Women’s Euro 2025: England reach another final and await Germany or Spain – live | Women’s Euro 2025
Published: 2025-07-23 13:52:08 | Views: 16
Key events
A bit of transfer news from the men’s game.
Bayern Munich have entered the race to sign Chelsea target Xavi Simons, the PA news agency understands. The London club are understood to be in direct talks with Simons’ club RB Leipzig.
However, Chelsea’s negotiations could be complicated by German champions Bayern Munich expressing an interest. Netherlands international Simons is a Barcelona youth product who moved to Paris St Germain in 2019. He spent a season with PSV Eindhoven in 2022-23 before returning to PSG under a buy-back clause.
He spent the 2023-24 season on loan to RB Leipzig before making the move permanent in January of this year. PA Media
David Howell emails: “Just as an indication of how utterly the game has changed for England senior teams ... this is the seventh time ever the Lions or Lionesses have made a World Cup or Euros final. Prince Philip was alive for only two of them.”
It got a little bit lost in the celebrations but Hannah Hampton made an incredible double save late on. Considering the pressure she was under coming into the tournament, having indirectly forced Mary Earps to retire after replacing her as No 1, she has looked calm throughout.
There’s been plenty of praise for England goalscorer Michelle Agyemang, who came off the bench to net the late equaliser.
“She’s an unbelievable player and she’s got the world at her feet, a young player with a bright future and I’m absolutely buzzing for her,” said Chloe Kelly.
Sarina Wiegman added: “She has something special. She’s only 19 years old, she’s very mature, she knows exactly what she has to do. When we have to go to her as a target player, she keeps the ball really well. Even when you saw her hit the crossbar, that was not just a shot, she was aiming for it. If she continues like this she has a very bright future.”
Michelle Agyemang celebrates scoring against Italy. Photograph: Michael Zemanek/Shutterstock
Tom Garry
For more context on last night’s peak of 10.2 million viewers across ITV1 & ITVX: when England played their Euros semi-final v Sweden three years ago, the peak that night in 2022 on the BBC was 9.3m, so the growth is around 10%, albeit extra-time drama adds interest.
Phil Crockford emails: “I do find it a bit strange that people are saying England haven’t played well at any stage in the tournament so far, as that seems to be ignoring England thrashing the Netherlands in the group stages. Which made me think that this Euros campaign has been weirdly similar to the men’s Euro 1996 campaign.
“First game, disappointing (women losing 2-1 to a very good France team, the men drawing 1-1 with Switzerland)
“Games 2 and 3, thrashing the Netherlands and comfortably winning against another team from the UK (though these happened in different orders)
“Quarter final, penalty wins over teams beginning with S. The semi-final is where it differs, as the women’s team managed to win their match, while the men lost on penalties to Germany.”
More on the news of those massive figures.
Thanks David. It transpires that a whopping 10.2 million watched England defeat Italy last night. It is ITV’s highest ratings of the year.
And I’ll now hand you over to Will Unwin who will bring you exciting news of how many folk watched England v Italy. Spoiler alert: it was loads.
I’m jumping ahead a bit here but hands up if you know where the 2027 Women’s World Cup is being played.
The answer is Brazil, the first time the tournament will be held in South America. A total of 32 teams will battle it out from 24 June to 25 July.
The host nation for the next Euros in 2029 has yet to be revealed. Germany, Italy, Poland and Portugal have declared their interest, while Denmark and Sweden have joined forces for a fifth potential bid.
Imagine how good Michelle Agyemang will be by then!
Want some easy listening for your lunch break stroll? No, not Burt Bacharach, it’s The Football Weekly pod squad of Max Rushden, Nicky Bandini, Jordan Jarrett-Bryan, Nooruddean Choudry and Nick Ames discussing England reaching the Euros final.
More emails. These are great. Keep ‘em coming.
Charles Antaki: “I’m surprised at the hostile reaction to Jonathan Liew’s article. Of course we salute the team’s grit and spirit, and we glory in individual contributions like those of Michelle Agyemang. But that shouldn’t blind us to the limpness and incoherence of the performances in the competition so far. It’s no disrespect on Liew’s part to add a dash of cold water where it’s needed to get through the vibe and shake up complacency. Yes, affection and support; but yes also healthy criticism and clarity.”
Ben Jones (in Geneva), in response to the 11.41 BST post about England ‘finding a way’ like the German teams of the 80s and 90s. “A German colleague tells me that they call this “nehmerqualitaet” - one of those wonderful German compound words for someone who can take a load of blows and still come back strong. Literally: “taker quality”. They see this in the England women’s team, and yes it’s absolutely what the German men’s team were always famous for.”
