Five things we learnt from England’s stunning victory over Italy

England scored late goals at the end of both regular-time and extra-time to come back from behind to reach the final of Euro 2025, defeating Italy 2-1.

Italy took the lead in the first half through Barbara Bonansea before spending the rest of the match hanging onto that lead. It wasn’t until the sixth minute of added time that Michelle Agyemang equalised, taking the game to extra-time, before Chloe Kelly then secured victory for The Lionesses in the 119th minute.

With England now in a third consecutive major tournament final (after Euro 2022 and the World Cup in 2023), we look at five things we learnt from a late, late English win – and a heart-breaking Italian defeat.

Italy’s strength was their defence; their weakness was in attack

Throughout this tournament, the Italians have shown how threatening they can be in a counter attack. The first goal of the game exposed their power on the break, with a run from Arianna Caruso complemented by a clinical strike from Bonansea giving Italy the early lead. However, Le Azzurre only took 10 shots throughout the game, compared to England’s 24. While managing to hold The Lionesses off for the first 96 minutes of the game, the Italians looked as though they had settled for a 1-0 win, rarely creating opportunities and struggling with composure in front of goal.

Laura Giuliani was Italy’s greatest asset

If it was the Italian attack that let down Italy’s chances at the final, it was Giuliani between the sticks who kept them alive. Right up until the final moments of the game, she remained vigilant in the face of England’s attacking barrage, making six critical saves in the game. Although she was ultimately unable to ward off Agyemang’s stoppage-time stunner, she carried a team that looked as though they were playing for penalties. When a penalty did come, following a foul by Emma Severini, Giuliani made the initial save and was unlucky that Kelly scored on the rebound. Whatever can be said about Italy’s performance last night, their goalkeeper should hold her head up high.

The Lionesses’ resilience was their power

This match will not go down in history as one of England’s greatest ever performances. Rather, it will be remembered for how they fought until the last seconds of the game. The second half was characterised by consistent attempts, and through controlling the game with possession. It felt as though a goal was coming by stoppage time, which it did.

Agyemang’s late substitution critical to victory

Agyemang, now known by many as ‘the saviour of the nation’, did so again to bail England out once more in the final minutes of the game. Against Sweden in the quarter-finals, she scored the equalising goal in the 81st minute – only 11 minutes after her introduction. However, Sarina Wiegman held off until the final five minutes of regulation time against Italy before substituting her for Leah Williamson. Still, the 19-year-old quickly made a difference. In the sixth and penultimate minute of stoppage time, she found the back of the net, shooting clean through Giuliani’s legs following a save which had rebounded back into the danger zone. Wiegman’s late call certainly paid off, but questions will now be asked regarding whether Agyemang has now done enough to secure a place in the starting lineup.

England’s toughest test is yet to come

We are yet to find out who The Lionesses will face at St. Jakob-Park in Basel on Sunday, with the second semi-final fixture between Spain and Germany taking place tonight (20:00 GMT). While they are deserving of their spot in the final, the feeling remains that England have largely passed through this tournament in spite of their performances, not because of them. They may well struggle against a side like Spain, who remain favourites and have been dominant throughout. Their composure has left every team reeling, and they are the only side to have won all their games this tournament. As for Germany, they played a miraculous game against France in the quarter-finals with only 10 players, demonstrating their tenacity. With four days until the final, this time will be crucial for Wiegman’s side to prepare for what will surely be their toughest test of the tournament.