The comeback queens - these Lionesses never give in

Sky News

23-07-2025

When all seems lost, these Lionesses find a way to rescue it.
The comebacks queens, always coming back for more.
And now into a third consecutive final with a chance to defend their European crown.
But even Sarina Wiegman feared they would be flying home today when the clock hit 88 minutes in the semi-final with Italy and they were still trailing 1-0.
Just why had the defence been picked apart too easily again in the first half to concede to give Barbara Bonansea the space and time to score?
Just why were Alessia Russo and Lauren Hemp, in particular, not clinical enough?
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Maybe that is a recipe for success rather than a desperate rescue mission.
Because when Wiegman saw there would be seven minutes of stoppage time, suddenly there was hope again.
Especially as five minutes earlier, the manager had brought on Michelle Agyemang.
It's a lot to rely on a 19-year-old. But this is a striker who scored 41 seconds into her international debut as a substitute in April.
And she scored the equaliser that sent the quarterfinal into extra time last week before England beat Sweden on penalties.
Now the weight of the nation was on her shoulders again - and she delivered in the sixth of the seven minutes of injury time.
"She has something special," Wiegman said. "She's very mature, she knows exactly what she has to do.
"When you talk about little things that she picks up straight away, because she's not only in the 18-yard box very dangerous but when we have to go to her as a target player, she keeps the ball really well too."
The Arsenal forward even hit the crossbar in extra time before the Wembley winner from the final three years ago showed again why she's a super-sub.
Just when it seemed England would need to win another shootout, Beth Mead was brought down and now they had one penalty to win it.
Chloe Kelly was denied but alert to pounce on the rebound.
And with a 2-1 win, England will go the distance for a third tournament in a row. No England team has ever previously enjoyed such a deep run.
For Kelly it will be a second final of the year after winning the Champions League with Arsenal.
But it is a year that began despondent at Manchester City before securing a move to the Gunners.
"The moments when in January I felt like giving up football makes you so grateful for these moments here today, and this makes you enjoy every minute of that," Kelly said.
"I think confidence comes from within, but from around you as well. The players that we stand side by side with on the pitch, give confidence in each other."
And England will certainly feel confident.
These Lionesses never give in. How many teams would want to bottle up that fighting spirit and resilience?
"When it finishes like this I am enjoying it but it's a little bit dramatic," said Wiegman, who has now reached an unprecedented five tournament finals with the Netherlands and England.