Girelli double sends Italy to Euro 2025 last four as Hegerberg misses spot-kick
Norway, managed by the former Wales coach Gemma Grainger, were disappointing for the first hour of the contest but appeared to be the stronger side in the latter stages after equalising through Hegerberg's low finish in normal play, before Girelli's back-post header won the game with her second goal of the match and sent the Italians wild.
For both Norway and Italy this tie had represented a priceless opportunity to reach a semi-final, after the draw in December had been relatively kind to them. They had both been eliminated at the group stage of the 2017 and 2022 editions of the Euros. They had both given their supporters cause for optimism during their group matches and knew the heavyweight contenders were all in action later this week in the other last-eight fixtures. Perhaps, with that, came a few nerves too.
Norway fans were certainly in the minority in Geneva as hopeful Italy fans flocked to the stadium in their blue shirts and sang Il Canto degli Italiani, the Italian national anthem, with vigour and pride. Norway also created the minority of the first-half chances, as the Italians showed the greater attacking endeavour in what was largely a cautious first 45 minutes.
An average of 3.7 goals per game had been scored during the group stages, the highest ratio in the history of the tournament, as free-flowing attacking football became the norm, so perhaps it was to be expected that the start of the knockout rounds would deliver a goalless first 45 minutes, an element of caginess creeping into both side's tactics.
Despite the low tempo Italy played some neat football, going close through Manuela Giugliano, Girelli's attempted header and Lucia Di Guglielmo, while their energetic midfielder Emma Severini burst into the penalty area but saw her shot well saved by the Norway goalkeeper Cecilie Fiskerstrand.
At the other end Hegerberg could scarcely believe she had not scored when the ball bounced up and hit her leg inside the six-yard box, before Signe Gaupset had the Norwegians' most ambitious effort, trying her luck from 35 yards when she had spotted the keeper off her line. Her looping shot dropped wide.
The Italians broke the deadlock when Sofia Cantore's goalbound shot from the right side of the box was angled into the net with the gentlest of touches from Girelli, as the 35-year-old striker scored her second goal of the tournament and sparked wild celebrations on the Italy bench and particularly for their exuberant coach, Andrea Soncin. Italy had the momentum suddenly and Cantore thought she had doubled the lead moments later but her scrambled effort was disallowed for offside. Soon the game was seesawing as Norway were awarded a penalty when Hegerberg was bundled down by Elena Linari.
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Hegerberg, who had also missed a spot kick in Norway's opening Group D fixture against Switzerland, placed her effort harmlessly wide to the bafflement of fans all around the world who had expected the former Ballon d'Or winner to score and to the dismay of the Norway supporters directly behind the goal. They were soon smiling again, though, when Hegerberg redeemed herself by running on to Maren Mjelde's long ball and tucking past Laura Giuliani, who had been too hesitant to come off her line. It was a precious equaliser for a Norway side who had been underwhelming for much of the game.
Norway began to grow in confidence and were aided by the introduction of Manchester United's Elisabeth Terland from the bench. They had a half-chance when Ingrid Engen curled wide. But Italy were not to be denied as Cantore fired over a lethal cross from the left flank that found an unmarked Girelli who headed past Fiskerstrand and set up a semi-final against either England or Sweden back here in Geneva on Tuesday.
