Women's EURO 2022 quarter-finals: Sweden vs Belgium match facts, stats, ones to watch

Sweden vs Belgium: Head-to-head

• Sweden, in search of a first continental title since 1984, take on Belgium for the first time at a major tournament in the quarter-finals of UEFA Women's EURO 2022 at stake.
• Sweden topped Group C with seven points, finishing first on goal difference ahead of the Netherlands. The Blågult recorded victories over Switzerland (2-1) and Portugal (5-0) after 1-1 a Matchday 1 draw with the Oranje.
• Sweden's qualification ensured they have reached at least the last eight of this tournament in all their 11 appearances, and have won their section four times in the last editions.
• Belgium have advanced to the knockout stages of a major tournament for the first time in their history, overtaking Iceland to take second place in Group D on Matchday 3 courtesy of a 1-0 win against Italy. The Red Flames had drawn 1-1 with Iceland in their group opener before a 2-1 defeat to section winners France.
• The winners of this tie will face either England or Spain in the semi-finals in Sheffield on 26 July.
• The sides have been paired together for the first time in nearly 13 years. Sweden recorded a 4-1 away win in the last encounter, a qualifier for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup in Leuven in October 2009 with Caroline Seger – still part of the squad – scoring the first two goals.
• Sweden had won 2-1 in Gothenburg a month earlier, current Blågult attacker Kosovare Asllani opening the scoring.
• Sweden have won all four meetings with the Red Flames, scoring 13 goals and conceding just three.
• That September 2009 encounter was the first fixture between the teams since they had been drawn together in EURO 1987 qualifying. Sweden won 5-0 in the very first encounter in Jönköping in October 1985 before a 2-1 return a year later.
• Sweden are appearing at their 11th EURO, fewer only than Italy and Norway (both 12). The Blågult have reached the quarter-finals or better on each occasion, alternating between being eliminated in the semi-finals and the last eight since their most recent final appearance in 2001, when they lost in extra time to hosts Germany.
• Sweden were the inaugural European champions in 1984, Ulf Lyfors' team lifting the trophy on English soil with a 4-3 penalty shoot-out success against the home side in Luton after a 1-1 aggregate draw (1-0 h, 0-1 a).
• Belgium made their major tournament debut at EURO 2017, finishing third in Group A behind eventual winners the Netherlands and Denmark, who would also reach the final. The Red Flames' sole win came on Matchday 2, Ives Serneels' side earning a 2-0 success against Norway in Breda.
• Sweden sealed their spot at an eighth successive EURO by clinching first place in Group F, winning seven and drawing one of their eight fixtures, scoring 40 goals and conceding only two. Their only failure to record maximum points came with a 1-1 draw against eventual runners-up Iceland in Reykjavik in September 2020.
• Belgium secured their place at only their second EURO by winning Group H thanks to seven victories in their eight matches. The exception was a 2-1 loss to eventual runners-up Switzerland in Thun in September 2020.
• The 4-3 win on penalties against England in the 1984 final is Sweden's sole shoot-out at Women's EURO.
• Sweden have reached the quarter-final stage in all four tournaments since the current format was introduced in 2009; they are one of just three sides to have done so, along with France and Germany.
• Sweden's record in last-eight ties at the Women's EURO finals is W1 L2; their only success at this stage came as hosts in 2013, winning 4-0 against Iceland.
• Both of Sweden's quarter-final defeats have been by a two-goal margin: to Norway (1-3) in 2009 and eventual winners the Netherlands (0-2) in 2017.
• That last-eight win against Iceland in 2013 is Sweden's only victory in their last six EURO knockout matches (L5); their overall record in knockout fixtures at this tournament is W8 L11. The Swedes have won just four of their last 14 knockout contests having been victorious in each of the first five.
• The Blågult's 5-0 Matchday 3 success against Portugal at EURO 2022 equalled their biggest finals victory, matching their 2013 scoreline against Finland.
• Belgium's Matchday 3 defeat of Italy was only their second win at a Women's EURO; both have come when keeping a clean sheet.
• Belgium's Matchday 1 game against Iceland (1-1) is their only draw in their last 18 EURO matches, qualifying included (W12 L5).
• Five of Belgium's six finals goals have come in the second half of matches – Janice Cayman's 36th-minute strike against France on Matchday 2 is the only one to have been scored prior to the 49th minute.

