?!?!?
The ball comes to Carmona on the left side of the box and she’s given far too much time. She unleashes a powerful left-footed strike which crashes into the underside of the bar after Musovic gets a hand on it.
Incredible scenes at Eden Park.
10:44 AM BST
GOAL (Spain 1 Sweden 1)
Blomqvist levels it!
It’s two of the substitutes who combine for the equaliser. Hurtig delivers a lovely cushioned header from a cross from the left and Blomqvist smashes it past Coll.
10:43 AM BST
85 min: Spain 1 Sweden 0
Can Sweden respond? There’s a break in play as Coll goes down with an injury for Spain. The Spanish fans are going wild in the stands but remember their side conceded an injury-time equaliser against the Dutch in the last round…this is far from done.
10:37 AM BST
GOAL (Spain 1 Sweden 0)
Spain lead and it’s Paralluelo!!!!
Sweden fairl to deal with a cross from the left and it falls perfectly for Paralluelo, who lashes a right-footed shot past Musovic.
Spain take the lead with their first shot on target, with eight minutes to go.
10:36 AM BST
79 min: Spain 0 Sweden 0
The game is getting scrappier and scrappier. Nerves? Fatigue? Whatever it is both sides are once again struggling to get the ball out of the midfield dogfight.
10:33 AM BST
76 min: Spain 0 Sweden 0
Kaneryd whips a ball in from the right for Sweden and it’s mere inches over the head of Blackstenius. Will their experience of World Cup semi-finals start to pay dividends in the final quarter of this game?
Blomqvist and Schough replace Blackstenius and Kaneryd.
10:31 AM BST
74 min: Spain 0 Sweden 0
Spain has just upped the tempo here. Batlle gets forward down the right and Caldentey meets the former’s cross at the back post. She can’t get her feet untangled though and her shot is way off target.
10:28 AM BST
71 min: Spain 0 Sweden 0
Best chance of the game goes begging for Spain. Hermoso whips a first time ball in towards Redondo before Paralluelo does well to keep the ball in play. Redondo is lying on the ground but is unmarked as she attempts to sweep the ball goalwards only to see hit the side netting.
10:26 AM BST
69 min: Spain 0 Sweden 0
More quality needed. Another decent position is wasted by Spain as Batlle attempts a cut back pass from wide on the right but gets it all wrong allowing for an easy clearance.
10:24 AM BST
66 min: Spain 0 Sweden 0
Rolfo attempts to clear but rather than the ball connects cleanly with the head of Redondo. Real chance with a free kick here for Spain. Caldentey’s free kick is weak and deflected out for a corner off the wall.
10:21 AM BST
63 min: Spain 0 Sweden 0
Asllani has been a thorn in the side of Spain in this half. She’s again free down the fight and smashes a cross into the Spain box but there’s no one attacking the near-post and Spain get away with a deflection from goalkeeper Coll.
10:18 AM BST
60 min: Spain 0 Sweden 0
Better from Spain as the rain begins to teem down at Eden Park. Bonmati gets close to the byline and attempts the cut back but heavy pressure from the Sweden defence is enough to clear the danger.
10:16 AM BST
58 min: Spain 0 Sweden 0
Paralluelo is straight into the action. Chasing a clipped ball over the back before holding the ball up well to feed Abelleira. She finds Hermoso in the box but she has her back to goal and can’t get a shot away cleanly.
10:13 AM BST
56 min: Spain 0 Sweden 0
Spain are looking less and less comfortable in possession in their own half. They lose it in a dangerous area and Blackstenius is freed into the box. She carries the ball to an acute angle and can’t generate enough power on the shot to trouble Coll.
Paralluelo is on to replace the quiet Putellas.
10:11 AM BST
54 min: Spain 0 Sweden 0
Spain have a chance to attack down the left after winning the ball back in the middle of the park. The ensuing pass is directed towards Caldentey but it’s got too much on it and the chance goes begging. This game is crying out for some quality to break it open.
10:09 AM BST
51 min: Spain 0 Sweden 0
The contrast between the attacking styles of these sides is clear. Spain’s patient build-up play contrasts with a much more direct style from Sweden. Three passes from back to front sees Asllani released down the right. Her ball is well directed but there is not a Sweden player within ten yards of it as it’s cleared.
