Cristiana Girelli's header in the last minute of regulation time made the entire Geneva stadium (Switzerland) explode, relieving all the tension and suspense that had lasted throughout the 90 minutes of the first quarter-final match of the 2025 Women's Euro.
A thrilling victory over a Nordic opponent helped the Italian team reach the semi-finals of the Women's Euro for the first time after 28 years of waiting.
Cristiana Girelli's 90th-minute header scores the winning goal
Before that, Girelli also opened the score at the beginning of the second half with a close-range shot after a pass from Sofia Cantore.
However, Norway fought back strongly and got an equalizer thanks to veteran striker Ada Hegerberg - who scored in the EURO quarter-finals 12 years ago.
Girelli opened the scoring for Italy in the 50th minute.
The equalizer came just minutes after Hegerberg missed his second consecutive penalty of the tournament.
In a match that seemed to have to go into extra time, Girelli once again spoke up with a decisive header from Cantore's cross, sealing a 2-1 victory for Italy and ending an explosive night of competition in Geneva.
Ada Hegerberg missed a penalty..
...but managed to make up for his mistake with a 66th-minute equalizer for Norway.
The victory helped Italy reach the semi-finals of the Women's EURO for the seventh time, but for the first time since 1997.
It was also their second major knockout win in 28 years, with Girelli, who scored twice at the age of 35, becoming the oldest player to score twice in a women's EURO finals match.
35-year-old star Cristiana Girelli scored twice and received the title "Player of the match"
After the match, coach Andrea Soncin could not hide his pride: "We are living the dream.
This is a worthy achievement from the efforts not only of the current team but also of those who came before. We will enjoy this moment before thinking about the semi-finals."
Meanwhile, Girelli emotionally shared: "I felt something special about this team. The eyes of my teammates gave me the belief that we could make history. The fans also gave us strength today."
Italy enters Euro women's semi-finals after 28 years
On the other side of the front line, Norway coach Gemma Grainger regretted that her team played better in the second half but lost the victory in the last minute: "This is football. It was a balanced match, but the Italians took better chances."
Two veteran fighters Cristiana Girelli (35 years old) and Ada Hegerberg (30 years old) after the match
The match also recorded impressive performances from young Italian players such as Lucia Di Guglielmo, Emma Severini and midfielder Caruso.
The 3-5-2 system that coach Soncin applied helped the Azzurri women's team control the game well, especially in the first half. Although Norway pressed high in the second half, the Italian defense stood firm, creating the premise for Girelli's moment of brilliance.
The blue women's team deserves to enter the semi-finals.
With this historic victory, the Italian women's team will return to Geneva on July 22, determined to continue writing the fairy tale when facing either England or Sweden in the semi-finals.
Source: https://nld.com.vn/chi-dai-cristiana-girelli-toa-sang-tuyen-y-vao-ban-ket-euro-nu-sau-28-nam-19625071706371664.htm
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