Euro 2025: how can Lionesses beat Italy?

Times

7 days ago

England's path to the Euro 2025 final appears straightforward. Italy are ranked a modest 13th in the world, possess little experience of knockout football and have profited from a relatively easy draw.
Yet Italy have also claimed some notable scalps over the past two years, are on an upward trajectory and enter this semi-final with nothing to lose. If England are complacent, they can take advantage.
Italy have fulfilled their dark-horse potential at Euro 2025. They recorded some positive results just before the tournament and won their opening game in Switzerland, defeating Belgium 1-0. That victory ultimately powered them to the quarter-finals, with a draw against Portugal and defeat by Spain not enough to displace them from second spot in group B.
Italy beat Norway, who were more talented on paper but perennially underachieve, 2-1 in the quarter-finals. Cristiana Girelli, the captain, put Italy ahead in the 50th minute and headed home the winner in the 90th.
This was the latest of several eye-catching wins for Italy since the 2023 World Cup. They have beaten Spain, Germany and the Netherlands over that period.
However, their most recent meeting with England was a 5-1 loss in February 2024.
Andrea Soncin, 46, was appointed after Italy failed to get out of their group at the 2023 World Cup. He arrived amid strained relations between the players and the federation, but has overseen steady improvements even though this is his first job in women's football. As a player, Soncin was a nomadic striker primarily in Italy's lower divisions.
At 35, Girelli is a wily striker and will fancy her chances against an unreliable England defence. Both of her goals against Norway were assisted by Sofia Cantore, who offers pace and creativity. Further back, Manuela Giugliano is a gifted and versatile midfielder, and the first Roma player to wear the club's No10 shirt at the Stadio Olimpico since Francesco Totti.
Only two of Italy's 23-woman squad are contracted to a foreign club and one of the outliers, Cantore, left Juventus for the Washington Spirit last month. This balance perhaps prevents the squad from mastering different tactical systems but equally means the England players have seldom faced any of them.
Italy utilise the flanks and get the ball out wide by the most direct means possible. About 10 per cent of their completed passes are defined as 'long' by Opta (meaning they travel more than 32 metres or are a long, high ball) and this rate is the second-highest at Euro 2025.
Against Norway, Italy regularly played long, diagonal passes from the centre of the pitch to get their wingers involved.
Italy are conservative out of possession. At Euro 2025 they have recorded the fewest fouls committed and tackles won per game, and allow their opponents space to dribble, particularly in the middle of the pitch.
Meanwhile, Italy's average possession (42.3 per cent) is the lowest out of the tournament's quarter-finalists.
Italy reached two finals and four semi-finals across the seven Women's Euros between 1984 and 1997, although all but one of those tournaments were contested by only four teams. Euro 2025 marks the first time Italy have made the last four since the tournament expanded beyond eight sides.
Italy have played in only four World Cups, reaching the quarter-finals in 1991 and 2019. The run six years ago was deemed a success, making the subsequent group-stage exits at Euro 2022 and the 2023 World Cup all the more disappointing.