10:05 AM BST
47 min: Spain 0 Sweden 0
Caldentey drifts inside and has her head looking for options. Redondo makes a good run from the right and is the target of a cutting ball from Caldentey. She just puts too much on it and Musovic claims but that is good work again from Spain’s left winger.
10:02 AM BST
Here we go…
Both these sides are 45 minutes from Sunday’s final. Excitement palpable at Eden Park.
09:47 AM BST
HALF TIME: Spain 0 Sweden 0
No goals in a cagey first half there. Spain had the lion’s share of possession but arguably the best chance went to Sweden just before the break. All to play for in the second half.
09:46 AM BST
44 min: Spain 0 Sweden 0
Sweden are starting to show their threat from set pieces. A corner is swung in and Coll flaps at it, causing the ball to fall dangerously inside the six-yard box. It’s soon cleared but Sweden have just started to get on top here.
09:44 AM BST
42 min: Spain 0 Sweden 0
First big chance for Sweden. Spain make a mess of trying to play the ball out and the ball is clipped to the back post where Rolfo does well to get the ball out of her feet and release the shot. Coll is forced into a good low save to keep things level.
09:42 AM BST
40 min: Spain 0 Sweden 0
Things getting a little turgid late in this first-half with neither side able to find the sort of quality required in the final third to generate a clear chance. Sweden would be much happier to be going at 0-0 though.
09:39 AM BST
39 min: Spain 0 Sweden 0
Spain have been the far better side here but for all their dominance they have not yet generated a gilt-edged chance far less a goal. They are huffing and puffing but Sweden’s house looks fairly solid at present. Bonmati gives herself room to get a shot away but Musovic watches it go well wide.
09:36 AM BST
35 min: Spain 0 Sweden 0
First flash of world-class quality from Putellas. She’s quickest to clearance from the Sweden before beating a defender with a delightful nutmeg and smashing her cross into the six-yard box. Sweden concede a corner – that could have been a lot more costly.
09:33 AM BST
33 min: Spain 0 Sweden 0
This Spanish side is so gifted. From deep in their own half they play six first-touch passes in a row to get out of trouble before earning a free-kick on the half-way line. For all their dominance here it remains deadlocked though. That’s fine for Sweden – their chances will surely come.
09:30 AM BST
29 min: Spain 0 Sweden 0
The Spanish threat is coming predominantly down the flanks early on here. Caldentey picks it up wide on the left and lifts another good ball into the Swedish six-yard box. Ilestedt is there to clear but Spain are looking the far more likely to break the deadlock here.
09:28 AM BST
26 min: Spain 0 Sweden 0
Caldentey goes down fairly easily on the left as she looks to shield the ball from Bjorn. The referee blows her whistle, much to the Swedish defender’s chagrin. She had clear air to charge into the Spain half there.
09:25 AM BST
24 min: Spain 0 Sweden 0
Carmona does well with a quick switch of play to find Redondo on the right. Andersson is caught out as the ball drifts over her head but again the Swedish defence scrambles well to negate any danger.
09:23 AM BST
21 min: Spain 0 Sweden 0
Sweden are clearly content to allow Spain to dominate possession. That’s all well and good until Spain find a the chink in the armour. Bonmati does just that as she jinks delightfully inside from the left and lifts a ball towards Hermoso. It’s over the striker’s head though and Musovic claims.
09:19 AM BST
16 min: Spain 0 Sweden 0
Sweden are struggling to string together attacking sequences but they will not be too concerned yet. Rolfo does well to win the ball back in midfield. She drives into the Spanish defence but is quickly crowded out.
09:16 AM BST
13 min: Spain 0 Sweden 0
More good stuff from Spain. Hermoso does well to hold the ball up before feeding centre-back Carmona. She looks up and takes on an ambitious strike from all of 25 yards. She strikes it well and has Musovic at full stretch to her left only for the ball to skim wide.
09:13 AM BST
11 min: Spain 0 Sweden 0
First real chance. Redondo is unmarked at the back post and heads the ball back across the six-yard box. It’s panic stations for the Sweden defenders but after some pinball action they do well to clear their lines.
09:11 AM BST
10 min: Spain 0 Sweden 0
Bonmati makes a decent run down the right but Sweden are across to deal with the danger. Redondo’s cross moments later sails out of play. This game is waiting for someone to seize the initiative.
09:09 AM BST
7 min: Spain 0 Sweden 0
A fairly subdued start but one in which Sweden have matched Spain for possession. When they lose it, they drop into a very compact defensive setup. They are not going to be easy to break down here.
