Thank you for joining me. It’s Italy’s night and it’s a historic one with the team through to their first women’s major semi-final since 1997. Cristina Girelli is the heroine for her side with two excellent goals and she will hope her form continues when they play either Sweden or England. That quarter-final will take place tomorrow and you can join us for all of that action. For now catch up with the thrilling last eight match from tonight below.
Adam has emailed and said:
Your question about the state of the Norwegian team is the same as mine. I feel like Norway are falling victim to what seems to be the classic football thing of trying to shoehorn their biggest named players into the team at all costs for fear of the fallout if they lose. Surely the Norwegian players know how talented they are and how well they “should” be doing, and I wonder what the Norwegian media and fans have made of this. If the players have awareness of any criticism I suspect that would weigh heavily on top of them falling short of their own standards too. But what a match, and I thoroughly agree with Charles Antaki -- the more entertaining team has gone through!
Ah so are you saying they should bench some of their stars? I think an error was made tonight of playing them out of position. Guro Reiten needs to be higher up the pitch, she is lethal in front of goal for Chelsea and it seems like a missed opportunity to have her at the back.
So Italy will play either Sweden or England in the semi-final. but who will it be? Our columnist and USWNT manager Emma Hayes has previewed the game:
Charles Antaki has emailed:
Yes, good - the more entertaining team goes through, which seems right, and good for the spectacle. Norway were playing some pretty lumpy football, with only Gaupset doing any sort of sharp business, and Graham Hansen doing embroidery over on the right wing. I don’t think they’ve made many friends in the tournament, and they certainly didn’t look happy amongst themselves for much of the game.
Caroline Graham Hansen and Signe Gaupset must be so frustrated, they both had stellar matches but the majority of the team just didn’t have the same standard.
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The question I am left with, which I have been over the past few major tournaments, is why are Norway poor as a team when they have so many stars in their ranks? Lyon’s Ada Hegerberg and Ingrid Engen, Barcelona’s Caroline Graham Hansen, Chelsea’s Guro Reiten, Manchester United’s Elisabeth Terland and Lisa Naalsund, so many more too. They should be a thoroughly dominant team and yes they made the quarter-finals but their performances have been shaky throughout the tournament.
Andrea Soncin has just led his team, hand in hand, running towards their fans. The supporters are absolutely loving this. The entire squad jumping and celebrating in front of them.
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Italy are in a women’s major tournament semi-final for the first time since 1997. They will face either Sweden or England.
Norway are out and their players look stunned. Ada Hegerberg and Guro Reiten with blank expressions. The decision to play three players out of position, including Reiten and Tuva Hansen, will now be questioned.
The Italian coaching staff embrace. The players sink to the floor in tears. Girelli’s emotion are infectious, she has a beaming smile with hands on her head.
Full time: Norway 1-2 Italy
Cristiana Girelli is the heroine of this game. She stood up in the moment her nation needed her most and her header has sent them through to the semi-final. For Norway, their luck ran out and they are out.
90 + 4 min: Italy have a corner now as they run down the clock. Norway defend this one well though.
90 + 3 min: Girelli is now off as Italy make a change, what a game she has had. Piemonte on.
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90 + 2 min: I have to say the cross is amazing but the header was beautiful. Italy now just have to hold on for four stoppage time minutes.
Girelli has led this team expertly and now she has a second in this game. It’s her 61st international goal and her eighth at a major tournament.
GOAL! Norway 1-2 Italy (Girelli, 90)
What a moment. What a player.
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90 min: Joe Pearson has emailed:
If it goes to penalties, and I were Grainger, I wouldn’t let Hegerberg anywhere near the penalty spot. She’s got the yips.
It will be an interesting call if it gets that far. And if she is called up, where in the order will she come?
89 min: Girelli is down and holding her back. Italy want a foul but it hasn’t been given, Hansen wins the ball so it’s absolutely fine.
88 min: Norway make a change with Woldvik on for Bjelde, she didn’t look comfortable after receiving treatment.
87 min: Bjelde is walking around the pitch now and she is back on, good news for Norway. Then they immediately get a chance through Engen but it’s wide. Jeff has emailed:
US coverage is showing a red next to NOR though from what I see none of their field players sent off. Was a coach red carded? Or is it some arcane reason for having red next to Norway? Frustrating.
