Semifinal motion begins on the Ladies’s Euro on Tuesday with England’s conflict in opposition to Italy, which gives a traditional faceoff between a match favourite and this summer season’s Cinderella story.
Reigning European champions England are closely favored in Tuesday’s matchup, their assault main the best way as they chase a second consecutive title. They’re within the semifinals after a intently contested quarterfinal with Sweden, taking place 2-0 within the first half, however scoring two targets in fast succession after halftime to pressure the sport to further time after which penalties. The Lionesses then outdid Sweden in a penalty shootout, although it was not precisely spectacular – they received 3-2 within the shootout after seven rounds of spot-kicks.
Regardless of the bumpy street to the ultimate 4, England are nonetheless the favorites in opposition to Italy, who’re within the midst of a historic run on the Ladies’s Euro. On Wednesday, they received their first Euro knockout recreation since 1997 after they beat Norway 2-1, Le Azzure the higher crew in nearly each class. As a crew on the rise, they’ll have their work minimize out for them in opposition to England, although that is poised to be a transformational summer season for Italy, win or lose.
Each groups are concentrating on a spot in Sunday’s last and can await the winner of Spain’s semifinal conflict with Germany, which is able to happen on Wednesday.
Here is what it’s good to know earlier than tuning in.
4 gamers to observe in UEFA Ladies’s Euro semifinals: England’s Lauren James, Spain’s Claudia Pina and extra
Sandra Herrera
The way to watch England vs. Italy, odds
- Date: Tuesday, July 22 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Location: Stade de Geneve — Lancy, Switzerland
- TV: Fox | Stay stream: Fubo (try for free)
- Odds: England -210; Draw +340; Italy +500
Final assembly
England got here out with a lopsided win the final time they performed Italy, beating Le Azzure 5-1 in a pleasant in February 2024. Lotte Wubben-Moy scored within the first minute for the Lionesses, who had been up 3-0 by the forty fifth minute because of a brace from Lauren Hemp. Michela Cambiaghi scored Italy’s lone purpose in first half stoppage time, whereas Ella Toone and Rachel Daly scored within the second half. Although the end result serves as a warning signal of what may come from a high-scoring England, it is usually a pleasant measuring stick for an Italy crew with a degree to show.
What England are saying
England’s preparations for the semifinals have been clouded by the racist abuse directed in the direction of defender Jess Carter on social media, which has prompted messages of help for the participant in addition to a requirement for higher motion. Carter’s England teammates, in addition to head coach Sarina Wiegman, have all referred to as upon social media corporations to take higher initiative in tackling discriminatory language on their platforms. Wiegman additionally mentioned England is not going to take a knee earlier than their semifinal match, the gamers demanding greater than symbolic gestures from high-ranking officers within the sport to fight racism.
“We really feel prefer it has gone previous that [taking the knee] now,” midfielder Georgia Stanway mentioned. “We really feel it’s nonetheless taking place even once we are taking the knee. Now we have determined that we’ll stand and we is not going to try this. We predict that may be a approach of creating change in itself as a result of we wish to get folks speaking – we wish to inform those who what’s being executed is not sufficient.”
Members of Italy’s crew have additionally voiced their help for Carter, with head coach Andrea Soncin in alignment with the English crew about how discriminatory language is an issue that’s larger than the game.
“There’s the best of solidarity together with her and in the direction of anybody struggling violence and abuse,” Soncin mentioned. “It shouldn’t be tolerated. Now we have a duty with the place we’re in to ship the fitting messages. We have to give instructional messages, together with to youngsters. It’s a cultural marketing campaign, a cultural battle.”
When it comes to crew information, England mentioned captain Leah Williamson can be out there for choice on Tuesday regardless of exiting the quarterfinal in opposition to Sweden with damage.
What Italy are saying
Italy have been a crew on the rise for a number of years now however this summer season in Switzerland, they’ve lastly been in a position to flip that label into actual outcomes and are the newest crew to exemplify the rising competitiveness of the ladies’s recreation. Like many different rising sides in girls’s soccer, elevated consideration and funding has performed a large function of their progress however they’ve additionally struck the fitting steadiness on the sector and reside as much as the potential many had seen in them. It has impressed a newfound confidence in Le Azzure, one that’s becoming for a semifinalist.
