Cristiana Girelli's stellar performance, highlighted by a late winning goal, propelled Italy into the semi-finals of the Euro 2025. The Italian side secured a 2-1 victory against Norway in a thrilling quarter-final match.
Girelli's goals, one at the beginning of the second half and another in the 90th minute, were instrumental in Italy's triumph. Her first goal came early in the second half, breaking the deadlock. Sofia Cantore fired a shot across the goal, and Girelli deftly redirected it into the net. Italy nearly extended their lead, but another goal was disallowed due to offside.
Norway's captain, Ada Hegerberg, experienced a night of mixed fortunes. Shortly after Italy's opening goal, Hegerberg won a penalty for Norway. However, she missed the spot-kick, sending her shot wide of the left post. This was Hegerberg's second missed penalty of the tournament. Despite the setback, Hegerberg redeemed herself by leveling the score in the 66th minute. She latched onto a long pass from Maren Mjelde and巧戳ed the ball past the Italian goalkeeper, Laura Giuliani.
As the game appeared to be heading for extra time, Girelli struck again in the 90th minute. Cantore delivered a perfectly weighted cross, and Girelli rose gracefully at the far post to head the ball just under the crossbar, sealing the victory for Italy. This marked Girelli's 61st goal for Italy.
Italy's journey to the semi-finals marks their first appearance in a major women's tournament semi-final since 1997. They will face either England or Sweden in the semi-final on July 22.
Hegerberg, who was named Norway's captain in February, had previously taken a five-year break from international football due to disagreements with the Norwegian FA regarding the unequal treatment of women's footballers. Despite missing the penalty, Hegerberg's presence and leadership are considered crucial to Norway's team.
Italy's coach, Andrea Soncin, acknowledged the difficulty of the match against Norway, stating that there were no favorites and that it would be a balanced contest. Gemma Grainger, Norway's coach, had anticipated a competitive game, recognizing Italy's defensive strength and attacking flair.
