The story behind the return victory of England over Italy at Euro 2025

England vs Italy was always going to be a battle of the last kick of their semi-final of the European women’s championship.

The Azzurre had a story on their side never lost against the lionesses in the competition in six attempts, while the team of Sarina Wiegman knew that they had their opponents who had scored 5-1 in a friend in February 2024.

Lucy Bronze made her major 35th appearance in a tournament for England, moving her level with Jill Scott for the joint of all time for lionesses. Having also started each of the last 13 female games in England, she was now the longest of the longest race by a lioness during the tournament.

England being firm favorites to win the match, it was not surprising to see them take the game by the skin from the first whistle, but what they had clearly not taken into account in their pre-match thought was how the Italians would be resolved in their defense.

Three times in the first half hour, the lionesses got closer to the opening of the scoring, during which Italy had not even touched the ball in the penalty zone of England.

Bonansea rocked England after half an hour

All of this would change in the 32nd minute when Barbara Bonansea rushed into the roof of the net after a quick Italian break.

It was their first shot on the target in the match and, in doing so, Bonansea became the second oldest player to score in the semi-final in Euro for women (34 years, 39 days) after Elisabetta Vignotto, also for Italy, in 1989 against Germany (35 years, 166 days).

The range of passes and the passage of passage of Cristiana Girelli and the capacity to find space in a congestioned midfielder saw Italy enter the game more approaching half-time, and with her teammate Lucia di Guglielmo finish as many dribbles (three) as all the other players on the ground combined by the break, the story before the match had completely inverted.

Before Girelli had to leave the injured field just after the hour, she had made 13 assists in the last third of the field, the most throughout the Italian team.

England was already returning to the match at that time, and gunshots of Alex Greenwood, Georgia Stanway, Keira Walsh (X2) and Lauren Hemp (X2) were the goal of Laura Giuliani.

Italy held firm despite the incessant pressure from England

Greenwood and Bronze continued to descend into the Italian flank and to deliver the crosses which, we hope, would bring us back the lionesses in terms, again restoring their opponents as they did.

The 120 and 108 keys respectively – most of all players on the field – shows how hard the pair worked to keep England in the game.

It was Stanway with five plated and Esme Morgan with 10 authorizations that maintained Italy remotely, while the Azzurre continued to counter against the more urgent attacks of England.

Elena Linari and Cecilia Salvai held it together at the rear for the Azzurre; However, the pressure of England was incessant as 12 and 14 clearances respectively as well as 51 cross.

Despite clearly time of time rather than looking for a second goal to seal the victory, Andrea Soncin’s team has always succeeded in 19 successful dribbles and was absolutely a threat in the last stages of a game that England had started to dominate all aspects.

With six to play, Michelle Agyemang came and immediately sought to disturb a tiring Italian defense, which had held out the outgoing Alessia Russo remotely with relative ease.

The adolescent movement assured that the Italian back four could not settle. 11 times, possession was won by England in the last third of Italy, but over time, the lionesses had still not been able to design this moment to give them a foot in the game.

AGYEMANG saves England from a certain elimination

With two minutes of the remaining injury time of the seven indicated, another cross of hope was launched in the Italian box, and for once, the manipulation of Giuliani was abyssal.

AGYEMANG was the grateful recipient, and its objective with its second stroke of the game – the last (extra -time excl.) From England from 2013 to the female Euros – was delivered with Venom.

As the lines of life could not be better timed, and there was a marked difference in the body language of the Italians at that time.

England was in the ascendant, and from the departure 11th, only goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, Leah Williamson and Morgan failed to shoot during the match.

Since they had won each of their last five major tournament games that had gone to the extract, Fortune then favored the Wiegman team. And yet, the Italians have further produced a defensive performance of the backs to be proud.

Despite being visibly the most tired of the two teams, the Azzurre has widely dug and found energy reserves somewhere to keep England at a distance. Elisabetta Oliviero, for example, was involved in 22 tête -à -tête duels and won possession on 10 separate occasions – the two summits of the game – at the end of the game.

Obviously, she and her teammates did not go quietly, but they had to suffer from the ultimate indignation just three minutes from the end of the overtime, Emma Severini – which had been a replacement more than after the goals Bonansea – was tried for having mistreated Beth Mead.

The compatriot of England under Chloé Kelly kicked to see him saved by Giuliani, but the rebound fell with kindness and the same player – a hero of the 2022 final against Germany – put the lionesses to their second successive European championship final.

It will either be a revenge match against the Germans, or a real test against the world champions and the favorites of the tournament in Spain.