Euro 2025: England through to final after dramatic comeback

Tournament branding tends to be a combination of mixed metaphors and marketing platitudes. In Switzerland this year, there have been the purple, orange and pinks of the logo. There is a Saint Bernard puppy mascot called Maddli who is the hardest working person at the tournament, having made an appearance at every match. There is also a phrase terming this Euros the ‘Summit of Emotions’. As the sun setting made the mountainous backdrop of Stade de Geneve glow orange, no team could claim to have taken that motto more thoroughly to heart than this England team.

Once again, they looked dead and buried against an opponent who had every reason to feel like they had outran, outfought and outplayed the European Champions. Once again, they somehow found a way to stop the game sliding out of their grasp. Once again, it was Michelle Agyemang, the 19-year-old forward who has played with a composure that does not befit her years or indeed how most of her teammates have looked during the tournament, who was their rescue act. For every summit England climb, they find a way to roll back down it again, and then somehow dust themselves off and get climbing again. It has all been emotional.

In the end, Chloe Kelly’s 119th minute penalty rebound sent England into the Euros final, after Agyemang had scored in the penultimate minute of the match to send the game to extra time. It was heartbreak for the Italians who had led since Barbara Bonansea scored in the 33rd minute.

It was a characteristically poor performance from England. Their problems at this tournament have been manifold and few have been under the illusion that this is a particularly good team even as they have managed to rock and roll their way this far. Ever since the 2023 World Cup, they have struggled to control matches, conceding poor goals that leave them with uphill battles in games.

It was no different here, despite manager Sarina Wiegman selecting a third attempted defensive line up of the tournament. None have looked particularly convincing, even as Esme Morgan did make way for Jess Carter who had struggled throughout the opening four matches. Despite a significant level of comfort in the first half hour, England looked slow paced and unable to take the game to an Italy side who have not participated in a semi-final of a major international tournament since 1997. It allowed their opponents to relax into the match and set them up well for the rearguard action that was to come.

England looked tired from the start with Lauren James particularly struggling to get with the pace of the game. That was hardly surprising given that having not played since April, she promptly went and racked up 306 minutes of football in the space of three weeks. Other players looked leggy too, evidence of the 120 minutes they had played against Sweden on Thursday night. It was no surprise when James was substituted for Beth Mead at half-time.

Italy were able to bring something that the sweet generous Swedes who England had played in the quarter-finals could not quite latch on to: shithousery. England played into their hand on this one. Every misplaced pass was an opportunity for Italy to get into a 50:50, and then an opportunity to go down. Or the ball that went out of play and could be retrieved only as slowly as England were running around the pitch anyway. It was underdog semi-final football exactly as it should be, complete with the timewasting yellow cards, dramatically felt fouls, and melodramatic manager.

Yet they could not reckon with England and the never-say-die attitude which they appear to be pushing to an extraordinary limit. It is hard to know whether it is testament to something incredible about this side or a marker of a team who should not need to use up this many lives to progress in a tournament. The only thing they seem to know how to do well is conjure up a series of incredible and remarkable moments. But the roar that rang out around the ground at the final whistle was evidence of a fanbase who seems to be enjoying this even more than the slightly more serene progression they were treated to in Euro 2022. 

For the Italians, it was a particularly heartbreaking way for it all to end. In truth, they did not do much wrong. They just got Agyemang-ed. They got England-ed. They haven’t been the first and on the body of work from this tournament, they won’t be the last. 

In the press conference before the semi-final, Georgia Stanway was asked if she was going to get a tattoo to sum up this tournament so far, what would it be? She answered quickly with just one word: rollercoaster.