Ones to watch: Sweden

Kosovare Asllani 

• The 32-year-old opened the scoring in Sweden's 2-1 win against Belgium in September 2009.
• The forward supplied three assists in the EURO 2022 group stage, the joint most along with England's Beth Mead and Fran Kirby.
• She was named the UEFA Player of the Match for her performance in the 5-0 Matchday 3 success against Portugal, when she scored one goal and created another.
• With her penalty against Portugal, Asllani scored for the second time at a EURO finals having also found the net against Italy in 2009.

Stina Blackstenius 

• The 26-year-old registered six attempts on target in the 2022 group stage; no player managed more.
• Her goal in added time against Portugal on Matchday 3 was the Arsenal striker's third in her five starts at EURO.
• Blackstenius struck in Sweden's quarter-final ties at both the 2016 and 2020 Olympic tournaments, and the 2019 World Cup.
• The forward was the leading scorer with six goals as Sweden won the UEFA European Women's Under-19 Championship in 2015.

Caroline Seger 

• The 37-year-old hit the opening two goals in Sweden's last meeting with Belgium, the 4-1 World Cup qualifying victory in October 2009.
• The midfielder was named UEFA Player of the Match for her showing in the EURO 2022 Matchday 2 win against Switzerland.
• Seger made her 18th UEFA Women's EURO appearance on Matchday 2, surpassing Victoria Svensson's national record. Having sat out Matchday 3, her run of 17 consecutive EURO starts ended in a share of the record with Germany's Bettina Wiegmann and France's Sandrine Soubeyrand
• With her next outing, she will move alongside Italy's Patrizia Panico to sit third in the competition's leading appearance makers, behind only Norway's Solveig Gulbrandsen (20) and Germany's Birgit Prinz (23).

Ones to watch: Belgium

Janice Cayman

• The 33-year-old became the first Belgian to score at two Women's EURO tournaments with her equaliser in the Matchday 2 defeat against France.
• The forward's other EURO strike also came on Matchday 2 of the 2017 edition, the Red Flames beating Norway 2-0 to record their first win at the tournament.
• Cayman is one of four Belgium players to have started all six of their Women's EURO matches, along with Tine De Caigny, Davina Philtjens and Tessa Wullaert.
• The Lyon attacker became Belgium's most-capped player in June 2021 by making her 112th appearance, surpassing Aline Zeler's previous record.

Tine De Caigny

• The 25-year-old struck the winner in the Matchday 3 success against Italy to secure only the Red Flames' second EURO victory.
• The forward is the only Belgian to have played every minute in both their EURO 2017 and 2022 group stage campaigns.
• De Caigny was the top scorer overall in qualifying for EURO 2022, hitting 12 goals in her seven appearances, eight of them coming against Lithuania – five in a 6-0 home victory and three more away (9-0).
• She has continued that form into the 2023 FWorld Cup qualifiers, striking ten times in her eight outings including a hat-trick in a 19-0 win against Armenia on 25 November.

Sari Kees

• The 21-year-old collected the UEFA Player of the Match award for her performance in the 1-0 Matchday 3 defeat of Italy.
• The defender provided the assist for De Caigny's winner against the Azzurre on 18 July.
• Kees was one of four Belgium players to be ever present in their Group D campaign at this tournament, along with Julie Biesmans, De Caigny and Nicky Evrard.
• The centre-back only made her Red Flames debut in February of this year, in the 4-0 friendly tournament victory against Slovakia in Spain.