Cristiana Girelli was Italy’s heroine once again as her last-minute header sealed a dramatic 2-1 victory over Norway, sending the Azzurre into the semi-finals of UEFA Women’s Euro 2025—their first appearance at this stage of a major women’s tournament since 1997.
The 35-year-old striker, who also opened the scoring earlier in the second half, was overcome with emotion after the final whistle.
“It’s a dream that becomes reality,” said Girelli. “Since we arrived in Switzerland—actually, since we began our training camp—I felt something special. I saw it in the eyes of my teammates. It’s something magical.”
“Being among the four best teams is a great satisfaction. We’re doing this for ourselves, but also to show that in Italy, women and girls can play football—and play it well.”
Missed Opportunity for Norway
Norway, coached by former Wales boss Gemma Grainger, struggled to find rhythm in the first hour and were left to rue a costly missed penalty by captain Ada Hegerberg, who sent her spot-kick wide in the second half.
Although Hegerberg later redeemed herself with a composed equalizer, it wasn’t enough to prevent a heartbreaking exit for the Norwegians, who had topped their group and entered the quarter-final full of hope.
“When you concede so late, it’s so hard to take—especially after that second-half performance,” Grainger said. “But we leave this tournament with real pride.”
How It Unfolded
Both sides came into the match knowing this was a golden opportunity, having avoided Europe’s heavyweights in the quarter-final draw. The opening 45 minutes, however, reflected the nerves of the occasion—cautious and cagey despite a group stage that averaged a record 3.7 goals per game.
Italy showed the greater attacking intent early on, with Manuela Giugliano, Lucia Di Guglielmo, and Emma Severini all going close, while Girelli was a constant threat in the box.
The breakthrough came after the hour mark when Sofia Cantore’s shot was delicately redirected into the net by Girelli for 1-0. Cantore had a second disallowed shortly after, before Norway were awarded a penalty as Hegerberg was bundled over by Elena Linari.
To the disbelief of fans, Hegerberg placed her spot-kick wide—the second penalty she’s missed in this tournament, having failed to convert against Switzerland in the group stage.
She made amends minutes later, however, racing onto Maren Mjelde’s long ball and coolly finishing past Laura Giuliani, who hesitated to come off her line.
With momentum swinging, Ingrid Engen nearly completed the comeback but curled wide from a half-chance.
But just when the tie looked set for extra time, Cantore delivered a pinpoint cross from the left, finding Girelli unmarked at the far post. The veteran forward made no mistake, heading past Cecilie Fiskerstrand in the 90th minute to spark jubilant celebrations among the Italian fans.
Next Stop: Geneva Semi-Final
Italy will now return to Geneva on Tuesday to face the winner of the England vs Sweden quarter-final, which takes place in Zurich on Thursday.
With the Azzurre now just one step away from a historic final appearance, belief is building within a squad that has already surpassed expectations.