The red is there to show viewers that they are in red kit.
85 min: Bjelde is off behind the goal receiving treatment and she looks as though she is crying. As she is off the pitch play can continue but Norway are a player down.
84 min: No they can’t. It was definitely a move straight off the training pitch, they come out to the edge of the box but Caruso’s effort is wide.
82 min: Italy win a corner, can they find a winner here?
81 min: 26, 206 and it is a sell out in Switzerland. A very well attended tournament so far, the group stage was the best attended in the tournament’s history.
80 min: Hegerberg pops it into the area but no one is there, it looked like she had a handball in the build-up though. Anyone else feeling the knockout nerves creeping in?
78 min: Italy make two changes as Severini and Bonansea are off for Cambiaghi and Greggi.
76 min: Norway are slowly building here and it’s Graham Hansen who sees it across the face of goal but no one is close enough to tap it home. They do win a corner, the delivery is good but Italy are holding on for now.
74 min: Graham Hansen somehow manages to keep the ball on the pitch and she tries to find Hegerberg but it doesn’t reach her.
72 min: Norway have a corner and Reiten is the taker. It comes in but it’s headed out for another set piece. This time it’s Naalsund who takes it, she goes short and it eventually comes in. It pinballs around but eventually it’s dealt with.
70 min: Tony Mason has emailed:
I’ve only seen one replay but it did look offside so I was a tad surprised it was given. Still, a miss.
I did think there was a delay in the build-up to the penalty as they were checking that but afterwards the commentator said there was no check. Bizarre when you have VAR.
69 min: The commentators seem to think Terland could have been the replacement for Hegerberg but the manager kept her faith in her. Well yes, I would keep my faith too. She is the top Women’s Champions League scorer, first female Ballon d’Or winner and experienced international. One miss wouldn’t change her.
67 min: It’s a great run and a one touch finish, the goalkeeper comes out to challenge her but Hegerberg’s touch gets the better of her.
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GOAL! Norway 1-1 Italy (Hegerberg, 66)
That was easy.
65 min: Norway are making a change with Maanum off for Terland, she was the top scorer for Manchester United last season.
63 min: Sorry for any confusion on the scoreboard front when I said penalty miss, it would have been 1-1 had Hegerberg scored but it remains 1-0 to Italy.
61 min: Hegerberg walks up, pauses and she puts it wide. Her hands go straight to her head. I think she was definitely nervous, that’s the second she has missed at this tournament I believe.
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PENALTY MISS! Norway 0-1 Italy (Hegerberg, 60)
Oh my god.
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60 min: It is being taken.
60 min: There’s a yellow card for Andrea Soncin as he protests. This is a long old wait for this check.
59 min: Linari tackles Hegerberg in the box and the referee blows immediately. It is being checked.
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58 min: Graham Hansen creates a lovely opportunity, they pop it into the area and there’s almost an own goal as Salvai sees it out for a corner. The delivery is good but there’s a foul in the box and Norway have a penalty.
56 min: Italy come forward again through Bonansea and she shows the side’s confidence as she strikes a shot from a long way out, this time it is saved. Norway need to gain some sort of momentum and fast.
54 min: There were four different chances there with two saves from the keeper, another clearance off the line and then they thought they had it in. But she was clearly offside in the build-up so nothing to complain about. My word.
54 min: So much happened. Italy thought they were ahead but she is offside.
53 min: That was way too easy for Italy, Reiten was so passive in the build-up which is so unlike the Chelsea star.
52 min: I think she is just onside and it is confirmed, Bjelde played her on. Norway have to turn on now.
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GOAL! Norway 0-1 Italy (Girelli, 50)
There it is. Or is it? It’s going to be checked.
49 min: Alice has emailed:
Enjoying your analysis from a pub in Montpellier. We are the only people in the whole pub who care about the footy but the landlord kindly put it on for us.
It’s a weird game - quite end to end in terms of the play, but also feels a bit toothless -- apart from those two standout chances for Norway, neither team have looked a huge threat in front of goal. Not sure what you do as a coach when that’s the situation.
What a lovely landlord. I would say Italy have had a fair few chances but they are lacking a clinical edge right now.
47 min: No changes at the break, it’s an interesting tactic in its own when subs are used in these games as penalties come in play. Norway win an early second half corner but they go short and the opportunity is soon lost.
Back underway: Norway 0-0 Italy
So will we find a winner in this half? Or are we heading to extra time and potentially penalties? All to come.
England play their quarter-final tomorrow night against Sweden. The squad have been previewing the match, you can catch up here:
For me, so far the star for Italy has been Arianna Caruso who was unlucky not to score. For Norway it’s Signe Gaupset who is the unpredictable player so far.
Half-time: Norway 0-0 Italy
Italy have definitely had more of the chances and Italy have been the more sophisticated with ball at feet but Norway have managed to defend – just – and have had a few chances of their own. This quarter-final remains in the balance.
45 min: Hansen concedes a corner and Italy have another chance before the break. The delivery is good bit it’s initially repelled, it comes back in but again Norway manage to bungle it away. Norway immediately counters and Gaupset sees Giuliani off her line so she launches a long ball but it’s wide.
44 min: The delivery goes to the near post but Norway deflects, it comes to Caruso who volleys it but Fiskerstrand saves.
42 min: Italy pop a ball in but Bjelde sees it out, Bonansea sees it back in but then two players collide in the box and Girelli comes off the worse with Reiten quickly back to her feet. The Italian number 10 is okay to continue. Italy have a corner now.
41 min: Kári Tulinius has emailed:
In both matches I’ve watched Norway contest in this tournament, they’ve seemed worse than their opponents, yet won relatively comfortably. And again it seems to me that Italy are the better team, but someone in red will probably score a goal out of nothing and Norway will be in the semifinals.
They have definitely been the lucky team of this tournament. That Hegerberg chance was almost just that goal to send them through.
39 min: Chants of “Italia” ring around the stadium as supporters try and gee up their side who have faded slightly in the last few minutes.
37 min: Oh my word, Hegerberg should have scored there. A lovely ball comes down the right from Naalsund and Bjelde puts it into the box but Hegerberg can’t get a clear shot and it’s wide. Wow, that was close.
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35 min: Graham Hansen launches an incredible pass to Gaupset but she can’t do anything with it and so the team revert to patient build-up play. Reiten eventually puts it in but it has too much on it to go straight out.
33 min: Italy are bang up for this. They superbly keep it on and Bonansea is then fouled in the box – no shouts for a penalty – but a resulting shot it wide. Italy are far the brighter team at the moment.
31 min: Reiten can breathe a sigh of relief as VAR clears it, that would have been very soft as she seemed to head it clear and in the process it hit her arm.
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30 min: Oh hang on, there’s a penalty check here. A potential handball by Reiten.
28 min: Italy win a corner and Reiten shouts to gee up her team. The delivery is way too long, it is only so long that Norway can keep getting away with not conceding.
26 min: Italy take their free kick but it’s poor and suddenly Norway are on the counter. Gaupset has a good run and wins a corner, Naalsund takes it but her delivery finds no one.
24 min: The delivery is good but the clearance is good, it looks like there was a handball in there by an Italian hand anyway. A few phases later Naalsund gets a yellow card, a tactical foul.
22 min: Girelli is down and holding her eye, she is grimacing but she’s continuing on without any treatment. Italy get forward again and Severini is almost in but Fiskerstrand saves but sees it out for a corner.
20 min: The camera angle on that looks like Italy have scored but Girelli and Severini go for the same ball and it’s another opportunity gone. A bit of communication there and surely it would have been 1-0.
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18 min: Now Italy are at it up the other end. A peach of a ball is threaded through to Caruso but the forward doesn’t time her run well and the opportunity is gone. End-to-end as Hegerberg fluffs the ball with too much power with another goalscoring chance evaporating.
16 min: Norway work it up the other end and Gaupset pops in a clever ball but Hegerberg is surrounded and Giuliani catches.
14 min: Bonansea has a lovely one two with herself but then Naalsund intervenes. There are some great battles happening across the pitch right now.
12 min: Graham Hansen is doing Graham Hansen things, she had four defenders around her and she still wriggled free and got the cross in. It comes to nothing in the end but that is the threat she presents.
