Latest news with #European Championship
New York Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
England vs Italy Euro 2025 semi-final odds, prediction: Lionesses heavily favoured to advance
If we can take one positive from possibly the worst penalty shootout in football history, it's that the Lionesses know how to win big matches even when the odds are stacked against them. After missing four penalties in a bizarre and baffling 3-2 shootout victory over Sweden, the question on everyone's minds is how Sarina Wiegman's side are still in this tournament as they prepare for a semi-final clash against Italy. Advertisement England were 2-0 down on the night after a shambolic display saw Kosovare Asllani put Sweden ahead in the first two minutes before Stina Blackstenius doubled their lead just over 20 minutes later. But this England team have shown once again that they don't go out without a fight after Lucy Bronze and Michelle Agyemang scored two goals in two minutes to take the tie to extra time. Even when things weren't going their way on penalties, they somehow found a way. Maybe an element of luck swung their way, but Chloe Kelly's crucial conversion when they couldn't afford to miss, coupled with Hannah Hampton's brilliant saves helped England eventually take charge of a breathless, chaotic shootout that will go down in history for all the wrong reasons. For England, none of that matters because they now have a chance of making history for all the right reasons by retaining the European Championship. 'I'm just thinking about how this team turned this around again,' Wiegman said after the game. 'How this team showed resilience and kept going. Tonight we showed we're absolutely never done.' Captain Leah Williamson echoed that sentiment in a later interview after the game. 'I just feel really, really proud,' Williamson said. 'That was awful to watch in the end but the girls, I just know that we don't ever give up and we've said it before, we're never done. We never believe that we're ever done and the fightback, the quality to turn the game around and then stay in it mentally, just incredible.' England will need that strong mentality and plenty of it against the Italians, who showed they are no pushovers either following a 2-1 win over Norway thanks to a dramatic winner from captain Cristiana Girelli in the 90th minute. It's the first time Italy have made the last four of this competition since 1997 and Girelli herself talked about the team realising a 'dream' after they 'fought until the end' against the previously unbeaten Norse outfit. Advertisement Italy haven't had a straightforward journey here and can count themselves lucky to make the knockouts after winning just one game in the group stage, which was rounded off with a 3-1 loss to Spain. So it's a battle of two fighters that don't know when they're beaten — but something will have to give when they come head-to-head in Geneva on Tuesday night. England are the clear favourites despite their nerve-shredding win over the Swedes last week, with Betfair handing them odds of 1/4 to reach their third straight major tournament final. Italy, meanwhile, have much longer odds of 10/3 to prevail but England should underestimate their opponents at their own peril. Girelli looks deadly in front of goal and has already scored three times in this tournament. England have a number of concerns heading into the game, with Leah Williamson, Lucy Bronze and Lauren James all in danger of missing the vital clash after picking up knocks against Sweden. Italy have no injuries or suspensions to be worried about. Odds (for regular time) via Betfair Time: Tuesday, 8 p.m. BST (3 p.m. ET) Venue: Stade de Genève, Geneva England 2, Italy 1 England never do things the easy way. We know that. But we've also seen that they get the job done. They were comfortably brushed aside by France at the start of this tournament and bounced back with a 4-0 win over the Netherlands and then a 6-1 demolition of Wales. Whenever Wiegman has demanded a response from her players, she usually gets it and I expect to see that against Italy. It's unlikely to be a vintage performance, but England should have enough to get the job done and book their place in the final. Betting/odds links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication. (Photo of Lucy Bronze: Sebastien Bozon / AFP via Getty Images)
New York Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Racist abuse of Jess Carter ‘ridiculous' and ‘disgusting', says England coach Wiegman
