Geneva, Switzerland – Cristiana Girelli is not unrelated to the rating objectives; Italy and the Juventus striker found the back of the net 61 times for his country and were the top scorer in Serie last season. But the 35 -year -old double against Norway Thursday evening – in an exciting 2-1 victory to send Italy to the semi -final of Euro 2025 – are surely the most precious finishes from an extremely impressive collection.
Girelli’s objectives have helped write history, which has won a place in Italy in the last four tournaments for the first time in 28 years, where they will face England or Sweden for a place in the final.
From the start this summer, Andrea Soncin’s team submitted their role as fiery oppressed; Their verve and their dynamism best illustrate by the relentless race and the clinical edge of Girelli. While the chronometer was heading full time at the Geneva stadium, the Italian captain obtained a tour of honor when she traveled the perimeter of the land to be substituted, absorbing the applause of his audience that is assaulted by his teammates and his manager in the pirogue.
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The atmosphere in the Norway camp could not have been more different. During the final whistle, several players had their heads in their hands while Captain Ada Hegerberg – who had only a few minutes earlier seemed ready to be the hero of the room – cut a desperate silhouette while she was standing alone in the center of the field.
During a large part of this tournament, Hegerberg, perhaps unfair, considered a symbol of the problems of Norway. Despite the victory of their three group games in euros for the first time, the team of Gemma Grainger failed to capture the imagination this summer, in difficulty the hosts of Switzerland and Finland before an entertaining 4-3 victory over Iceland sealed them in group A.
The fact that Hegerberg was an unused substitute in the thriller last Thursday in Thun seemed only to add weight to the growing feeling that Norway had, perhaps, evolved before the former winner of the Ballon d’Or. But Manager Graining refused to bow before external calls to drop his captain for confrontation with Italy and, of course, Hegerberg found himself in the center of the action.
Cristiana Girelli vs Norway | # WEURO2025
Girelli has established himself as a cult hero in Italy with his hug today. The primary outlet for Italy supported the game by abandoning a deep aerial monster by winning the first contact and brilliant defensive work report.
One of the best in Italy never! pic.twitter.com/dd5rwrgaq
– Yash (@odrizolite) July 16, 2025
In a first half dominated by Italy, Hegerberg received the chance in gold from Norway – one with an expected goals (XG) of 0.84 – when the ball bounced on its thigh and swung behind only three meters.
After the break, it was the Norway striker who badly controlled the ball in the construction of the Italian opener; Girelli tapping at close range after a low road through the box of Sofia Cantore.
Hegerberg evening went from bad to worse when she missed a penalty in the 60th minute after being lowered in a clumsy challenge by Elena Linari. However, the 30 -year -old man reboundedly rebounded barely six minutes later, pushing the ball in front of Laura Giuliani to pull the level of Norway and pump his fist with agitation in the direction of itinerant supporters.
It seemed that Hegerberg’s strike would be sufficient to send the match to extra time, but Italy had other ideas. Again, it was Girelli with the decisive moment, nodding the head of another excellent cantora cross in the 90th minute.
For Norway, it was an overwhelming blow and which continues its tendency not to deliver during major tournaments.
Although they are the second most successful team in the history of the European female championship, they failed to get out of their group in 2017 and 2022. Although they went further this time, it is difficult to understand how a team wrapped with so much quality of stars – Caroline Graham Hansen de Barcelona, the Guro Reiten de Chelsea and the Arsenal Far Super.
But while the investigation of what was wrong with the Graining team will undoubtedly continue long after the summer, it was a night that belonged to Italy.
Only six years ago, when the Azzure Reached the quarterfinals of the World Cup in France, their team was entirely made up of amateur players. Their success in the tournament prompted the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) to commit to making Serie a fully professional woman by 2022, but she has not been entirely simple since then.
They were abandoned both from Euro 2022 and the 2023 World Cup in the group phase, which prompted the longtime manager Milena Bertolini to resign via an open letter which affirmed that the team was “not set” to succeed.
Quick advance to the present day, and Italy looks like an increasing force. Only two players of the team of 23 players of this summer play their national football outside Italy, while the country’s attempt to welcome the 2029 edition of the tournament indicates a more deeply rooted commitment in the growth of the female game on home at home.
The importance of this moment was illustrated by the fact that Girelli has arrived for his post-metraque press conference in tears, his pride in the face of the success of his team.
“It’s something magical, but to be honest, I felt something special since we came to Switzerland,” she said. “Reaching the semi-finals and being among the four best teams in Europe is something special, something great, but it is a demonstration of what this team has believed from the start.
“We have had very difficult years. So we have suffered a lot this evening, being among the best teams, is great satisfaction. We are doing this for glory, but the meaning is much deeper.”
Of course, only time will tell us how the inheritance of these euros is felt at home. But, with an enticing semi-final with England or Sweden to come to Geneva next week, it would be stupid to bet against Italy offering another magical moment or two before the end of their tournament.
