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Into the final: England’s heart-stopping summer lives on despite near perfect Italy gameplan

Into the final: England’s heart-stopping summer lives on despite near perfect Italy gameplan

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95 minutes into their Euro 2025 semi-final against Italy, England were heading home. Instead, the Lionesses will contest a third consecutive major final after winning 2-1.

By Jamie Spencer

2022, 2023, and now 2025. England’s irrepressible Lionesses are into yet another final. But, again, it was no easy ride, with Italy executing an almost perfect gameplan in Geneva on Tuesday night.

England had no excuses, heavy favourites ahead of kick-off after seeing off a more polished and dangerous opponent in Sweden in the previous round. Italy hadn’t fluked their way to a first semi-final in 28 years, though, before demonstrating their impressive clinical quality, and even more impressive resilience to get within seconds of reaching the final themselves.

Le Azzurre took the lead in all five of their games at these Euros, including against Spain during the group stage. But they never managed to lead 2-0 at any point across those outings and, critically, when England cancelled out Barbara Bonansea’s opener in the sixth minute of stoppage time, it was the fourth time they have been pegged back. Only once after conceding, against Norway in the quarter-finals, did they actually go on to win the game.

In truth, Italy’s big achievement, as Europe’s eighth-ranked team coming into this tournament, was getting this far. But it absolutely will not feel like that in the circumstances.

England had played into France’s hands in the group stage, and into Sweden’s for 78 minutes of the quarter-final. Both pressed with intensity and made it difficult for the Lionesses to play. Italy took a different approach, sitting deeper and tasking England with breaking down a low block.

Part of that saw the Italians reluctant to engage Lauren James when she got on the ball, standing off, conscious of how easily the Chelsea star can shift the ball either side to beat players.

But with England unable to capitalise on dominating the opening quarter of the game, Italy grew in confidence. Their xG stood at just 0.04 prior to Bonansea’s breakthrough strike, with Hannah Hampton not tested and no real threat on her goal. It was a disappointing one for England to concede, not dealing with the cross into the box, with Bonansea on hand at the far post to blast in.

Where Bonansea went for power, James opted for precision as England tried to hit straight back, read and parried by Italy goalkeeper Laura Giuliani. James went off at half-time with an ankle injury.

As Italy defended in numbers, England lacked a final ball or quality in the finish, getting things wrong in the key moment or snatching at shooting opportunities. The compact shape and closing of space centrally forced England wide and to increasingly resort to shooting from distance.

With the end of the game and a historic result in sight, Italy made it their mission to frustrate and disrupt any English momentum. Every effort was taken to slow things down, in no rush to restart play at throw-ins or free-kicks. Giuliani was yellow carded for timewasting with 17 minutes still to go.

The AC Milan stopper had been outstanding all night, routinely claiming balls to ease the pressure on the defence in front of her. It was harsh that her first mistake, distracted by Beth Mead as the England forward ran across her line of sight and spilling the ball, proved so costly. The loose ball fell into the path of substitute Michelle Agyemang, who equalised late for the second game running.

Incredibly fitting is that the teenager’s surname, of Ghanaian origin, means ‘saviour of the nation’.

Agyemang has scored as many times for England (3) in the last three and a half months alone as she did for Brighton in the whole of the 2024/25 WSL season. It’s a bizarre case of an international career taking off before a club career, but she is truly England’s wildcard, and even struck the bar in the second half of extra-time, as a clever lob rebounded off the woodwork.

Cruelly, the semi-final ultimately hinged on two moments involving Italy substitute Emma Severini. The Fiorentina midfielder, just four days on from her 22nd birthday and winning only a 12th senior cap after coming on midway through the second half, was guilty of missing a glorious chance to double her team’s lead on 86 minutes. It could have killed the tie in Italy’s favour, with the ball spilled by Hampton and Severini in place to turn in the rebound on the edge of the six-yard box. But the effort lacked conviction and the England goalkeeper was able to gratefully gather.

The difference was that Agyemang, in a very similar scenario 10 minutes later, kept her composure.

Another penalty shootout beckoned in the final stages of extra-time, until Severini naively wrestled Mead to the ground in full view of the referee. It resulted in an England spot-kick, virtually a sudden death moment, to win it there and then. Lucy Bronze and Alex Greenwood stood in discussion over who would take it, before Chloe Kelly stepped forward. There is a swagger and arrogance about the Arsenal forward, who went viral for a bullet penalty in the World Cup two summers ago and converted against Sweden last week.

Giuliani actually saved this one. But Kelly was on hand to gobble up the rebound, narrowly beating Ella Toone to the loose ball, before gesturing to the crowd that it was never in doubt. Just like Agyemang, she has had a huge impact on England at this tournament as an impact sub, with decisive interventions off the bench in successive knockout games.

A rematch of the Euro 2022 final against Germany, or the 2023 World Cup final against Spain now awaits. We’ll know which it is on Wednesday night.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the 2025 Women’s Euros with FotMob – featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings.

