Once England won their Women’s Euro 2025 semifinal over Italy, it set up a revenge match in the final. Had Germany beaten Spain, it would have given the Germans a chance to pay the English back for beating them in the finals of Euro 2022. Since Spain prevailed, now the English can potentially avenge their 2023 loss to the Spaniards at the Women’s World Cup. Let’s go over what went down in the two extra-time thrillers that brought us here.
WOMEN’S EURO WINNERS
Aitana Bonmatí
With Germany goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger in such superb form, it was going to take something special to beat her. Bonmatí came up with exactly that when she took Athenea del Castillo’s pass toward the byline. With Berger cheating over toward the middle (likely expecting Bonmatí to pass from her position), the Barcelona playmaker instead finished inside the Gotham FC netminder’s near post and put Spain into the finals. Bonmatí couldn’t prepare properly for this tourney because she was in a hospital with viral meningitis just before its start, but she played her way into shape, and now she has given Spain a chance to win their first-ever Euro title and hold both the World Cup and the Euro titles at once.
England’s super subs
They did it again! The Lionesses maintained constant pressure on Italy’s goal throughout the second half and extra time, but again it took Michelle Agyemang and Chloe Kelly off the bench to turn that into goals. When Laura Giuliani punched away Kelly’s cross in stoppage time, it found Agyemang, and the teenager kept her cool to finish inside the Italy keeper’s near post and stave off elimination.
The Arsenal striker was something of a surprise selection in this England squad, and she has amply repaid coach Sarina Wiegman’s faith in her. (By the way, she is not related to Patrick Agyemang, who plays for the U.S. men.) Another Kelly cross led to the penalty that won it for England, and she generated so much power on her hoppity-skippity shot that when Giuliani parried it, the rebound came back to Kelly for her to deposit into the net. Now the question is: Does Wiegman want to start either of these players for the final?
The third-place game
We’ve seen many memorable Germany vs. Italy clashes in men’s soccer, but the women from these footballing powerhouses have never met in such a high-stakes game. This should be interesting.
WOMEN’S EURO LOSERS
Emma Severini
The Fiorentina midfielder has tantalizing skills with the ball, but why oh why did she concede that late penalty? Kelly’s cross was several feet over Beth Mead’s head, but Severini still knocked down the Arsenal forward in the penalty box to give England the chance to win the game from the spot. Severini is only 22 and will have many more chances to impress for the azzurre, but she’ll need to ask herself some hard questions now.
Cristiana Girelli
Italy’s all-time leading goal-scorer pulled up after the hour mark and had to exit the match. It’s all too tempting for Italy fans to wonder what would have happened if she’d only been fit to stay on the pitch. Maybe she’d have scored the goal in normal time that would have put England away, and maybe her team wouldn’t have spent almost the entire second half wasting time and trying to bait referee Ivana Martinčić into booking the English players. Girelli is 35 and already eyeing a career in broadcasting, but let’s hope that her limping off while holding her hamstring isn’t her last action in an Italy jersey.
Germany’s defense
The injuries to Giulia Gwinn and Sarai Linder and the suspension of Kathrin Hendrich meant that Die Nationalelf were down to their last defensive players against Spain. There was a time when Germany’s scrubs could have carried them to victory, but that time has passed. La Roja put constant pressure on their backline and had fresh attackers to sub in during the game’s late stages, and the Germans had nothing left in the cupboard. The only consolation now is that Hendrich will be back for the third-place game.