09:05 AM BST
4 min: Spain 0 Sweden 0
At the other end, Blackstenius looks to feed Asllani rather than take on the shot from jsut outside the area. Could Sweden’s striker have pulled the trigger a tad quicker there?
09:03 AM BST
3 min: Spain 0 Sweden 0
Spain enjoy the first period of consistent attack, settling into the possession-based attack with which we have become so accustomed at this tournament. Caldentey beats the defender on the left and puts in a decent cross but Musovic claims well.
09:00 AM BST
We’re underway!
Sweden kick off attacking left to right.
08:58 AM BST
Moments away from kick-off
Anthems sung with a little less gusto than can be expected in Sydney tomorrow but the atmosphere is still crackling nicely in Auckland.
08:54 AM BST
Just a word…
…for Sweden’s pre-match clobber. Classy stuff.
08:52 AM BST
The teams are in the tunnel
There’s an impressive light show to welcome them out at Eden Park.
08:49 AM BST
How they got here…
Spain
Wins of Zambia and Costa Rica were enough to ensure qualification but a 4-0 loss to Japan signalled potential weaknesses. In spite of that, they crushed the Swiss 5-1 in the last-16 before edging out the Netherlands 2-1 in an extra-time thriller to get to this point.
Sweden
Group-stage wins over South Africa, Italy and Argentina proved they were one of of the sides to beat. They knocked out perennial powerhouses the USA in the last-16 on penalties before felling an in-from Japan side in the quarter-finals.
08:44 AM BST
Pre-match words from Spain’s Jenni Hermoso
“I always said that I wish I could win something with the national team and now I feel close,” said Hermoso.
“We are one victory away from the World Cup final.
“If we’re not nervous then something is not going right. To be in the final, to reach the final, just thinking about it gives me shivers. We are close to achieving this.”
08:39 AM BST
Will Sweden be hamstrung by past faliures?
No, says Arsenal’s Swedish boss Jonas Eidevall on BBC Sport.
“Absolutely not,” he said. “I know a lot of the players and no way will they be thinking about the past. They will believe in themselves and they will have a positive mindset.
“I’m a big believer that the more you play these decisive games, the more you are going to end up being on the winning side.”
08:35 AM BST
Eden Park is awash with colour
08:31 AM BST
A superstar returns
08:28 AM BST
Team news – Sweden unchanged
Five Women’s Super League players feature in an unchanged Sweden lineup from the side which beat Japan 2-1 in the quarter-finals.
Sweden XI: Musovic, Andersson, Eriksson, Ilestedt, Bjorn, Rubensson, Angeldal, Rolfo, Asllani, Kaneryd, Blackstenius
08:26 AM BST
Team news – Putellas starts
The big news from the Spain camp is that two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas starts in midfield this evening.
Arguably the best player in the world, Putellas has been working her way back to fitness after a knee injury but is deemed fit enough to make the starting XI.
Spain’s XI: Coll, Batlle, Paredes, Codina, Carmona, Abelleira, Bonmati, Putellas, Redondo, Hermoso, Caldentey
08:20 AM BST
Semi-final time
Good morning and welcome to Eden Park for the first of the Women’s World Cup semi-finals as Spain and Sweden lock horns to become the first side to qualify for the big one in Sydney on Sunday.
Much of the attention will be focused on tomorrow’s seismic clash between co-hosts Australia and England but fans of both would do well to watch closely and assess the potent threat posed by the team who will be standing in their way in the final.
Spain have shown a little bit of everything throughout their journey to this semi-final.
Stefanie Van der Gragt’s equaliser in injury time appeared to hand the Dutch the initiative heading into extra-time but Spain rallied, with Salma Paralluelo’s goal eventually proving the difference between the sides.
Spain were asked to prove they had the steel to match their flair in that clash in Wellington, and did so with flying colours, but their opponent’s today have been doing that all tournament.
While on paper Sweden’s results fail to get the heart racing like Spain’s, their course to the last four has been as impressive for different reasons.
Hard-fought wins against the USA and Japan in the knockout stages have shown that, if anything, Sweden have the confidence to go toe-to-toe with the best sides in the world and get the job done.
Perhaps their greatest challenge will be shaking off a concerning habit of losing World Cup semi-finals. Of the four they have made since the tournament’s genesis in 1991, Sweden have gone to the final just once.
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