Sarina Wiegman has described the racial abuse suffered by Jess Carter as 'ridiculous' and 'disgusting' ahead of England's European Championship semi-final against Italy on Tuesday. Carter revealed on social media on Sunday that from the start of the tournament, she has 'experienced a lot of racial abuse' and hopes raising the issue 'will make the people writing this abuse think twice so others don't have to deal with it'. Advertisement England will not take the knee before kick-off of their last-four clash in Geneva, Switzerland as a mark of solidarity with their team-mate and instead will stay standing. 'It's really sad that we have to be occupied by this,' said Wiegman in England's pre-match press conference on Monday. 'It is ridiculous and disgusting what is happening and that goes beyond football. We had to pay attention to that and support Jess. Of course, she's not the only one who gets this abuse or racism. That's why she wanted to address it and she's fully supported by the team.' When asked how she balances not giving in to the trolls and potentially protecting Carter by not playing her, Wiegman said: 'We had conversations, and although it's a hard situation, Jess is a very strong person. She wants to move on too, but she also felt, and so did we, that we have to address this, we can't just let it go. 'We're ready to perform, she's ready to perform and compete. That also says a lot about her and the team.' Midfielder Georgia Stanway said the squad have been brought closer together and explained they have decided not to take a knee before kick-off because 'we want more action' on racism. 'We want to create more of a talking point and a point to make more change,' she said. 'We felt like the knee was just a little bit repetitive, it's come to a point where the knee isn't doing what we wanted it to do.' Stanway also said it has not changed how she feels about putting on the England shirt because the abusers are not 'fans'. 'We know that we're wearing it for the people we stand next to, our families, the actual fans that are here to watch the game,' she said. 'I say it with power because I really believe it. I believe that people like that don't deserve to be called fans.' Meanwhile Italy manager Andrea Sonicin and defender Cecilia Salvai said they have the 'greatest solidarity' with Carter. Advertisement 'I hope she can play the game and can detach a bit from that episode tomorrow,' said Salvai. 'Of course she is not the first one and we have the greatest solidarity with her.' Soncin added: 'It should not be tolerated. We have a responsibility with the position we are in to send the right messages, we need to give educational messages, including to children. It is a cultural campaign and battle. I don't know if taking the knee is enough but we are ready to take part in any campaign to help this.' There will be a meeting tonight to discuss any alternative pre-game gesture to the knee. Salvai said the players are 'open' and 'willing' to do whatever is needed to 'give a strong message'.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
How England should line up for Euro 2025 semi-final vs Italy: Sarina Wiegman must change shape to help defence - and give Lauren James some rest
There was so much to take away from England's penalty shootout win over Sweden in the quarter-finals of the 2025 European Championship. Some of it was good, be it the impact of the substitutes or the resilience from the whole team. Some of it, though, was bad, particularly in defence, where the Lionesses were torn apart despite their remarkable second-half comeback. It's a performance that should serve as a wake-up call for Sarina Wiegman, who needs to address the issues in the backline if England are to retain their European title. That starts on Tuesday, when her side come up against an Italy team that is in its first major tournament semi-final this century. The Lionesses will be the favourites, given their status as holders and the greater experience in their squad when it comes to these big moments. But that does not mean Wiegman should rest on her laurels when it comes to team selection, as GOAL takes a look at how England should line-up in Geneva... GK: Hannah Hampton Whatever changes Wiegman makes, there will not be one in between the sticks. Hannah Hampton remains England's only capped goalkeeper and she comes into this semi-final off the back of an incredible high, having made two huge saves in the penalty shootout win over Sweden. She's not been perfect this tournament, with her struggling to come out and collect crosses in particular on Thursday. Still, she deservedly remains England's undisputed No.1. CB: Esme Morgan England have to change shape in order to address the issues they have in defence right now, and there is no better opportunity to do so than on Tuesday, against Italy. Having used the system to remarkable success at the 2023 Women's World Cup, Wiegman last deployed her team in a 3-5-2 from the start in a friendly against Switzerland in December of last year. Asked why, she cited the desire "to be adaptable to what we have in front of us", as that was the shape the Swiss lined up in. Italy prefer the same formation. Despite her difficult day out against Sweden, there is an argument to keep Jess Carter in the team in that system, as she is at her very best in a back three. However, that game will have certainly knocked her confidence and there's no doubt Italy would target her again, so it makes sense to bring in Esme Morgan, replicating the in-game change Wiegman made in the win over Sweden. CB: Leah Williamson This selection depends on the fitness of Leah Williamson, who limped off in extra-time against Sweden with an ankle injury. If she is okay to start, then the England captain must, with her leadership and quality vital, even if some of her performances this tournament have been a little shaky. If she cannot play, the Lionesses would be in a bit of a pickle. Carter would make sense to take this spot then, unless Wiegman wants to take her out of the