GENEVA, Switzerland — Cristiana Girelli is not any stranger to scoring targets; the Italy and Juventus ahead has discovered the again of the web 61 occasions for her nation and was the highest scorer in Serie A final season. However the 35-year-old’s brace towards Norway on Thursday evening — in an exciting 2-1 victory to ship Italy to the semifinals of Euro 2025 — are certainly now essentially the most prized finishes amongst a massively spectacular assortment.
Girelli’s targets have helped to jot down historical past, incomes Italy a spot within the final 4 of the match for the primary time in 28 years, the place they’ll tackle both England or Sweden for a spot within the last.
From the outset this summer time, Andrea Soncin’s facet have relished their position because the spirited underdogs; their verve and dynamism greatest exemplified by Girelli’s relentless working and medical edge. Because the clock ticked in the direction of full-time on the Stade de Genève, the Italy captain was granted a lap of honor as she walked the perimeter of the pitch to be substituted, absorbing the applause from her adoring public earlier than being mobbed by her teammates and supervisor within the dugout.
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The temper within the Norway camp could not have been extra completely different. On the last whistle, a number of gamers had their heads of their fingers whereas captain Ada Hegerberg — who had solely minutes earlier seemed poised to be the hero of the piece — minimize a forlorn determine as she stood alone within the heart of the pitch.
For a lot of this match, Hegerberg has, maybe unfairly, been held up as a logo of Norway’s issues. Regardless of profitable all three of their group video games at a Euros for the primary time ever, Gemma Grainger’s facet have largely didn’t seize the creativeness this summer time, struggling previous hosts Switzerland and Finland earlier than an entertaining 4-3 victory over Iceland sealed them prime spot in Group A.
That Hegerberg was an unused substitute in final Thursday’s thriller in Thun solely appeared so as to add weight to the rising sense that Norway had, maybe, advanced previous the previous Ballon d’Or winner. However supervisor Grainger refused to bow right down to exterior calls to drop her captain for the conflict with Italy and, certain sufficient, Hegerberg discovered herself on the heart of the motion.
Cristiana Girelli vs Norway | #WEURO2025
Girelli established herself as a cult hero in Italy together with her brace as we speak. Main outlet for Italy, supported play by dropping deep, aerial monster at profitable the primary contact & sensible defensive workrate.
Considered one of Italy’s best ever! pic.twitter.com/DD5Rwrgaaq
— Yash (@Odriozolite) July 16, 2025
In a first-half dominated by Italy, Hegerberg was offered with Norway’s golden likelihood — one with an anticipated targets (xG) worth of 0.84 — when the ball bounced off her thigh and bobbled behind from solely three yards out.
After the break, it was the Norway striker who mis-controlled the ball within the build-up to Italy’s opener; Girelli tapping in from shut vary after a low drive throughout the field from Sofia Cantore.
Hegerberg’s night went from unhealthy to worse when she missed a penalty within the sixtieth minute after being pulled down in a slipshod problem from Elena Linari. Nevertheless, the 30-year-old bounced again in spectacular vogue simply six minutes later, poking the ball previous Laura Giuliani to attract Norway degree and pumping her fist stirringly within the route of the travelling supporters.
It seemed like Hegerberg’s strike can be sufficient to ship the match to extra-time however Italy had different concepts. As soon as once more, it was Girelli with the decisive second, nodding dwelling from one other wonderful Cantore cross within the ninetieth minute.
For Norway, it was a crushing blow and one which continues their development of failing to ship at main tournaments.
Regardless of being the second-most profitable group in Ladies’s European Championship historical past, they didn’t make it out of their group in each 2017 and 2022. Although they went a step additional this time, it’s arduous to fathom how a group full of a lot star high quality — Barcelona’s Caroline Graham Hansen, Chelsea’s Guro Reiten and Arsenal’s Frida Maanum had been additionally within the beginning XI on Wednesday evening — constantly seems lower than the sum of its components.
However whereas the inquest into what went improper for Grainger’s facet will little question proceed lengthy into the summer time, this was an evening that belonged to Italy.
Solely six years in the past, when the Azzure reached the quarterfinals of the World Cup in France, their facet was made up solely of beginner gamers. Their success on the match prompted the Italian Soccer Federation (FIGC) to commit to creating Serie A Femminile absolutely skilled by 2022, nonetheless it has not been solely plain crusing since then.
They had been dumped out of each Euro 2022 and the 2023 World Cup within the group stage, prompting longtime supervisor Milena Bertolini to resign through an open letter which claimed the group had been “not put within the situation” to succeed.
Quick ahead to current day, although, and Italy appear to be a drive on the rise. Solely two gamers on this summer time’s 23-player squad play their home soccer exterior of Italy, whereas the nation’s bid to host the 2029 version of the match signifies a extra deep-rooted dedication to the expansion of the ladies’s recreation on dwelling soil.
The importance of this second was exemplified by the very fact Girelli arrived for her postmatch information convention in tears, her pleasure at her group’s achievement palpable.
“It is one thing magical however to be sincere I felt one thing particular since we got here to Switzerland,” she stated. “Reaching the semifinals and being among the many 4 greatest groups in Europe is one thing particular, one thing nice, however it’s a demonstration of how a lot this group has believed from the start.
“We had very troublesome years. We suffered loads so tonight, being among the many 4 greatest groups, is a superb satisfaction. We’re doing this for the glory however the that means is way deeper.”
After all, solely time will inform how acutely the legacy of this Euros is felt again at dwelling. However, with a mouthwatering semifinal tie with both England or Sweden to return in Geneva subsequent week, it could be silly to wager towards Italy delivering one other magical second or two earlier than their match is thru.