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South Wales Argus
13 minutes ago
- South Wales Argus
Sarina Wiegman hails Sweden clash 'most chaotic' of her career
The Lionesses came back from two goals behind to draw 2-2 in normal time before winning 3-2 in a penalty shootout that saw nine misses before Lucy Bronze buried her sudden death spot-kick and Smilla Holmberg sent hers over. It means England will face Italy in their semi-final on Tuesday but Wiegman was unable to think ahead as she tried to process the emotions of a tense night in Zurich. 'I'm very hyper,' she said. 'I'm still very emotional and I think the adrenaline is still in my body. It was a crazy game. 'That was absolutely the most chaotic game I've been a part of. I can't remember anything like this.' England went a goal down inside two minutes when Kosovare Asllani capitalised on a mistake at the back to slot home the opener. It was just the first warning side of a poor first-half from the England team who appeared to revert to the ways of their first match against France which saw passes go astray. England would concede a second on 25 minutes as Stina Blackstenius raced onto Julia Zigiotti Olme's throughball to strike, leaving Wiegman to admit it was not the start they hoped for. 'Of course we wanted to start the game a lot better than we did. In the first two or three minutes we were 1-0 down and that's not a good start of course,' she reflected. 'Then really quickly they scored the second goal and we were really struggling with coming into the game. 'You want to start playing football but we didn't do that. So then you start to think how can I help the team to start playing better? 'In the second-half I thought we did start playing a bit better but we didn't create that much. 'When you're in the 18-yard box and you put the ball in, they're so good defensively that you have to go either far post or create something at the edge of the box and we were struggling with that. 'So you just need a couple of players with different attributes in the game that are changing the picture.' Those players came in the form of a triple substitution in the 70th minute as Beth Mead, Esme Morgan and 19-year-old Michelle Agyemang all entered the field. But it was Chloe Kelly who created real impact when she came on eight minutes later to assist Lucy Bronze's header and set up Mead to nod down for Agyemang's equaliser. 'They bring something different to the game,' explained Wiegman. 'That really helped the team in that moment. 'Also, Sweden at that moment had to adapt to different things that we do and before they could adapt it was 2-2. So that was the power of that today. 'Niamh Charles also came in and she had a crucial header to win that duel and keep it 2-2. 'That's really hard to come in, in that intensity and to show up and do the right things is really impressive. That shows the strength of this team.' It was a strength they carried into a penalty shootout after the 30 minutes of extra-time had remained goalless. England missed four of their seven penalties, with Alessia Russo, Chloe Kelly and Lucy Bronze the only to convert. But thankfully for them, Sweden were even more wasteful from the spot. 'I thought we were out twice today,' confessed Wiegman. 'There were so many penalties that I was really concerned. That needs a bit of luck that they then miss. 'In the Finalissima and against Nigeria we had really good shootouts and today we weren't good enough, let's put it that way. 'So of course I was concerned because we were missing and I know players are capable of taking a penalty because they're really good. 'You can talk about reasons, the fatigue, the whole picture, I think it was just really hard. But of course we were concerned. 'We have trained penalty shootouts and we know what players are capable of and we will of course prepare but it will not be a big focus ahead of Italy.'
The Independent
31 minutes ago
- The Independent
Lucy Bronze's iconic moment saves England and seals her place as a Lionesses legend
"One of a kind," Sarina Wiegman said of Lucy Bronze. Her "fighter" of a full-back certainly offered an image that will go down in England folklore, albeit after a team performance that won't quite be mentioned as prominently. Only the spirit, appropriately, will prevail. After a series of absurd misses, in what might well have been one of the worst penalty shoot-outs in football history, a hobbling Bronze ripped off the strapping on her left leg, and strode forward. An astonishing eight of the 12 previous penalties had been squandered. Some had been missed in scarcely believable fashion, the emotional momentum of the shoot-out veering as wildly as some of the shots. So, Bronze just smashed it straight into the roof of the net. 'I just felt a little bit tight at the end of the game and I thought, I just need to get through to make sure I can keep going,' Bronze said. 'I thought, it's going to hinder me in a penalty. I didn't expect it to go to the sixth penalty, and then it was my penalty. I thought, I need to take this off. I'm going to actually smack it.' 'That resilience, that fight," Wiegman enthused. The manager ended up conjuring another image about Bronze. 