firing line. Then, she'd be turning to Maya Le Tissier or Lotte Wubben-Moy, neither of whom have played any minutes since the 2024-25 club season concluded. CB: Alex Greenwood The biggest reason why a formation change is necessary is because England are being too easily exposed at left-back. Against France, Carter played there and was torn apart by Delphine Cascarino. Against Sweden, Alex Greenwood failed to cover the position well enough, which allowed the opposition to get at left centre-back Carter regularly. There's no natural option for the orthodox left-back role in the Lionesses' squad - so why set-up in a shape that needs it filling? Instead, Wiegman can change to a 3-5-2 and put Greenwood back into a back three that she thrived in at the 2023 Women's World Cup. RWB: Lucy Bronze Also capable of playing in the back three if desired, Lucy Bronze fits the wing-back role nicely with her excellent work rate and ability to be effective in attack. She's played there this season with Chelsea and she's also thrived in the position with England in the past. CM: Keira Walsh One of the arguments against the 3-5-2 shape is that when England played in it at the 2023 World Cup, it didn't seem to bring the best out of Keira Walsh. However, we're talking about a world-class player, someone who you would certainly back to adapt and thrive in whatever system she's in. It might actually help with one of the problems England had against Sweden, too, when Walsh was marked out of the game. This shape would give the Lionesses some different looks when playing out from the back and allow the right and left centre-backs to drive forward with the ball with less risk, thus opening up new angles. CM: Georgia Stanway There's a case to be made for rotation in this position, as Georgia Stanway has started all of England's games at this tournament despite only returning from four months out with a knee injury at the end of May. It would also help freshen up an area of the park that failed to impact the game much against Sweden. However, Stanway excelled in the 3-5-2 shape at the last World Cup and she was one of the first players subbed off in the quarter-finals, so she should have plenty in the tank. CM: Grace Clinton Neither Ella Toone nor Lauren James were worryingly poor in England's quarter-final win, but neither impacted the game quite as they'd have liked. Whether that is because they've both played a lot of football at this tournament, it's unclear, but it wouldn't hurt to freshen up the midfield and this position feels like the best one to change up, so not to break up the understanding at the base between Walsh and Stanway. Grace Clinton has showed a lot of good things in an England shirt this year, deputising for Stanway during her injury, but has seen opportunities dry up in recent weeks. She'll be chomping at the bit to get her chance and can be dangerous in this system, with her creativity, tenacious battling and eye for goal. Toone and James will be there are worthwhile impact subs if it doesn't work out, too. LWB: Niamh Charles Niamh Charles has struggled for form this past year. She's not a natural left-back, which is part of the reason for that, and Sandy Baltimore, her Chelsea team-mate, thrived in that role during her first season at the club, leaving Charles on the bench for spells. However, when the Blues changed to a back three towards the end of the 2024-25 campaign, the England international was deployed as a wing-back and it proved to be a role that suited her strengths much more. Naturally a winger or a No.10, it allowed Charles to be an asset in the final third while not being exposed defensively. She was able to showcase her excellent crossing ability, great athleticism and good decision-making in crucial areas - qualities she could express with the knowledge that there was ample protection behind her if the opponent regained possession and countered. Given the issues that continue to come from that orthodox left-back position, it would make total sense for Wiegman to change shape to mask this huge issue, and Charles is the best option for the wing-back role. ST: Alessia Russo Alessia Russo has taken big steps forward as a No.9 in recent years, with this past season in particular a real highlight. However, she can still be isolated in that position at times, with her lack of service against Sweden evidence of that. When she plays in a front two, that's not as much of an issue. It is no coincidence that England continue to look much more threatening when Wiegman plays Michelle Agyemang alongside her, as she did in the latter stages against France and Sweden. ST: Lauren Hemp Despite the mark Agyemang continues to make alongside Russo, it would be something of a surprise if Wiegman handed the teenager her first senior England start in a major tournament semi-final. There is use in having her come on as a substitute to make an impact, too, something made easier if the Lionesses are already in a 3-5-2 shape. Moreover, Hemp has shown regularly in the past that she can be effective as a striker for England, both as a lone No.9 and as part of a front two. The Manchester City star partnered Russo effectively at the World Cup and she can use her pace and directness to trouble the Italy defence, which can lack speed.
