July 23, (THEWILL) — Chloe Kelly struck deep into extra time to send England through to the Women’s Euro 2025 final after a dramatic 2-1 victory over Italy in Tuesday’s semi-final. The Manchester City forward converted the rebound from her own saved penalty in the 119th minute, completing a remarkable turnaround for the defending champions who had trailed for most of the match.
Italy appeared destined for the final when Barbara Bonansea fired them ahead in the first half, her clinical finish putting the Azzurre within touching distance of their first major tournament final since 2019. England struggled to break down Italy’s organised defence for 89 minutes, with Sarina Wiegman’s side facing the prospect of relinquishing their European crown without reaching the showpiece match.
The match turned on its head in the dying moments of normal time when substitute Michelle Agyemang bundled home an equaliser from close range. The young striker’s intervention sent the sell-out crowd in Düsseldorf into raptures and forced the semi-final into an additional 30 minutes. England seized the momentum they had been seeking all evening.
Kelly’s winner came in the most dramatic fashion possible. After being fouled in the penalty area with just one minute of extra time remaining, the 27-year-old stepped up to take the spot-kick herself. Italian goalkeeper Laura Giuliani produced a fine save, but Kelly reacted quickest to tap home the loose ball and send England through to their second consecutive European Championship final.
The Lionesses will face either Spain or Germany in Sunday’s final at St. Jakob-Park in Basel, Switzerland. Wiegman’s team now has the chance to become the first nation to retain the Women’s European Championship since Germany achieved the feat between 2005 and 2013. England’s path to back-to-back titles continues after what may prove to be their most challenging test of the tournament.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