'The only way you get her off the pitch is in a wheelchair.' Bronze was the personification of England perseverance, which is one quality you can certainly bank on - even in a performance like this. The kick similarly represented a decisiveness that had been missing from the previous 10 minutes, and most of the game. It also seemed to scramble Sweden for one final kick, as the 18-year-old Smilla Holmberg became just the latest player to sky the ball. This time, it was enough. Bronze's force had driven England into the semi-finals of Euro 2025 - and that after her late goal had sparked the comeback. Her team are now somehow 90 minutes from another final, albeit after a display where they really only played well for a few minutes. Much of that was down to the transformative Chloe Kelly. The obvious discussion now will be over what this emotion does for the team, over the resolve, whether there will now be a momentum from this, a relief that releases them. Wiegman said it was the most chaotic game she'd ever been part of. 'I can't remember anything like this,' she said. Over an hour later, while appearing at her press conference after 1am in Zurich, the manager said she was 'still hyper, still emotional'. But, if we're talking about intangible elements like that, you simply have to focus on the psychodrama of the penalties. It was unlike almost any witnessed in football history, and a rare occasion where the final score of the regulation five each - 2-2 - equalled the actual game. While Bronze finally seized the moment, it's hard not to feel that Sweden ultimately - and calamitously - let it slip away. And that's not just because they were 2-0 up in the 79th minute - a fact that almost felt irrelevant given everything that happened after that. Hannah Hampton later said she could barely remember the first 45 minutes. Her save early in the second half kept England in it, to go with those in the shoot-out. 'That was crucial,' Wiegman said. Sweden still had the chance to secure their semi-final place as it was 2-2 with that very last regulation penalty, an anticipation only heightened as goalkeeper Jennifer Falk sensationally turned around and actually take it. Saving three penalties evidently wasn't enough for her. She wanted to be a treble hero, with the last word. It wouldn't even be the second or third last word. Hampton admitted she was 'surprised' and briefly 'panicked'. For all their preparation, England didn't have the data on her on the opposing goalkeeper's penalty record. All of that went out the window, with Falk's shot. 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England were still woefully vulnerable to pace. Keira Walsh had again been dominated in midfield, and Wiegman's side badly struggled to play through it. Sweden clearly targeted Jess Carter for pressing, but Leah Williamson wasn't exactly sure-footed beside her. This was the source of both Swedish goals. Kosovare Asllani strode through after two minutes, and Stina Blackstenius - whose pressing was causing all manner of problems - scorched through for the second. England's response was so meek until eventually, and what felt so belatedly, Wiegman made three subs. They were surprising subs, especially in removing Georgia Stanway and Ella Toone and not bringing on a replacement midfielder. England front-loaded and went direct. Kelly, who followed Wiegman's triple-change, played a superb ball for Bronze to head in brilliantly at the back post. She defiantly kicked a hoarding, in a foreshadowing of what was to come. Sweden just didn't expect what came next to arrive so quickly. 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Daily Mail
an hour ago
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Felix Baumgartner dead at 56: Wingsuit daredevil who jumped from space is killed in paragliding crash after his craft ploughed into Italian hotel swimming pool leaving woman injured
Extreme athlete Felix Baumgartner has died in a paragliding crash in Italy. The Austrian sportsman, 56, reportedly lost control of his aircraft on Thursday at around 4pm in Porto Sant'Elpidio, Marche. Italian local media has reported the dare-devil, also known as 'Fearless Felix', crashed into the pool of the Le Mimose campsite after feeling unwell before taking off. A woman was also left injured in the incident after being struck by Baumgartner as he plummeted to the ground. She was taken to Murri Hospital, but her condition is not serious, according to initial reports. Baumgartner had taken off from Fermo, but while flying over the coast, for reasons still under investigation, he lost control of the powered hang glider. After the crash, he immediately lost consciousness and went into cardiac arrest. Emergency responders requested an air ambulance for transport to the Torrette Hospital in Ancona, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. Shortly before his death, the sports star posted a video on his social media alongside the caption: 'Too much wind'. It showed him paragliding in circles over a field, completely unaware of the tragedy that was about to strike. Baumgartner had been in the area for a short holiday with his wife. The city's mayor, Massimiliano Ciarpella, confirmed Baumgartner's death in a social media post. 