Kelly and Agyemang fire England into Euro 2025 final after comeback against Italy

The Guardian

7 hours ago

Remember the name. Remember the day. Chloe Kelly may have scored the winner, poking in the rebound from her saved penalty deep into extra time, but it was Michelle Agyemang – whose surname translates literally as 'saviour of a nation' – who stepped up when it mattered most, scoring the goal to force that extra time against Italy which began the charge to a third successive final.
The banner held up in the small block of Italian fans behind the goal read 'football's coming to Rome' – 'home' bruisingly crossed out – and for much of the 90 minutes it looked like it was.
Barbara Bonansea's first-half goal for Italy had seemingly secured a first final for Andrea Soncin's side since 1997, but in the final minute of added time England's 19-year-old wonderkid scored her second critical goal of the tournament to keep their title defence alive before Kelly, the scorer of England's extra time winner in the 2022 final, delivered again.
The Lionesses had escaped group D after a staggeringly bad performance in their opening game against France, and came from two goals down against Sweden to win on penalties, and in Geneva that battling spirit was on show again, eventually. 'The English are never done,' Leah Williamson had said down the camera in 2022 on the way to a first major title, and in 2025 the next generation of super subs stepped up when it mattered most.
The 30,000-capacity Stade de Genève did not feel like a fitting place for a semi-final as it is approached. You weave your way through a graffitied industrial jungle and past a scrap‑metal yard towards a stadium with an exterior that is less brutalist beauty and more brutally ugly.
It was the fans who provided the colour, though, England supporters sweeping towards the stadium in numbers far greater than those from close neighbours Italy, expectations of a third successive final high.
Inside the odd arena, however, the vibe is completely different. It is a paradise, the stands nestled against the pitch with mountains peering over the top as cartoon eyebrow‑like paragliders swept above them.
For those hoping for a performance to match the beauty of the surroundings, there would be disappointment. The 3-2 penalty victory against Sweden after they came from two goals to force extra time had been a shambles in the first half, but battling in the second.
It was far better from England against Italy in the opening 45 minutes. Wiegman had made one change for the three-hour trip west of Zurich and it was a characteristically pragmatic one.
Jess Carter, who so bravely spoke out on Sunday against the racist abuse she has suffered during the tournament, was dropped in favour of Esme Morgan and England generally looked a more settled side. Italy maybe eight places below the Lionesses in the Fifa world rankings, but they had scored first in every game in Switzerland.
They are a well-organised unit, a team that have really gone up a gear and grown as a collective as they have progressed to their first semi‑final since 1997.
It had been an even opening half-hour, Wiegman's side edging things possession wise but Italy were prepared for that, perhaps seeing more of the ball than they had expected.
It was Sofia Cantore, who masterminded the goal to give them another lead, the Washington Spirit-bound forward beating Alex Greenwood to the byline and putting the ball into the middle where it grazed the thigh of Lucy Bronze before falling to Bonansea, who took a touch before smashing the ball into the roof of the net from a tight angle.
The celebrations were wild, almost the entire Italy starting XI bundling together with their substitutes in the England dugout just to rub salt in the wound. England had chances, but they did not take them in the opening 45 minutes, Alessia Russo putting an effort wide and Lauren James twice forced saves from Laura Giuliani, neither having quite enough power behind them. James was withdrawn in favour of Beth Mead at the start of the second half, the Chelsea forward worryingly seen with ice on her foot.
The Italians were dealt a big blow around the hour when the tearful talismanic captain, Cristiana Girelli, exited seemingly with a hamstring issue, to be replaced by Martina Piemonte. It was frenetic as England sought the equaliser.
The change many were begging for came very late on, Kelly thrust on in place of Georgia Stanway with 13 minutes of normal time remaining in the semi-final. Bronze had a header cleared off the line and Hannah Hampton made a double save to keep England in it.
The final roll of the dice came with five minutes left, Russo and Leah Williamson departing in place of Agyemang and Aggie Beever-Jones as England went for an all-out attack.
The gamble paid off, Agyemang the hero, firing in with a minute of added time remaining to secure another 30 minutes of football. That half‑hour was torturous, England's new-look XI, in its slapdash shape, desperately sought the winner.
Agyemang went closest, her clipped effort coming back off the bar before Emma Severini's challenge on Beth Mead earned the holders a penalty. Giuliani saved Kelly's spot‑kick, but she was first to the loose ball and poked it in to set up a final against either Germany or Spain. The English are never done.