The curse of the semi-finals: Spain wants to climb the Alps at the Euros

The Spanish national team is back in action: they will face Switzerland in the Euro 2025 quarterfinals . After three wins, they are the top-scoring team in the entire tournament (14 goals), and it seems that the team has grown stronger with each match.

Portugal, Belgium, and Italy were the victims of a national team that knew how to approach matches with maturity. Led by Alexia Putellas and Esther González , who has already made history by scoring in four consecutive matches at a European Championship, they are looking to break through their invisible barrier: the quarterfinals, a stage they haven't surpassed for 28 years.

"Spain hasn't reached the semifinals of the European Championship for a while," Montse Tomé acknowledged before the match. "It's a very nice goal, but we also know we're playing against the host country, with all that entails . We'll have to focus on the plan and be truly ready."

An agonizing classification

The hosts arrive after a very difficult group stage : victory against Iceland (2-0), defeat against Norway (1-2) and a painful draw against Finland (1-1), with a goal in added time that gave them the first qualification in their history to the quarter-finals of a European Championship .

The Swiss defend well, reach the area with determination and have Viola Calligaris and Géraldine Reuteler , the MVP in all of Switzerland's matches, as their main offensive references.

Reaching the semi-finals 28 years later

Irene Paredes also warned of the danger: "This is a team that knows what it's doing. We have to be very focused in both areas, because any mistake comes at a price. We want to make history by reaching the semifinals."

Jana, however, expressed a different tone than her teammates. "I'm a firm believer. If we show how good we are on the field, very few opponents can stand up to us ." It's clear to everyone that Spain is one of the favorites for the competition , but the psychological challenge of reaching the quarterfinals is still there.

The recent matches between the two teams have favored Spain: they already met in the round of 16 at the 2023 World Cup , winning 5-1 . But the context is different in a tournament like the European Championship.

"They're very happy, very focused. They're really looking forward to the match ," Tomé summed up. Because this Friday they can make history by achieving their first European Championship semi-final qualification since 1997. Should they advance, their opponent will be Germany or France , a match that will be played this Saturday at 9:00 PM.