'Our community is deeply affected by the tragic disappearance of Felix Baumgartner, a figure of global prominence, a symbol of courage and passion for extreme flight,' Mr Ciarpella said. The sports sensation was internationally known for his spectacular jumps. He became particularly famous in 2012 with a jump from the stratosphere in which he set three world records. Baumgartner dropped jaws after jumped from the edge of space, armed only with a pressure suit, a parachute, and nerves of steel. He free fell to Earth for more than four minutes, during which time he reached dizzying speeds of 843.6mph and broke the sound barrier, before opening his parachute and safely gliding down to land in New Mexico. Baumgartner was an accomplished skydiver who had completed thousands of jumps before setting his sights on space. Felix Baumgartner's record-breaking jump On 14 October 2012, millions of people around the world eagerly tuned in to watch Baumgartner's record-breaking jump from the edge of space, which played out live across 77 TV channels and online. At 9:28 MDT, Baumgartner boarded the Red Bull Stratos capsule wearing a pressurised suit, before soaring up to the edge of space, guided by a helium balloon. Once the capsule reached an altitude of 127,852.4ft (38,969.4 metres), Baumgarnter stepped off. His freefall back to Earth lasted 4 minutes 30 seconds, and saw him reach dizzying speeds of 843.6mph (357.6 kph). Once at 8,421.3ft (2,566.8 metres) above sea level, he pulled his chute and parachuted down to the ground. His inspiration was Captain Joe Kittinger, a retired fighter pilot who had jumped to Earth from 102,800ft back in 1960. Speaking to MailOnline in 2022, he said: 'As a skydiver, you always want to push the envelope. 'What Joe accomplished in the 1960s after only 33 skydives – this is what I call a true pioneer. 'And I had a couple thousand skydives under my belt. 'You're always thinking, what more can I do? Go faster? Go higher? It's always floating out there.' Baumgartner had previously worked with Red Bull on base jumps, and reached out to them once again with the idea of jumping from space. 'Because of all the trust I'd built with Red Bull with base jumps, we took on that challenge trying to find the right people,' he explained. This included his inspiration, Joe Kittinger, who agreed to help him. 'Joe made it very clear the first time I met him – I'm interested but I'm only going to support you if you take it seriously. You can't go from zero to hero. We have to do it the right way.' The two years that followed involved rigorous planning and testing, which wasn't always smooth sailing. 'A lot of people didn't believe in us, so it took us a while to convince people to come on board,' Baumgartner said. 'We had to be really patient.' The plan was simple - Baumgartner would board the Red Bull Stratos capsule wearing a pressurised suit, before soaring up to the edge of space, guided by a helium balloon. Once he reached an altitude of 114,829ft (35,000 metres), Baumgartner would open the capsule door and jump, free falling for four minutes before opening his parachute and gliding to the ground. While the entire mission would take less than three hours, Baumgartner knew there were several things that could go wrong. 'It's a very hostile environment up there. If the suit fails, your blood would start to boil and you'd die in 15 seconds,' he said. 'The parachute could malfunction or you could flat spin, which pushes all your blood into your skull. If that happens, at a certain RPM your blood only has one way out – through your eyeballs.' Following a briefing with a doctor, Baumgartner was told the 'good news' - if something went wrong 'it would only take 15 seconds to die.' The launch was originally scheduled for 9 October 2012, but was aborted due to adverse weather conditions. 'The first test got called off, and we only had one spare balloon,' said Baumgartner. 'If the second test failed, we would have had to wait another six months to try again.' Thankfully, Baumgartner woke up on the 14 October to better conditions, and felt optimistic for the second launch attempt. 'You wake up a 2am and go out to mission control, do the weather brief and medical tests,' he described. 'They put on my pressure suit and then put me in the capsule. Once the balloon launched, it was a big relief – we were on the way.' During the 90 minute ascent, several questions were going through Baumgartner's head. 'Will we reach jump altitude of 35,000 metres? Can I even open the door? It might be frozen shut?' he described. His worries were put to rest, however, when the capsule reached 38,969.3 metres (127,852 feet) and the door opened without a hitch, at which point he knew there was only one way down. While you might think Baumgartner would be nervous at this point, he explained how he actually felt strangely peaceful. 'I looked up and the sky was black,' he said. 'It was completely silent. All you can hear is yourself breathing. It was very peaceful.' As much as he wanted to enjoy that moment, Baumgartner didn't have long - he had already disconnected from the capsule's oxygen supply, and now relied on an oxygen cannister, which would only last for 15 minutes. He saluted the capsule's camera, took one step forwards and jumped. As he fell back down to Earth, Baumgartner quickly accelerated, going from 0 to 890mph in just 50 seconds and breaking the sound barrier. His career began at a very young age, after he started skydiving at just 16-years-old. In 1988, he began collaborating with the Red Bull brand, and from the 1990s onwards, he also tried his hand at base jumping, leaping from skyscrapers, natural features, and bridges. He set several records and 14 world records: In 1999, the Austrian was the first to jump from the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and from the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In 2004, he jumped from the Millau Viaduct in France, and in 2006, from the Turning Torso skyscraper in Sweden. Then later on in 2007, Baumgartner became the first to jump from Taipei 101, which resulted in him being banned from entering the country. In 2003 he became the first man to fly across the English Channel in a wingsuit.
