England 2-1 Italy: Chloe Kelly produces last-minute winner to mark Lionesses unlikely Euro finalists
The Lionesses fell behind in the first half as Barbara Bonansea capitalised on a defensive lapse to fire the Italians in front.
But a 96th-minute equaliser for England came courtesy of teenaged substitute Michelle Agyemang, who coolly slotted her effort past Laura Giualiani to send the white and red portion of the crowd into raptures and the tie into extra time.
After a tense first period of post-regulation play, the Lionesses were awarded a late penalty when Emma Severini was adjudged to have fouled Beth Mead.
Up stepped Chloe Kelly, who - after seeing her first attempt saved - rushed forward to poke home the decisive goal that launched England into a third major final in three years.
It means Sarina Wiegman's squad, despite looking down, out and largely dead on their feet before Agyemang's lifeline, will have the chance to defend the European title they won four years ago.
England have now also reached all of the last six European Championship finals between the senior men, women and Under-21s.
'Relief' remained the overwhelming emotion at the final whistle for Wiegman, who now must wait for the result of tomorrow night's semi-final between record eight-time Euro winners Germany and reigning world champions Spain to see who her team will face in Sunday's final bout in Basel.
Some questions may be asked of the Dutch manager, who were very nearly downed by this year's dark horses. But Wiegman will point to her substitutions, despite being left until typically late in the match, proving the difference.
'We had some serious challenges in this game,' she said after full time. 'The first half we didn't play well, we didn't have energy. The second half we did better but they defended really well, too.
Wiegman continued: 'We say we can win by any means. We take risks and this team just keeps going, we never give up.'
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Alex Culvin, director of global policy for women's soccer at FIFPRO, the global players union, said there needs to be more care paid to international and regional calendars to ensure players have a balance while still growing the game. 'The growth is happening right before our eyes. However, those players also need to be protected because we can't always demand more of them all of the time without saying `We'll demand more now, and then you'll have a rest and that rest is protected. Nobody can encroach on that rest and if you do, there's consequences, regulatory consequences.' I think we haven't quite gotten there yet,' Culvin said. 'I think the mandated rest periods are something that FIFPRO really advocates for and something the players really want.' Those who play for high-profile national and club teams are most impacted. 'Mentally and physically I'm at my limits," Bright said on a podcast explaining her decision to sit out of Euro 2025 after her season with Chelsea. In April, after injuring her hamstring while playing in a Nations League match with the Netherlands, Miedema, who plays for Manchester City, criticized the ever-more crowded calendar on social media. 'I will say this over and over again. To the people in charge of the football calendar, it is time to realise the current schedule will need to change for players' physical and mental safety," Miedema wrote. McCabe, who plays for Arsenal, was left out of a pair of friendlies against the U.S. national team last month by Ireland coach Carla Ward. 'Katie has played an awful lot of minutes for club and country,' Ward said ahead of the trip. 'She's on the verge of burnout, as are some others.' FIFPRO has a dashboard that monitors high minutes for players around the globe. From June 1, 2024, to June 1, 2025, ahead of Euro 2025, Spain's Aitana Bonmatí (5,045) and teammate Mariona Caldentey (4,976) had the most minutes played of the 294 players monitored. 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So, if you talk about Lauren (Hemp) and Alex (Greenwood), it's different, and other players who have played throughout the whole season,' Wiegman said. 'Also some players see it as an opportunity to, in a different way, get some training, playing minutes in — being aware of don't overload, be smart, because there's bigger picture in this.' Those tournaments are in addition to regional club competitions like the UEFA Women's Champions League and the new CONCACAF W Champions Cup, which starts next month. And there are more international women's competitions on the way. A women's Club World Cup will launch in 2028, while the Women's Champions Cup is set to start next year. While some more developed teams, leagues and federations are increasing opportunities, that's not the case in many parts of the world, where some players don't get enough work, putting them at the risk of injury. At the Copa América Femenina, Bolivia, ranked No. 105 in the world and playing with a squad that included amateurs, had only three matches together this year ahead of the tournament. Bolivia doesn't use all of its FIFA windows. In the end, Culvin said striking a balance is difficult. The growth of the game is important but it can't come at the expense of the players. 'It's the players who make the ultimate sacrifice, the game revolves around them. Without the players there is no game. And I think that mindset needs to be front of mind. And we need to say, `How do we protect these people as much as we can?'" Culvin said. "The stakeholders are custodians of the game, and we have a responsibility to protect our most prized assets and that's the players." ___ AP soccer:
