GENEVA, SWITZERLAND — England are through to the final of Women’s Euro 2025 after beating Italy 2–1 after extra time. It will be the Lionesses’ third consecutive major tournament final, including Women’s Euro 2022 and the Women’s World Cup 2023. 

It is also head coach Sarina Wiegman’s fifth consecutive major tournament final after she took the Netherlands to the finals of Women’s Euro 2017 and the Women's World Cup 2019. 

“I’m happy, I’m relieved, it feels a bit surreal,” Wiegman told the media in Geneva on Tuesday night. 

The defending European champions will be able to defend their title in Basel, Switzerland, on Sunday. But things could have been so different for England, who once again appeared to be heading out of Women’s Euro 2025 as the semifinal reached the 90th minute at the Stade de Geneve. 

Italy was clutching tightly a 1–0 lead when the fourth official raised their board to indicate there would be seven minutes of added time. Seven minutes ticked down to two. The Lionesses needed a hero, they needed a miracle. 

"Until the referee’s whistle, we have a chance to score a goal. You’re not beaten until the final whistle goes. When it’s close, there’s always an opportunity to score a goal," Wiegman said about whether she believed England were about to exit Women's Euro 2025.

England winger Lauren Hemp swerved in her best delivery of the night. Italy goalkeeper Laura Giuliani parried the powerful cross into the path of England forward Michelle Agyemang, who calmly took a touch, picked her spot, and rifled a low shot into the back of the net from the center of the box. 1–1. Pandemonium. 

The Stade de Geneve shook with the sound of around 20,000 England fans as Agyemang raced across the pitch celebrating, before collapsing into the embrace of her teammates.

“I felt absolutely knackered,” Hemp said after the final whistle. “I felt like I never thought that we were going to lose it, even at 95 minutes. I thought we're getting so many chances. One of these are going in. We've come close so many times going out. I mean, you can't get rid of us.”

This was Agyemang’s second late equalizer off the bench in the space of four days, after she had brought England level at 2–2 in the 81st minute against Sweden in Zurich. England and Agyemang are building up quite a reputation for Harry Houdini-esque escape acts at Women’s Euro 2025.

“She feels inevitable right now,” England captain Leah Williamson said of Agyemang in the mixed zone after the match. “She’s a nightmare to play against. I'm glad she's my teammate at club and country. She deserves her flowers.” 

Agyemang’s goal was her fourth touch and first shot after entering the match in the 85th minute. The promising forward now has two goals in three substitute appearances (91 total minutes) at this tournament. 

“You always have that faith,” Emse Morgan said about Agyemang. “You know that she has such awareness of where she needs to be in the box. She's just such an incredibly intelligent player to know what spaces to pick up, and then such a composed finisher too, when she gets the opportunity. So she's an incredible person to be able to rely on.”

Knotted up at 1 after normal time then, England and Italy headed to extra time with only one nation able to advance to the Women’s Euro 2025 final in Basel on Sunday.

Italy had neutralized England in the first half of the semifinal, and took a 1–0 lead via an instinctive finish in the box from Barbara Bonasea in the 33rd minute. However, as the game wore on, Italy’s immense determination and resolve began to fade. 

With every substitute Italy retreated and looked weary. In particular, removing captain Christiana Girelli and winger Sofia Cantore from the game by the 73rd minute greatly decreased Italy’s physicality and ability to relieve pressure from the defense higher up the pitch. 

Having only committed two fouls in the opening 74 minutes of the match, Italy’s discipline began to unravel, with the team chalking up seven fouls and three yellow cards in the final 46 minutes (including extra time).

After Agyemang hit the crossbar from an ambitious lofted shot in the 117th minute, England smelt blood. England forward Chloe Kelly remarked that Agyemang’s chance “gave us a new lease of energy.” Suddenly, England was ready to rise to the moment and finish off the flagging Italians. 

A minute later, Emma Severini was deemed to have grappled too much with Beth Mead in the Italy box and the referee pointed to the penalty spot. Up stepped Kelly, the hero from the Sweden shootout four days before, and the Nigeria shootout at the Women’s World Cup 2023.

Giuliani saved Kelly’s powerful spot kick, but the England substitute quickly dashed to be first to the rebound and poked home the goal to make it 2–1 in the 119th minute. Cue the loudest noise of the night erupting from the England fans behind the goal and Kelly pushing her hands down in front of her as if to calm the euphoric crowd.

"Chill out, it was more like chill out," Kelly said of her celebration for the winning goal. "I was gonna score the tap-in in the end. I think I got a lot of people nervous after I missed the penalty. So yeah, chill. It was all okay."

Fine margins and tears for Italy, who were seconds away from a first Women's Euro final since 1997. Despite not playing its best in the knockout rounds, England continues to do what it does best: Find a way.

"I think we always believed that we could get back into the game," said Lucy Bronze. "I don't think we thought we were going to leave it as late as we did....but we did, we found a way."


This article was originally published on www.si.com as 'We Found a Way': Inside England's Miraculous Euro Semifinal Win Over Italy.

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