Euro 2025: Spain ruthlessly ends Switzerland’s spirited run in quarterfinals

BERN, Switzerland (AP) — Spain ended Switzerland’s dreamy midsummer run through its home Women’s European Championship in a 2-0 win in the quarterfinals on Friday despite missing two penalty kicks.

Swiss resistance was broken by the world champion’s two goals in a five-minute spell midway through the second half.

Athenea Del Castillo slotted in a shot from Aitana Bonmatí's flicked assist in the 66th, just four minutes after coming off the bench, and Clàudia Pina curled a shot from the edge of the penalty area in the 71st.

Spain will play France or Germany in the semifinals next Wednesday in Zurich. The winner will face defending champion England or Italy in the July 27 final at St. Jakob-Park, Basel.

“These players are making history," Spain coach Montse Tomé said.

Her team sang on the field in their celebratory team photo after reaching the semifinals for the first time in 28 years.

Spain has a tournament-leading 16 goals yet could not score from the spot.

Mariona Caldentey skewed her penalty badly wide in the ninth minute and Alexia Putellas' shot was saved by Livia Peng in the 88th.

Switzerland’s spirited young team gave its noisy home fans hope of a stunning upset, even more so after Caldentey's bad miss was greeted by a grateful roar in the sold-out Wankdorf Stadium.

“We had some luck but the world champions Spain were too good for us today,” Switzerland coach Pia Sundhage said.

Spain also struck the posts of Switzerland’s goal three times including in back-to-back chances in a frantic scramble at a corner in the 60th.

“It was a very hard-fought victory," Tomé said. "We expected a game like the one we had, we had to be patient.”

Switzerland defender Noelle Maritz was sent off in stoppage time for a foul as the last defender.

Spain defender Laia Aleixandri is suspended for the semifinals after her second yellow card of the tournament, for a first-half foul on Iman Beney.

The quality of penalty kicks taken in these quarterfinals has been shockingly bad.

Spain’s Caldentey joined Norway captain Ada Hegerberg in placing her spot kick low and wide. Hegerberg’s miss came when Norway trailed 1-0 in a 2-1 loss to Italy on Wednesday.

With Caldentey off the field, Putellas struck Spain’s second penalty hard though at a good height for Swiss goalkeeper Livia Peng to dive to the left and push away.

Just five of 14 penalties were scored on Thursday in the shootout between England and Sweden.

England won the shootout despite four saves by Sweden goalkeeper Jennifer Falk. Sweden struck a post and sent two over the crossbar, including Falk’s kick that would have won the game.

“I don’t know what happens in other teams" Tomé said, adding “we practiced penalties.”

Aitana Bonmatí won the player of the game award three weeks after she was hospitalized in Madrid with viral meningitis.

“I was far from family and many people helped me. I’m grateful for that,” Bonmatí said in translated comments.

In the Ballon d'Or holder's second start at Euro 2025, she unlocked the Swiss defense with the clever backheel pass to create the chance for Athenea Del Castillo to open the scoring.

She also ended Switzerland midfielder Géraldine Reuteler's run of being named best player in three straight games.

Switzerland's veteran coach delivered on a promise to surprise with her starting lineup.

Iman Beney, the 18-year-old wing back, played as a lone striker with pace, often supported in attack by Sydney Schertenleib, also 18. Sundhage brought back her third 18-year-old Noemi Ivelj for a start in midfield.

All-time Switzerland record goal-scorer Ana-Maria Crnogorčević, the former Barcelona and Atletico Madrid forward, was moved to right back to use her experience against the strong Spain left flank threat.

It worked in as much as Spain was shut out in the first half for the first time at Euro 2025.

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A fan holds a poster with the words in German "Go Switzerland" while walking with thousands to the stadium for he Women's Euro 2025 quarterfinal soccer match between Switzerland and Spain in Bern, Switzerland, Friday July 18, 2025. (Urs Flueeler/Keystone via AP)

Spain's Patri Guijarro heads the ball ahead of Switzerland's Iman Beney during the Women's Euro 2025 quarterfinals soccer match between Spain and Switzerland at Stadion Wankdorf in Bern, Switzerland, Friday, July 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Switzerland fans react after Spain's Mariona Caldentey, left, failed to score a penalty shot during the Women's Euro 2025 quarterfinals soccer match between Spain and Switzerland at Stadion Wankdorf in Bern, Switzerland, Friday, July 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Spain's Claudia Pina celebrates after scoring her side's second goal during the Women's Euro 2025 quarterfinals soccer match between Spain and Switzerland at Stadion Wankdorf in Bern, Switzerland, Friday, July 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Spain's Athenea, left, scores her side's opening goal during the Women's Euro 2025 quarterfinals soccer match between Spain and Switzerland at Stadion Wankdorf in Bern, Switzerland, Friday, July 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Spain's Athenea celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Women's Euro 2025 quarterfinals soccer match between Spain and Switzerland at Stadion Wankdorf in Bern, Switzerland, Friday, July 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

A Ukrainian drone strike killed one person and wounded three others in the Russian city of Voronezh, local officials said Sunday.

A young woman died overnight in a hospital intensive care unit after debris from a drone fell on a house during the attack on Saturday, regional Gov. Alexander Gusev said on Telegram.

Three other people were wounded and more than 10 apartment buildings, private houses and a high school were damaged, he said, adding that air defenses shot down 17 drones over Voronezh. The city is home to just over 1 million people and lies some 250 kilometers (155 miles) from the Ukrainian border.

The attack came the day after Russia bombarded Ukraine with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles overnight into Friday, killing at least four people in the capital Kyiv, according to Ukrainian officials.

For only the second time in the nearly four-year war, Russia used a powerful new hypersonic missile that struck western Ukraine in a clear warning to Kyiv and NATO.

The intense barrage and the launch of the nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile followed reports of major progress in talks between Ukraine and its allies on how to defend the country from further aggression by Moscow if a U.S.-led peace deal is struck.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday in his nightly address that Ukrainian negotiators “continue to communicate with the American side.”

Chief negotiator Rustem Umerov was in contact with U.S. partners Saturday, he said.

Separately, Ukraine’s General Staff said Russia targeted Ukraine with 154 drones overnight into Sunday and 125 were shot down.

Follow the AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

This photo provided by the Ukrainian Security Service on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, shows a fragment believed to be a part of a Russian Oreshnik intermediate range hypersonic ballistic missile that hit the Lviv region. (Ukrainian Security Service via AP)

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, second left, listens to British Defense Secretary John Healey during their meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Danylo Antoniuk)