Angela Giuffrida
Some reaction now from Italy via our Rome correspondent Angela Giuffrida.
Cristiana Girelli, captain of Italy’s national women’s football squad, said her team had “rekindled the fire” despite the “huge disappointment” of narrowly missing out on a place in the Women’s Euro final after a controversial penalty in extra time gave England victory. The last time the Italian women’s team reached the finals of the championship was in 1997. “We came here to rekindle the fire that’s been missing in recent years,” Girelli said in comments reported by Corriere dello Sport. “It’s a huge disappointment because we were two minutes away from something historic. I’m proud of my teammates because we played an incredible match.”
Italian women’s football enjoyed popularity in the 1970s and 1980s but was strewn with highs and lows over the ensuing years before a revival led the team to its first World Cup in 2019. Recent years have, however, been more challenging, also owing to scant investment and recognition for women’s football at home. While some of the main news websites covered Tuesday’s match with live blogs, and the state-owned broadcaster, Rai, aired the match, there has been little reaction or commentary in the press today.
The emails are flooding in. Two (of the three) here..
Chris Denham: “Lots of complaints about Liew’s piece today, I think unfairly. Yes England did what great teams do and found a way to win when playing badly, but we have now played badly against decent teams for the whole tournament and it is right to ask why that is? Italy are gnarly for sure but we made them look much, much better than they actually are. As soon as a couple of decent crosses came into the area, Bronze had three - three - free headers and yet we still huffed and puffed our way to a last-gasp lucky win from a missed pen. As to why Chloe Kelly - England’s best player - is played as an impact sub... answers on a postcard.”
Michael Gould: “Is time-wasting when one-nil ahead a good idea against England who score well into the time they are gifted by that offence?”
More from Millie Bright. The defender, who helped England to glory in Euro 2022, has been discussing the impact made by Michelle Agyemang and Chloe Kelly, the Lionesses scorers in the dramatic 2-1 win over Italy.
On Michelle Agyemang: “She’s been incredible, she’s not only contributed, she’s taken us to the semi-finals and the final, just like Chloe Kelly has. She sends a message to any youngster out there that is wanting to play for England, she probably didn’t have going to the Euros in her sights and she’s there, and not only is she there but she’s coming on and she’s rescuing the team and playing her part.
“What an incredible, exciting time for England and a youngster like herself coming through and that is the future. So it’s certainly looking bright from there.
On Chloe Kelly: “She’s a big game player, she’s about big moments, she’s about soaking up all that aura, all that confidence. She never feels the pressure for me, she’s always calm and collected and she thrives in these positions. She took that penalty and she’s smiling before she’s taken it. There’s not one doubt in my mind that she was putting it in the back of the net against Sweden.
“I think she’s a perfect example of going through tough times. If you look prior to the tournament, everything that she had to go through. She’s rose above everything and she’s really showed her true character and she’s also an unbelievable teammate. She’ll do absolutely anything for the team, whether that’s coming on as a sub, starting, she’ll be your best teammate and she’ll certainly be the one driving them out there.”
Former England captain Millie Bright is giving her thoughts on last night’s match to Sky Sports News. She’s speaking from a summer camp in Shoreditch.
“We’re launching the Summer Skills campaign. It’s an amazing day, it’s an amazing start of the summer holidays and a perfect opportunity for teenagers to learn new skills, express themselves. The start of it is football, which is why I’m here. Hopefully I can teach them a thing or two about football. And then obviously it moves on to literature and music. And it’s about learning new skills on the platform and then taking that into your everyday life.”
And, as for last night’s England v Italy thriller. Was it ever in doubt?
“No, never in doubt. I believe in the girls 100% from start to finish. Listen, this team has overcome so many obstacles. We’ve gone a goal down, we’ve got extra time, we’ve got some penalties. We’ve faced a little bit of criticism, the squad’s a little bit inexperienced, there’s a lot of youngsters, how will we cope? There’s many obstacles that we’ve overcome and every time I watch the team perform I’m super proud. Proud to be English.
“I’m just proud of the girls and the youngsters coming through. I think it just goes to show that age is just a number. From the likes of Lucy Bronze leading us from the front, our most senior player, to the youngsters coming on and rescuing us, taking us to the semis and now taking us to the final as well.”
Thanks Tom. Pretty sure I won’t have the same dramatic effect as Michelle Agyemang but I’ll try not to ruin it completely.
