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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.
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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.
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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:
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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.
Signe Gaupset (left) and Selma Panengstuen look dejected following Norway’s defeat against Italy and subsequent elimination from Euro 2025. Photograph: Maja Hitij/Uefa/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 17.32 EDT
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.
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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.
Italy’s players and staff celebrate after their win over Norway. Photograph: Martial Trezzini/EPAA view of the celebrations from behind the goal. Photograph: Matthew Childs/ReutersItaly’s Eleonora Goldoni has grabbed a fan’s flag and joins their celebrations. Photograph: Bernadett Szabó/ReutersItaly’s Lucia Di Guglielmo takes a selfie with teammates as they celebrate making the semi-finals. Photograph: Piroschka Van De Wouw/ReutersShare
Updated at 17.27 EDT
Italy are in a women’s major tournament semi-final for the first time since 1997. They will face either Sweden or England.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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90 + 4 min: Italy have a corner now as they run down the clock. Norway defend this one well though.
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90 + 3 min: Girelli is now off as Italy make a change, what a game she has had. Piemonte on.
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Updated at 17.10 EDT
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.
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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.
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GOAL! Norway 1-2 Italy (Girelli, 90)
What a moment. What a player.
Cristiana Girelli gets her head on a cracking cross … Photograph: Matthew Childs/ReutersAnd it nestles in the net for her, and Italy’s, second goal of the game. Photograph: Piroschka Van De Wouw/ReutersJoy for Girelli celebrates and her teammates. Photograph: Matthew Childs/ReutersDespair for Norway’s Elisabeth Terland, Maren Mjelde, Ingrid Engen and Tuva Hansen. Photograph: Denis Balibouse/ReutersScenes. Photograph: Piroschka Van De Wouw/ReutersShare
Updated at 17.00 EDT
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?
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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.
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88 min: Norway make a change with Woldvik on for Bjelde, she didn’t look comfortable after receiving treatment.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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82 min: Italy win a corner, can they find a winner here?
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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.
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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?
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78 min: Italy make two changes as Severini and Bonansea are off for Cambiaghi and Greggi.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
Norway’s Ada Hegerberg steers the ball past Italy’s keeper Laura Giuliani … Photograph: Denis Balibouse/ReutersItaly’s Cecilia Salvai and Elena Linari give chase as the ball heads towards the goal … Photograph: Piroschka Van De Wouw/ReutersBut they can’t get there in time and Norway are level. Photograph: Denis Balibouse/ReutersNorway players celebrate beside a dejected Laura Giuliani. Photograph: Salvatore Di Nolfi/EPAShare
Updated at 16.39 EDT
GOAL! Norway 1-1 Italy (Hegerberg, 66)
That was easy.
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