“We’re [the underdogs],” Italy captain Cristiana Girelli mentioned. “It is true, as a result of, on paper, we could be. Out of the 4 semi-finalists, we’re speaking concerning the world champions, the European champions, and Germany, who’ve probably the most titles in Europe. I agree with those that see us because the underdogs. However soccer is determined on the pitch, not on paper. We’ll be prepared to offer it our all. And when Italy give our all, it is at all times more durable for everybody else.”
Girelli, who has three targets and is within the race for golden boot, has attributed a few of Italy’s upward trajectory to Soncin, who assumed head teaching roles after the 2023 Ladies’s World Cup.
“He is executed an unbelievable job – he is performed an enormous function,” Girelli mentioned. “He introduced cohesion to this crew, he gave us motivation, he allow us to categorical ourselves, and he provides us self-belief daily. We’re constructing this consciousness that we will do it it doesn’t matter what. He is introduced concepts – new concepts. And it is also perhaps made us categorical our skills even higher. And one factor you’ll be able to’t take without any consideration is that he made us really feel necessary, and he made us all realise that everybody has their time. He is executed a unprecedented job.”
Soncin can be tasked with discovering a technique to outdo an attack-minded England crew, who discover a technique to outscore the opposition as a rule.
“We’re assured we now have what it takes to win this match,” Soncin mentioned. “The main focus over the previous few days has been on restoration and recharging. England use possession properly, however that is not their important weapon — they’re very direct, they assault house, they usually know learn how to benefit from their attacking qualities.”
Predicted lineups
England: Hannah Hampton, Lucy Bronze, Leah Williamson, Jess Carter, Alex Greenwood, Ella Toone, Keira Walsh, Georgia Stanway, Lauren James, Alessia Russo, Lauren Hemp
Italy: Laura Giuliani, Elisabetta Oliviero, Cecilia Salvai, Elena Linari, Lucia Di Guglielmo, Arianna Caruso, Manuela Giugliano, Emma Severini, Sofia Cantore, Cristiana Girelli, Barbara Bonansea
Participant to observe
Alessia Russo, England: The Lionesses could have a variety of gamers to name upon when it’s time to rating targets, however even then, Alessia Ruusso is a straightforward title to pick of the listing. The 26-year-old has develop into an important a part of Wiegman’s attacking plans for England and has a purpose to point out for it on the Ladies’s Euro, although she’s been extra impactful establishing her teammates to complete the job. Russo has three assists in 4 video games up to now and has generated 2.88 anticipated targets on her personal and 0.93 anticipated assists. If the Lionesses carry out properly on Tuesday, it’ll seemingly come as a result of Russo was at her greatest but once more.
Storyline to observe
Italy’s Cinderella second: Italy stands out as the odd ones out amongst the semifinalists, an inventory that features Ladies’s World Cup winners in Spain and Germany and a European champion in England, however their upward trajectory is definitely probably the most compelling story because the Ladies’s Euro enters its last week. Their quarterfinal win over Norway was proof of idea that the ladies’s recreation is trending in the fitting course on the sector, with new groups in a position to outdo rivals with historical past on their facet. Italy had been simply the higher facet in opposition to Norway, a recreation by which they had been in a position to reveal an attacking prowess that might check a considerably shaky England protection. A win on Tuesday could also be unlikely for Le Azzure however the hope is that they’ll, on the very least, preserve issues aggressive in opposition to England and win or lose, present the impetus for additional progress of the ladies’s recreation of their residence nation.
Prediction
A repeat of the 5-1 scoreline that favored England final 12 months appears unlikely, to the purpose that Stanway admitted as a lot in her pre-match feedback. “Tournaments are fully completely different,” the England midfielder mentioned. “You flip as much as a match and it is simply 90 minutes the place you may not be the higher crew, it is only a case of who places the ball at the back of the online.”
That’s true, however even then, Italy haven’t simply momentum on their facet however have demonstrated enchancment within the year-plus since and have the instruments to catch England off guard. Girelli has performed a giant function of their semifinal run and despite the fact that Italy aren’t as a lot of a goalscoring menace because the Lionesses, Wiegman’s facet have a vulnerability within the again that may very well be exploited once more on Tuesday. Nonetheless, that is England’s recreation to lose and with the attacking expertise they’ve on their roster, a defeat feels unlikely. Choose: England 2, Italy 1
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