So, yes, I was another glued-to-the-seat England watcher last night. It did look as if Italy had done a number on us but I’ll be honest, I always had the feeling that somehow England would get out of jail. And when seven minutes were added, that confidence grew. It’s a strange one. I take the points made by Jonathan Liew but overriding them all is the “finding a way” factor. The German men’s sides of the 80s and 90s had it and this England women’s team give you the same feeling. By hook or by crook, they’ll come through. And, of course, the notion feeds itself. When something keeps happening, the team involved believe it wll repeat and, just as importantly, so do the opposition. If England are 1-0 down in the final with time nearly up, both sides will be acutely aware that they’ve seen this script before and it goes a certain way. Having subs like Michelle Agyemang give that idea credibility.
Right, it’s time to introduce an impact sub on this blog, as I hand over to David Tindall. Do keep him company. Bye.
Reader Liam Crowley has back-up, from Mike Finn:
“Got to agree with Liam (10:33) re: Liew’s article. It seems to suggest:
– Wiegman, into her 5th consecutive major final, with two different teams, has no tactical plan
– Fans would ‘identify’ more with the team if they had a clearer tactical style (tiki-taka, gegenpress?)
– The established players, into their 3rd consecutive major final, are past it; but also should have comfortably outplayed Italy.
I mean … yes, it was frustrating at times last night; and yes we may be outclassed in the final by Spain or Germany. But come on, win or lose on Sunday we’re living through an absolute golden age for the England team here, why the need to drag them down?
Some managerial soundbites ahead of Spain v Germany, with mutual respect being paid. Christian Wück, Germany’s gaffer predicts, “We’ll chase them, and we won’t have a lot of possession, while Spain’s Montse Tomé cautions: “They [Germany] have eight European trophies to their name … it’s very clear how we want to play, it will be a highly competitive game.”
Spain players attend a training session in Zurich on Tuesday. Photograph: Urs Flüeler/AP
Chloe Kelly is probably more of an asset to England than she’s ever been, more even than 2022 and all that. And she’s been praised heartily by her teammate Alex Greenwood, as PA Media reports:
Chloe Kelly needed no persuasion to take the pressure-cooker extra-time penalty that sent defending champions England into the Euro 2025 final, according to defender Alex Greenwood … “That takes a lot of courage to step up to take that,” Greenwood said. “I asked her, she had no doubt in her mind, she was confident enough to take it.
“All of our penalty takers were off, so who was left was probably me or Chloe. I missed the pen in the [Sweden] game, in the shootout, Chloe scored hers comfortably, so they [the manager, Sarina Wiegman, and assistant, Arjan Veurink) said, ‘It’s up to you, you or Chloe’.
“I asked her, I looked at her and said, ‘What do you think?’ She said, ‘I’m confident’. That’s enough for me. I don’t need to ask her again. She’s confident enough to take it, so she did.
“She’s great. She’s brilliant. I mean, she came on, she caused them massive problems, she did the other day. She scores a penalty. The way she carries herself off the pitch, I’ve not got enough good words to say about her.”
Asked after Tuesday’s victory where her confidence comes from, Kelly smiled and replied: “Myself. The moments when, in January, I felt like giving up football makes you so grateful for these moments here today, and makes you enjoy every minute of that.“I think confidence comes from within, but also from around you as well. The players that we stand side by side with on the pitch breed confidence in each other.
“I think a lot of self-talk definitely happens, and the people you surround yourself with off the pitch, my family, is really important to me, and they breed a lot of confidence in me.”
Liam Crowley takes issue with Jonathan Liew. “That article is one of the most negative takes on something clearly positive I’ve ever read,” he thunders. “No, the real time wasters weren’t England, it was Italy. Nothing wrong with that, it’s what every team does and Italy do it better than anyone over both their sides, but England were playing with urgency, constantly pushing for an equaliser. They were not time wasting.
”As for England being ‘limp’, this is a side that, despite not being maybe as good as previous vintages, but have steel beyond belief. They have shown it, and had to show it, almost constantly throughout this tournament. You don’t conjure these moments by being ‘limp’.”
Game’s all about opinions innit.
Jess Carter got a great reception when she came on in the closing stages against Italy and has been talking a bit more about why she spoke out about the racist abuse she received on social media after England\s quarter-final against Sweden. “Hopefully it makes people aware it’s not Ok, that racism is still going on,” said the England defender. “We’re just doing our job to the best of our ability and playing for the badge, no one’s more disappointed with some of my performances than I am but the colour of my skin has nothing to do with it. I’ve got mixed race nephews and nieces and I want them to grow up being brave and powerful and if speaking up today makes a difference to even one person that’s good enough for me.”
