Quarter-finals of the Women's European Championship: Norway and Italy in the hammer game!

Quarter-finals of the Women's European Championship: Norway and Italy in the hammer game!

Genf, Schweiz - On July 16, 2025, the first quarter-final game of the European Federation Championship took place in Switzerland. Norway and Italy met in Geneva, and the current score remained 0-0 at half -time. Both teams have reached the knockout phase of the tournament for the first time since 2013. While Norway dominated his group A with three victories in three games, Italy only had one win in his group B and had the only negative goal difference among the last eight teams. Coach Andrea Soncin said his team's claim to stay in the race until the end of the tournament. Krone reports that Norway has a strong football tradition and already won the European Championship in 1987 and 1993.

Norway, the last time in 2013, can build in experience, since captain Ada Hegerberg and Caroline Graham Hansen and Maren Mjelde also played in the 2013 final. In contrast, the Italian women's team has participated in all European championships since its foundation in 1984, but has not won a title. The unfortunate experiences such as the lost finals, including the home European Championship final in 1993 against Norway, shape the history of Italian women.

game course

At the beginning of the game, Italy showed a dominant performance and was superior in the first half. The possession of the ball clearly spoke for the Azzurre, but despite its efforts, only a few clear chances could be played out. Severini awarded a promising possibility in the penalty area (22nd minute), while Hegerberg failed from a short distance from the Italian defense (36th minute). Norway, on the other hand, benefited from Italian ball losses in the final quarter of an hour and tried to act more aggressively.

The Norwegians, however, had difficulty using the counterattacks. Yellow cards were startled by the game flow, like the tactical foul by Lisa Naalsund in the 23rd minute. Italy was also unlucky when Severini and Girelli disabled themselves in the header (19th minute). However, the thickness of the Italian offensive was often limited because it lacked precise flanks. Influenced by the past tournaments, from which Norway left in the last two EMS 2017 and 2022 in the group phase, the mood was tense.

historical context

The European women's European Championship, which was launched in 1984, has developed into one of the most important international football tournaments over the years. Norway, with its two titles, and Italy, which is waiting for a win, show the different ways of the two nations in women's football. Historically, the first European Championship in 1984 was an exciting tournament that Sweden won in a penalty shootout against England. Since then, significant developments have been recorded, both with regard to the competitiveness of the teams and the number of spectators, which rose from 2,221 in the final in 1997 to 87.192 at the 2022 final. Absolut football notes that the EM 2025 takes place in Switzerland from July 2 to 27 and the format takes place 16 Teams comprises.