Lionesses are pride of the nation with Euros final just a match away

High in the hills above Zurich, at England’s luxurious base camp of the Dolder Grand hotel, Esme Morgan is only just coming to terms with what happened on Thursday night.

England recovered from 2-0 down to beat Sweden on penalties, thanks in part to the heroics of goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, and reach the semi-finals of the Women’s European Championships, in a match where the Lionesses looked certain to go out at numerous points.

“Sleep is still a little hard to come by,” said the 24-year-old defender. “I’m still so excited by all the chaos and drama. It was a really fun evening in the end, although a bit stressful at the time.”

After the match, during which 14 penalties were taken, the team went back to camp and wound down by watching that night’s episode of Love Island. The ITV reality show has been a popular fixture with the players, particularly because striker Alessia Russo’s brother, Giorgio, has been starring on it. Having been dumped from the island, he made it out to Zurich in time to watch his sister play in the quarter-final, where she scored England’s first penalty.

Finding ways to relax has been a crucial part of the Lionesses’ strategy throughout the tournament. The Dolder Grand’s proximity to Zurich, which has allowed players to go into the city and meet friends and family, was a key factor in the Football Association’s decision to base the team there.

Group games of Monopoly Deal and darts have been popular, with manager Sarina Wiegman saying last week that she thought Lauren Hemp was the best darts player in the squad. Captain Leah Williamson even brought her own darts with her to Switzerland.

The team has two days to prepare for their semi-final match against Italy, which takes place on Tuesday in Geneva. The teams last played each other in a friendly at the start of last year which England won 5-1.

Morgan played her first minutes during an international tournament during Thursday’s game, after coming off the bench. “Apparently my mum was sobbing when I came on,” she said. “It doesn’t take much to set her off watching the football, to be honest.”

The players have been praised for their resilience and determination during the Sweden match, but Morgan admitted she had felt a tinge of worry during the game.

“There was a moment at the end of the first half where I thought, I’ve not packed anything! My wardrobe is full right now. I’ve not got anything in my suitcase.” In the end, it was veteran Lucy Bronze, left, who has 138 caps, who scored the winning penalty. When Morgan came on, she passed a note to Bronze, which she later joked on Instagram said “Save us”, with England 2-0 down at that point.

The note had come from Wiegman and her team – but Morgan doesn’t know what it said. “I didn’t actually read the note myself,” Morgan said. “The note might as well have said [save us] because that’s apparently what she read on it. She put her shoulders back and played like ‘I’m not letting us go home’.”