Norway 3 - 2 Sweden
Germany await Norway after their marathon in Warrington. Photograph: Lars Baron/Getty.
Norway inflicted a cruel extra-time defeat on Sweden to send their neighbours home and themselves into a tantalising final with Germany.
Twice Norway took the lead and twice Sweden hit back through Hanna Ljungberg – the second time in the 88th minute to take the game to extra-time. But Solveig Gulbrandsen's second goal, and Norway's third, after 108 minutes was to be the last in one of Euro 2005's most exciting games so far.
Both teams had said before kick-off that they expected their luck to depend on counter-attacks and they were proved right by a frantic, end-to-end encounter that thrilled the nearly 6000-strong crowd.
Sweden started the stronger, Victoria Svensson swinging in a volley and Ljungberg nodding it goalwards after six minutes – Marit Fiane Christensen called upon to clear the ball off the line.
And Bente Nordby made her first important save of the match after 17 minutes when Sara Larsson broke into the box. The keeper rushed off her line to block the shot and allow Norway some breathing space.
The Norwegians' counter-attacking was often the faster, Gulbrandsen and Dagny Mellgren linking well on the right and Ingvild Stensland directing play through the middle. Within seconds of Nordby's save Gulbrandsen was making for the byline to centre for Isabell Herlovsen. The 16-year-old missed her shot but it was the start of a spell of pressure for Norway.
After 27 minutes Lisa Klaveness's 20 yard shot veered just inches over the bar, and two minutes later Gulbrandsen opted to take on the shot herself after another driving run, but blasted over the bar.
Sweden looked far more dangerous than they had at any point in their group games but were undone when Gulbrandsen latched onto a long ball from Christensen and lobbed Hedvig Lindahl to put Norway one up.
It didn't last long though, Svensson swinging in a cross from the left two minutes later; Ljungberg's diving header swinging past Nordby to put the Swedes level going into the break.
Marika Domanski Lyfors's side lost Svensson early in the second half after she pulled up with a possible hamstring injury, and Norway took heart. First Stensland rifled a volley into a mass of bodies after 59 minutes, then Gulbrandsen almost sent Klaveness through one on one with Lindahl before Herlovsen made it 2-1 with a great looping header from Stensland's searching cross.
The goal pushed Sweden into overdrive and Lotta Schelin, Svensson's replacement, forced another fantastic save from Nordby, who again had to come off her line to block the shot in the 82nd minute. Norway survived a goalmouth scramble from the resulting corner.
The Swedes were undeterred and battered the Norwegian defence as the 90 minutes drew to a close, Ljungberg's late tap in from Schelin's cross deserved reward for their efforts.
But their cheers didn't last long – three minutes into the second spell of extra-time Gulbransen side-footed a Mellgren cross home in mid-air to send Norway into the final.
Norway: Nordby, Stangeland, Folstad, Stensland, Christensen (Kaufmann, 79), Gulbrandsen, Herlovsen (Frantzen 64), Lehn (Ronning, 58), Mellgren, Paulsen, Klaveness.
Sweden: Lindahl, Tornqvist, Marklund, Bengtsson, Mostrom, Larsson, Ljungberg, Svensson (Schelin, 48), Sjogran (Oqvist, 70), Seger (Ostberg, 46), Sjostrom.
