Alessia Russo fired England through to a Women's World Cup semi-final after a 2-1 comeback win over Colombia at Stadium Australia in Sydney on Saturday.
Leicy Santos gave Colombia the lead with a looping first-half effort but England hit straight back when Lauren Hemp jumped on a mistake from keeper Catalina Perez. Russo then collected Georgia Stanway's pass to rifle home the winner on 63 minutes.
Colombia pushed hard for an equaliser but the European champions stood firm, with Mary Earps excellent in goal for the Lionesses. Sarina Wiegman's side will now face co-hosts Australia on Wednesday (2pm UAE time) for a place in the final.
Wiegman said: "It was a very tough challenge but we didn't expect anything else. We showed resilience, in the first half we played very good. In moments we were sloppy on the ball and they were really dangerous on the counter.
"We conceded but we came back. I actually thought their keeper had the ball for our goal. Second half we pushed, we found a way to keep that score and win the final duels. I just hoped we would have finished the game off sooner because we could have.
"We know they are dangerous but again I am so proud of the team, we find a way to score to win the duels. If we had kept the ball a bit better, we could have won it a little earlier."
Hemp, who put in an incredible shift up front for England, said the result spoke volumes about the team's character and insisted they were ready to take on the Matildas.
"We are all feeling really confident, Australia, bring it on. I'm absolutely over the moon, I can't wait," said Hemp.
"The atmosphere here was incredible, it's going to be incredible again. That's when you thrive, I feel like we will thrive once again."
Colombia, who had eliminated world number two side Germany with a 2-1 victory in the group stage, looked to complete another giant-killing here.
Linda Caicedo, the 18-year-old Real Madrid forward, was a constant menace and she was just off target with an early effort.
The Lionesses continued to find themselves tested by the pacy Colombians and they broke the deadlock when Santos looped an effort from the right corner of the penalty area. Earps leapt at full strength, but the ball sailed over her head.
England ensured the celebration was cut short after the Colombian keeper fumbled what looked to be a simple stop and Hemp lunged forward, punishing Perez.
It was Stanway who provided the pass that would see England take the lead for the first time in the contest, threading the ball into the area for Russo, who made it 2-1 as she outsmarted her marker and finished into the bottom left corner.
England’s lead never seemed safe as Colombia fought through eight minutes of stoppage time, including efforts from substitute Ivonne Chacon, Manuela Vanegas and Caicedo, who fired wide of the England goal with her side’s last chance of the game.
The Lionesses, who have never made it to a World Cup final, are now just one more win away from reaching the showpiece.
Brief scores
Toss India, chose to bat
India 281-7 in 50 ov (Pandya 83, Dhoni 79; Coulter-Nile 3-44)
Australia 137-9 in 21 ov (Maxwell 39, Warner 25; Chahal 3-30)
India won by 26 runs on Duckworth-Lewis Method
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- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
UAE v IRELAND
All matches start at 10am, and will be played in Abu Dhabi
1st ODI, Friday, January 8
2nd ODI, Sunday, January 10
3rd ODI, Tuesday, January 12
4th ODI, Thursday, January 14
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
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2 Kuwaiti teams
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
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Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Canada
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder
Power: 136hp @ 1,600rpm
Torque: 360Nm @ 1,600 rpm
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Fuel consumption, combined: 9.1L / 100km
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Europe wide
Some of French groups are threatening Friday to continue their journey to Brussels, the capital of Belgium and the European Union, and to meet up with drivers from other countries on Monday.
Belgian authorities joined French police in banning the threatened blockade. A similar lorry cavalcade was planned for Friday in Vienna but cancelled after authorities prohibited it.
The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands
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More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
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Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
