Euro 2025: Girelli’s two goals lift Italy over Hegerberg’s Norway into semifinals

By Canadian Press on July 16, 2025.

GENEVA (AP) — On a night of goals and drama for two veteran star strikers, Cristiani 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.

Italy will return to Geneva next Tuesday to face either Sweden or England for its first Women’s Euros semifinal since 1997.

The 35-year-old Girelli had seized the lead for Italy in the 50th by deftly guiding in a shot fired across the Norway goal by Sofia Cantore.

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.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Graham Dunbar, The Associated Press