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11 min: Despite their shaky start, it is Italy who have settled first in this one. Norway yet to really throw a proper punch. Pre-match Tom Garry sent this in for us:
Ada Hegerberg gave what looked like a rousing speech to her team-mates in Norway’s huddle just before kick-off, clearly full of passion. She looks fired up for this one! The Norwegian media have been speculating this week whether she should start or not. Well, she is starting and she appears full of determination,
9 min: Caruso won the ball in a great spot and just kept running, her eventual shot is just wide. That would have been beautiful.
7 min: Naalsund hunts down her mark and wrestles the ball back in the box, a vital intervention as Italy poured forward in a promising move.
5 min: Linari has a lovely bit of defence as she sees it out for a corner. Reiten takes it short to Graham Hansen who passes it straight back to her, they pop it into the area but it has too much on it.
3 min: Giugliano sees it in and the delivery is good but Norway read it well and clear.
2 min: Italy slightly sloppy in the opening stages with a rogue pass going straight out of play, maybe some nerves coming through. They do win a free kick here though, maybe this can balance them out – it came from a foul by Maanum.
Kick-off! Norway 0-0 Italy
Here we go. 90 minutes (plus maybe a bit more and penalties) between one of these teams and a semi-final place.
The players are out now and the anthems will soon be underway. Everyone have their nerves in check? Okay good, me either.
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How have the favourites to win changed since the group stage? Take a read:
I’d love to hear from you and specifically on a snack or drink you’ve recently discovered and loved. I have become obsessed with a hazelnut iced latte. You can email me your thoughts on that and of course about the football too.
Andrea Soncin, Italy coach, added:
There’s an incredible adrenaline, we can’t wait. It’s going to be a tough and challenging match against a difficult opponent, but we have the awareness, the strong motivation, and the desire to reach the final four. In a competition of this level, in a moment like this, there are no favourites – it will be a very balanced match. Norway, like all the other teams, are dreaming of reaching the semi-finals. We need a lot of focus and concentration, and then the girls must feel free to express their qualities – they have many, and that gives us confidence and awareness that we can go through.
Gemma Grainger, Norway coach, has said:
[Italy’s] obvious strengths, for me, are the individuals they have; they have some very good individual players. From a defensive perspective, they’re very well-organised, as you would expect from an Italian team, and have a strong back five. From an attacking perspective, they are very forward-thinking and like to get a lot of numbers in the box when they attack.
Who’s ready for the joy and heartbreak of knockout football? Ah I knew it. Here’s a piece to get you more warmed up:
Something I failed to spot when the craziness of getting the team news out dropped was that Norway have put Ingrid Engen at centre-back, Tuva Hansen at full-back and Guro Reiten in the midfield. Interesting choice to say the least.
And what about Italy I hear you ask? Here you go:
Here are some stars in the Norway team who you should keep an eye on this evening:
The team news is in. Norway have made four changes with Ada Hegerberg and Carolina Graham Hansen among those back in, while the headline is Signe Gaupset retaining her shirt. She had a great game against Iceland.
Norway: Fiskerstrand; Bjelde, Mjelde, T Hansen, Reiten; Naalsund, Maanum, Engen; Graham Hansen, Hegerberg, Gaupset
Subs: Panengstuen, Mikalsen, Woldvik, Østenstad, Bøe Risa, Sævik, Kielland, Harviken, Ildhusøy, Terland, Jensen
Italy, meanwhile, have made three changes to their starting XI.
Italy: Giulani; Di Guglielmo, Salvai, Linari; Oliviero, Caruso, Giugliano, Severini, Bonansea; Girelli, Cantore
Subs: Baldi, Durante (GK), Schatzer, Piemonte, Piga, Bergamaschi, Serturini, Goldoni, Boattin, Lenzini, Greggi, Cambiaghi
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Norway have some of the best players in the world in their ranks but they have fallen far short than what they are capable of at the past few major tournaments. Can they put it right this summer? Read below:
Norway are expected to make quite a few changes from their last game as they benched stars like Ada Hegerberg and Caroline Graham Hansen in their 4-3 win against Iceland.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to the first quarter-final of Euro 2025 which will be competed between Norway and Italy.
They both had very different journeys in the group stage. Norway had bumpy performances but came away with three wins from three to top Group A. Italy, meanwhile, won one, drew one and lost one to come through as runners-up in Group B.
I will talk you through some stars to keep an eye on and what has been said in the build-up shortly. First though there is the little matter of team news. So stay tuned before kick-off at 8pm BST.
