Norway 1-2 Italy: Girelli scores last-gasp winner to book semi-final spot
Italy left it late, but thanks to Cristiana Girelli, they are through to the semi-finals of Euro 2025 after a last-gasp win over Norway.
Cristiana Girelli scored a 90th-minute header to secure Italy a dramatic 2-1 win over Norway and book their place in the Euro 2025 semi-final.
Girelli scored twice in the second half, either side of Ada Hegerberg's strike, sending Italy to the last four of the Euros for the first time since 1997.
Italy dominated the first half and maybe should have taken the lead when Emma Severini was one-on-one with Cecilie Fiskerstrand, but the goalkeeper kept out her tight-angled shot from the left.
Signe Gaupset came closest for Norway just before half-time, as her audacious long-range effort flew just wide of the right post, much to the backtracking Laura Giuliani's relief.
Italy started the second half brightly, too, and got their reward just five minutes after the break. Sofia Cantore's low drive from the right of the box was missed by Fiskerstrand, and Girelli had stayed onside to help it into the net.
Norway then won a penalty seven minutes later when Hegerberg was rugby tackled in the box by Elena Linari to win a spot-kick. However, she squandered that chance, curling her effort wide of the right post.
Hegerberg, however, took the next chance that fell her way, latching onto Maren Mjelde's looping pass and poking it past Giuliani and into the bottom-left corner after the goalkeeper had rushed out.
Norway piled the pressure on but failed to take their chances and were punished for it. Girelli had the final say as she found space at the far post to head Cantore's left-sided cross over Fiskerstrand and in off the underside of the crossbar.
Italy will now face either England or Sweden in the final four as they bid to reach the final for the first time in 28 years.
Data Debrief: Leading by example
Italy had not reached the quarter-finals since 2013, and had been eliminated at this stage in both 2009 and 2013, but they ended that hoodoo here.
It was all thanks to Girelli, who has now scored eight major tournament goals (World Cup/Euros), with only Carolina Morace (12) ever scoring more for Italy.
And Girelli (35 years 84 days) is the oldest European player in major tournament history to score a brace.
As for Norway captain Hegerberg, she endured a mixed performance as they bowed out of the tournament, having become the first player on record (since 2013) to miss two penalties at the Women's Euros (excluding shoot-outs).
