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ZURICH (AP):

With 12 minutes remaining, defending champions England were heading out of the Women's European Championship.

But then the Lionesses came roaring back. Two quick goals saw them stage an improbable comeback to draw 2-2 against Sweden and then win a penalty shootout to advance to the semi-finals.

"Very hyper, still very emotional, I think lots of adrenaline still in my body, I mean," England coach Sarina Wiegman said, who added that it was the most chaotic match that she had ever been part of. "I can't remember anything like this.

"I think that's a quality that's so strong from this team, that together they're fighting back and not playing well, but sticking together, that shows so much resilience."

The shootout featured some terrible attempts -- nine misses in all -- before England triumphed 3-2 with 18-year-old Smilla Holmberg missing the last one after Lucy Bronze had powerfully dispatched hers for the Lionesses.

"Stressful. Stressful watching, stressful playing," England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton told British broadcaster the BBC when asked about the shootout.

"Every time I saved one I was thinking 'please just put it in so we have a bit of a cushion.' Their keeper then just went and saved the next one and I was thinking 'oh goodness, here we go.'"

England would have been thankful to get to penalties, however, as their earliest exit from a major tournament in more than a decade loomed before goals from Bronze and teenage substitute Michelle Agyemang took the match to extra time.

It is the first time in the history of the Women's Euros that a team has fought back from two goals down in a knockout match.

"Today I thought three times we were out," Wiegman said. "And then when you miss so many penalties then I was really conscious 'OK now it's done' and then they missed again."

England appeared on the back foot from the off and as they tried to play it out from the back a pass rebounded off Filippa Angeldahl and came to Stina Blackstenius, who teed up a completely unmarked Kosovare Asllani to slot into the bottom left corner.

The goal was timed at one minute, 46 seconds.

Sweden were finding space on the right flank and exploited it again to double their lead. Blackstenius raced onto Julia Zigiotti Olme's pass and held off Jess Carter as she surged into the area and calmly dispatched the ball into the far bottom corner.