Key events
54 min: So much happened. Italy thought they were ahead but she is offside.
53 min: That was way too easy for Italy, Reiten was so passive in the build-up which is so unlike the Chelsea star.
52 min: I think she is just onside and it is confirmed, Bjelde played her on. Norway have to turn on now.
GOAL! Norway 0-1 Italy (Girelli, 50)
There it is. Or is it? It’s going to be checked.
49 min: Alice has emailed:
Enjoying your analysis from a pub in Montpellier. We are the only people in the whole pub who care about the footy but the landlord kindly put it on for us.
It’s a weird game – quite end to end in terms of the play, but also feels a bit toothless — apart from those two standout chances for Norway, neither team have looked a huge threat in front of goal. Not sure what you do as a coach when that’s the situation.
What a lovely landlord. I would say Italy have had a fair few chances but they are lacking a clinical edge right now.
47 min: No changes at the break, it’s an interesting tactic in its own when subs are used in these games as penalties come in play. Norway win an early second half corner but they go short and the opportunity is soon lost.
Back underway: Norway 0-0 Italy
So will we find a winner in this half? Or are we heading to extra time and potentially penalties? All to come.
England play their quarter-final tomorrow night against Sweden. The squad have been previewing the match, you can catch up here:
For me, so far the star for Italy has been Arianna Caruso who was unlucky not to score. For Norway it’s Signe Gaupset who is the unpredictable player so far.
Half-time: Norway 0-0 Italy
Italy have definitely had more of the chances and Italy have been the more sophisticated with ball at feet but Norway have managed to defend – just – and have had a few chances of their own. This quarter-final remains in the balance.
45 min: Hansen concedes a corner and Italy have another chance before the break. The delivery is good bit it’s initially repelled, it comes back in but again Norway manage to bungle it away. Norway immediately counters and Gaupset sees Giuliani off her line so she launches a long ball but it’s wide.
44 min: The delivery goes to the near post but Norway deflects, it comes to Caruso who volleys it but Fiskerstrand saves.
42 min: Italy pop a ball in but Bjelde sees it out, Bonansea sees it back in but then two players collide in the box and Girelli comes off the worse with Reiten quickly back to her feet. The Italian number 10 is okay to continue. Italy have a corner now.
41 min: Kári Tulinius has emailed:
In both matches I’ve watched Norway contest in this tournament, they’ve seemed worse than their opponents, yet won relatively comfortably. And again it seems to me that Italy are the better team, but someone in red will probably score a goal out of nothing and Norway will be in the semifinals.
They have definitely been the lucky team of this tournament. That Hegerberg chance was almost just that goal to send them through.
39 min: Chants of “Italia” ring around the stadium as supporters try and gee up their side who have faded slightly in the last few minutes.
37 min: Oh my word, Hegerberg should have scored there. A lovely ball comes down the right from Naalsund and Bjelde puts it into the box but Hegerberg can’t get a clear shot and it’s wide. Wow, that was close.
35 min: Graham Hansen launches an incredible pass to Gaupset but she can’t do anything with it and so the team revert to patient build-up play. Reiten eventually puts it in but it has too much on it to go straight out.
33 min: Italy are bang up for this. They superbly keep it on and Bonansea is then fouled in the box – no shouts for a penalty – but a resulting shot it wide. Italy are far the brighter team at the moment.
31 min: Reiten can breathe a sigh of relief as VAR clears it, that would have been very soft as she seemed to head it clear and in the process it hit her arm.
30 min: Oh hang on, there’s a penalty check here. A potential handball by Reiten.
28 min: Italy win a corner and Reiten shouts to gee up her team. The delivery is way too long, it is only so long that Norway can keep getting away with not conceding.
26 min: Italy take their free kick but it’s poor and suddenly Norway are on the counter. Gaupset has a good run and wins a corner, Naalsund takes it but her delivery finds no one.
24 min: The delivery is good but the clearance is good, it looks like there was a handball in there by an Italian hand anyway. A few phases later Naalsund gets a yellow card, a tactical foul.
22 min: Girelli is down and holding her eye, she is grimacing but she’s continuing on without any treatment. Italy get forward again and Severini is almost in but Fiskerstrand saves but sees it out for a corner.
20 min: The camera angle on that looks like Italy have scored but Girelli and Severini go for the same ball and it’s another opportunity gone. A bit of communication there and surely it would have been 1-0.
18 min: Now Italy are at it up the other end. A peach of a ball is threaded through to Caruso but the forward doesn’t time her run well and the opportunity is gone. End-to-end as Hegerberg fluffs the ball with too much power with another goalscoring chance evaporating.
16 min: Norway work it up the other end and Gaupset pops in a clever ball but Hegerberg is surrounded and Giuliani catches.
14 min: Bonansea has a lovely one two with herself but then Naalsund intervenes. There are some great battles happening across the pitch right now.