Jess Carter applauds the fans at the end of England’s semi-final against Italy. Photograph: Alessandra Tarantino/AP
We have nothing left to prove, declares Bronze
Lucy Bronze has become a kind of totem of the Lionesses’ cussedness and spirit during this tournament, and the experienced full-back has been characteristically bullish in the aftermath of last night’s win, as Suzanne Wrack reports:
Lucy Bronze has said England have “nothing to prove” after reaching a third successive major tournament final with a dramatic extra-time win over Italy despite some unconvincing performances.
“Do we have something to prove? Not really,” the Chelsea right-back said. “That’s people from the outside thinking that teams have to win every single game. We’ve done six consecutive semi-finals, three consecutive finals, who else has done that? Nobody. [The current] Spain and Germany are fantastic teams but even they haven’t managed that feat.”
Pep up your morning with some scenes of boxpark and outside-stadium frenzy …
Fans react to the moment England made it into Euro 2025 final – video
So what about tonight’s game? The respective odds on Spain (1-2) and Germany (9-2) tell us plenty about what’s predicted, but Spain’s women have never beaten Germany competitively, most recently losing to them at last year’s Olympics and in the group stage at the 2022 Euros.
And the nagging sense remains that Spain haven’t been fully tested yet, while Germany are growing in resilience and confidence. Still, I’d back them to win. If anything, Spain have added cutting edge to their World Cup-winning side two years ago, with Claudia Pina (a player of the tournament contender) and Esther González adding an extra sharpness, Alexia Putellas back near her best and Aitana Bonmatí as imperious as ever. But they’re up against a goalkeeper who can do stuff like this – as well as in-form attackers such as Klara Bühl and Jule Brand – so who knows?
Now for something completely different: this week’s Knowledge has dropped, looking at long gaps between top-flight derbies, odd trophies, players scoring more for their countries than clubs and more.
Some reactions from within the England camp. Sarina Wiegman has described this run as “like a movie.I feel relieved, happy, it feels a bit surreal making a final again but we’re here, and now we need to recover a bit”. Asked what the secret to her tournament success is, she replied: “I’m the lucky one to work with so many good people, good players, good staff, but I also I think I’m always myself.”
The teenager of the hour Michelle Agyemang heaped praise on the squad atmosphere. Her heroics, she said, were rooted in “the character of this team and my teammates.They have been so supportive because I’ve only been here a short amount of time, but every single person has taken me in. But I Didn’t think it would be this dramatic oh my goodness.”
Her fellow goalscorer Chloe Kelly reflected that she “should have done better with that penalty to be honest this team shows so much fight, resilience and talent, and it’s so important the changes Sarina makes, it’s just great management … I’m so proud to be English right now”.
Nick Ames was in Geneva, which looked a picture yesterday, soaking up the atmosphere among England’s fans.
Legends are made on nights such as this. England’s travelling supporters celebrated deliriously long after the final whistle; huge sections of the venue had already dissolved into a mush of limbs when Agyemang struck. Those fans will be able to march proudly, expectantly, one last time before the tournament decider in Basel.
Hundreds of them had assembled at a fanzone near Lancy-Pont-Rouge station to take the mile-long walk towards the stadium, counting down before setting off at 6.45pm to trumpets and beating drums. There had been plenty to entertain them while they waited, including an impromptu limbo dancing competition between tied-together English and Italian flags. This being Geneva, food stalls selling chips and hot dogs were joined by another offering oysters, salmon tartare and moules frites.
Preamble
Greetings all. Get up to much last night? I’m sure you did, particularly if “sitting on the sofa, fretting” constitutes “much”. So, England and Sarina Wiegman are in yet another final. How they got there I don’t know, how they got there I don’t care etc, as the song goes. Yep, it was another nailbiter, where persistence and pressure in the end overcame Italy’s tactical nous and canny gameplan.
Were England lucky? Possibly, but they didn’t burgle the win in quite the way they did against a demonstrably superior Sweden, and a personal view is that Wiegman’s side just about deserved it, for persistence and composure as well as a couple of properly enterprising spells of pressure at the start of each normal-time half. Jonathan Liew, someone with whom I rarely disagree about anything, has a more critical (and knowledgable) perspective, mind.
Anyway, this blog won’t only be looking back on last night but looking ahead to tonight’s intriguing second semi-final between tournament favourites Spain and a Germany whose progress has not been dissimilar to England’s. Another rearguard looms against the best possession-based passing side in the world.
Anyway, feel free to mail in thoughts, predictions, tactical insights and more.
