GENEVA – On a night of goals and drama for two veteran star strikers, Cristiana Girelli got the better of Ada Hegerberg to send Italy into the semifinals of the Women's European Championship on Wednesday.
Girelli's 90th-minute header, her second goal of the game, sealed a 2-1 win over Norway, whose captain Hegerberg had tied the game after missing a penalty.
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Italy will return to Geneva next Tuesday to face either Sweden or England for its first Women's Euros semifinal since 1997.
“It’s something magical. I felt something special since we came to Switzerland," the 35-year-old Girelli said
She had seized the lead for Italy in the 50th by deftly guiding in a shot fired across the Norway goal by Sofia Cantore.
With extra time looming, Girelli met Cantore's perfectly weighted cross with a graceful leap at the far post to direct her header just under the crossbar.
“The joy is huge. My heart is full of pride,” said Italy coach Andrea Soncin, who joined his players and staff in a euphoric post-game team photo in front of their fans who got close-up views of Girelli's goals.
Hegerberg leveled the score in the 66th with her first scoring chance just six minutes after missing a penalty kick for the second time at Euro 2025.
Hegerberg ran clear to a long pass and poked a shot past onrushing goalkeeper Laura Giuliani. The slow-rolling ball just beat the Italian defenders in a race to the goal line.
“She gets the goal after the (penalty) miss, that tells a lot about her,” Norway coach Gemma Grainger said. "It’s heartbreaking to concede so late, it taints the feeling of the game.”
Girelli’s Geneva
Girelli now has 61 goals for Italy and the last three all went into the same net at the mountains end of the Stade de Genève stadium.
She also scored one of the goals of the tournament, curling in a 22-meter yard shot against Portugal that shaped to be decisive in the group stage until Italy conceded an 89th-minute equalizer.
"We felt at home here," Girelli said of the Swiss city with a big Italian community where the Azzurre will play a third game next week. “Maybe I could ask Juventus to play in this stadium, I'm joking.”
Hegerberg on the spot
The Norway star has taken two penalty kicks at Euro 2025 and missed both, placing her two shots wide of each post. She also scored in each of those games and has 51 career goals for Norway.
Hegerberg won this spot-kick by falling under a grappling challenge from Italy captain Elena Linari trying to meet a high cross. Replays suggested Hegerberg might have been offside.
Taking a short and slow run to the ball, Hegerberg sent her shot wide of the left hand post of Guiliani, who guessed correctly which way to dive.
The former Ballon d'Or winner also missed when Norway led 2-1 over Switzerland, shooting to the right of Livia Peng’s dive, in an opening day win by that score.
Italy’s fast start
Italy got its tactics right in the first half, with Arianna Caruso and Emma Severini breaking in space through the Norway midfield. Both tested Norway goalkeeper Cecilie Fiskerstrand with shots.
Maybe it was Italian confidence that left it vulnerable to fast breaks.
Hegerberg missed a chance alone in front of goal in the 36th. She sent the ball wide after it arrived at an awkward height because of Linari’s deflection trying to block the cross.
Norway was stronger after halftime, with four attackers on the field chasing an equalizing goal and then a decisive second.
“Our second-half performance was our best performance in the tournament,” Grainger said. ”They had one quality moment at the end."
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