12 min: Graham Hansen is doing Graham Hansen things, she had four defenders around her and she still wriggled free and got the cross in. It comes to nothing in the end but that is the threat she presents.
11 min: Despite their shaky start, it is Italy who have settled first in this one. Norway yet to really throw a proper punch. Pre-match Tom Garry sent this in for us:
Ada Hegerberg gave what looked like a rousing speech to her team-mates in Norway’s huddle just before kick-off, clearly full of passion. She looks fired up for this one! The Norwegian media have been speculating this week whether she should start or not. Well, she is starting and she appears full of determination,
9 min: Caruso won the ball in a great spot and just kept running, her eventual shot is just wide. That would have been beautiful.
7 min: Naalsund hunts down her mark and wrestles the ball back in the box, a vital intervention as Italy poured forward in a promising move.
5 min: Linari has a lovely bit of defence as she sees it out for a corner. Reiten takes it short to Graham Hansen who passes it straight back to her, they pop it into the area but it has too much on it.
3 min: Giugliano sees it in and the delivery is good but Norway read it well and clear.
2 min: Italy slightly sloppy in the opening stages with a rogue pass going straight out of play, maybe some nerves coming through. They do win a free kick here though, maybe this can balance them out – it came from a foul by Maanum.
Kick-off! Norway 0-0 Italy
Here we go. 90 minutes (plus maybe a bit more and penalties) between one of these teams and a semi-final place.
The players are out now and the anthems will soon be underway. Everyone have their nerves in check? Okay good, me either.
How have the favourites to win changed since the group stage? Take a read:
I’d love to hear from you and specifically on a snack or drink you’ve recently discovered and loved. I have become obsessed with a hazelnut iced latte. You can email me your thoughts on that and of course about the football too.
Andrea Soncin, Italy coach, added:
There’s an incredible adrenaline, we can’t wait. It’s going to be a tough and challenging match against a difficult opponent, but we have the awareness, the strong motivation, and the desire to reach the final four. In a competition of this level, in a moment like this, there are no favourites – it will be a very balanced match. Norway, like all the other teams, are dreaming of reaching the semi-finals. We need a lot of focus and concentration, and then the girls must feel free to express their qualities – they have many, and that gives us confidence and awareness that we can go through.
Gemma Grainger, Norway coach, has said:
[Italy’s] obvious strengths, for me, are the individuals they have; they have some very good individual players. From a defensive perspective, they’re very well-organised, as you would expect from an Italian team, and have a strong back five. From an attacking perspective, they are very forward-thinking and like to get a lot of numbers in the box when they attack.
Who’s ready for the joy and heartbreak of knockout football? Ah I knew it. Here’s a piece to get you more warmed up:
Something I failed to spot when the craziness of getting the team news out dropped was that Norway have put Ingrid Engen at centre-back, Tuva Hansen at full-back and Guro Reiten in the midfield. Interesting choice to say the least.
And what about Italy I hear you ask? Here you go:
Here are some stars in the Norway team who you should keep an eye on this evening:
The team news is in. Norway have made four changes with Ada Hegerberg and Carolina Graham Hansen among those back in, while the headline is Signe Gaupset retaining her shirt. She had a great game against Iceland.
Norway: Fiskerstrand; Bjelde, Mjelde, T Hansen, Reiten; Naalsund, Maanum, Engen; Graham Hansen, Hegerberg, Gaupset
Subs: Panengstuen, Mikalsen, Woldvik, Østenstad, Bøe Risa, Sævik, Kielland, Harviken, Ildhusøy, Terland, Jensen
Italy, meanwhile, have made three changes to their starting XI.
Italy: Giulani; Di Guglielmo, Salvai, Linari; Oliviero, Caruso, Giugliano, Severini, Bonansea; Girelli, Cantore
Subs: Baldi, Durante (GK), Schatzer, Piemonte, Piga, Bergamaschi, Serturini, Goldoni, Boattin, Lenzini, Greggi, Cambiaghi
Norway have some of the best players in the world in their ranks but they have fallen far short than what they are capable of at the past few major tournaments. Can they put it right this summer? Read below:
Norway are expected to make quite a few changes from their last game as they benched stars like Ada Hegerberg and Caroline Graham Hansen in their 4-3 win against Iceland.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to the first quarter-final of Euro 2025 which will be competed between Norway and Italy.
They both had very different journeys in the group stage. Norway had bumpy performances but came away with three wins from three to top Group A. Italy, meanwhile, won one, drew one and lost one to come through as runners-up in Group B.
I will talk you through some stars to keep an eye on and what has been said in the build-up shortly. First though there is the little matter of team news. So stay tuned before kick-off at 8pm BST.
#Norway #Italy #Womens #Euro #quarterfinal #live #Womens #Euro