And for exclusive coverage from on the ground at the tournament, please sign up for our free newsletter – here.

Into the final: England’s heart-stopping summer lives on despite near perfect Italy gameplan

95 minutes into their Euro 2025 semi-final against Italy, England were heading home. Instead, the Lionesses will contest a third consecutive major final after winning 2-1.

By Jamie Spencer

2022, 2023, and now 2025. England’s irrepressible Lionesses are into yet another final. But, again, it was no easy ride, with Italy executing an almost perfect gameplan in Geneva on Tuesday night.

England had no excuses, heavy favourites ahead of kick-off after seeing off a more polished and dangerous opponent in Sweden in the previous round. Italy hadn’t fluked their way to a first semi-final in 28 years, though, before demonstrating their impressive clinical quality, and even more impressive resilience to get within seconds of reaching the final themselves.

Le Azzurre took the lead in all five of their games at these Euros, including against Spain during the group stage. But they never managed to lead 2-0 at any point across those outings and, critically, when England cancelled out Barbara Bonansea’s opener in the sixth minute of stoppage time, it was the fourth time they have been pegged back. Only once after conceding, against Norway in the quarter-finals, did they actually go on to win the game.

In truth, Italy’s big achievement, as Europe’s eighth-ranked team coming into this tournament, was getting this far. But it absolutely will not feel like that in the circumstances.

England had played into France’s hands in the group stage, and into Sweden’s for 78 minutes of the quarter-final. Both pressed with intensity and made it difficult for the Lionesses to play. Italy took a different approach, sitting deeper and tasking England with breaking down a low block.

Part of that saw the Italians reluctant to engage Lauren James when she got on the ball, standing off, conscious of how easily the Chelsea star can shift the ball either side to beat players.

But with England unable to capitalise on dominating the opening quarter of the game, Italy grew in confidence. Their xG stood at just 0.04 prior to Bonansea’s breakthrough strike, with Hannah Hampton not tested and no real threat on her goal. It was a disappointing one for England to concede, not dealing with the cross into the box, with Bonansea on hand at the far post to blast in.

Where Bonansea went for power, James opted for precision as England tried to hit straight back, read and parried by Italy goalkeeper Laura Giuliani. James went off at half-time with an ankle injury.

As Italy defended in numbers, England lacked a final ball or quality in the finish, getting things wrong in the key moment or snatching at shooting opportunities. The compact shape and closing of space centrally forced England wide and to increasingly resort to shooting from distance.

With the end of the game and a historic result in sight, Italy made it their mission to frustrate and disrupt any English momentum. Every effort was taken to slow things down, in no rush to restart play at throw-ins or free-kicks. Giuliani was yellow carded for timewasting with 17 minutes still to go.

The AC Milan stopper had been outstanding all night, routinely claiming balls to ease the pressure on the defence in front of her. It was harsh that her first mistake, distracted by Beth Mead as the England forward ran across her line of sight and spilling the ball, proved so costly. The loose ball fell into the path of substitute Michelle Agyemang, who equalised late for the second game running.

Incredibly fitting is that the teenager’s surname, of Ghanaian origin, means ‘saviour of the nation’.

Agyemang has scored as many times for England (3) in the last three and a half months alone as she did for Brighton in the whole of the 2024/25 WSL season. It’s a bizarre case of an international career taking off before a club career, but she is truly England’s wildcard, and even struck the bar in the second half of extra-time, as a clever lob rebounded off the woodwork.

Cruelly, the semi-final ultimately hinged on two moments involving Italy substitute Emma Severini. The Fiorentina midfielder, just four days on from her 22nd birthday and winning only a 12th senior cap after coming on midway through the second half, was guilty of missing a glorious chance to double her team’s lead on 86 minutes. It could have killed the tie in Italy’s favour, with the ball spilled by Hampton and Severini in place to turn in the rebound on the edge of the six-yard box. But the effort lacked conviction and the England goalkeeper was able to gratefully gather.

The difference was that Agyemang, in a very similar scenario 10 minutes later, kept her composure.

Another penalty shootout beckoned in the final stages of extra-time, until Severini naively wrestled Mead to the ground in full view of the referee. It resulted in an England spot-kick, virtually a sudden death moment, to win it there and then. Lucy Bronze and Alex Greenwood stood in discussion over who would take it, before Chloe Kelly stepped forward. There is a swagger and arrogance about the Arsenal forward, who went viral for a bullet penalty in the World Cup two summers ago and converted against Sweden last week.

Giuliani actually saved this one. But Kelly was on hand to gobble up the rebound, narrowly beating Ella Toone to the loose ball, before gesturing to the crowd that it was never in doubt. Just like Agyemang, she has had a huge impact on England at this tournament as an impact sub, with decisive interventions off the bench in successive knockout games.

A rematch of the Euro 2022 final against Germany, or the 2023 World Cup final against Spain now awaits. We’ll know which it is on Wednesday night.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the 2025 Women’s Euros with FotMob – featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings.

And for exclusive coverage from on the ground at the tournament, please sign up for our free newsletter – here.