GENEVA, Switzerland -- Cristiana Girelli is no stranger to scoring goals; the Italy and Juventus forward has found the back of the net 61 times for her country and was the top scorer in Serie A last season. But the 35-year-old's brace against Norway on Thursday night -- in a thrilling 2-1 victory to send Italy to the semifinals of Euro 2025 -- are surely now the most prized finishes among a hugely impressive collection.
Girelli's goals have helped to write history, earning Italy a place in the last four of the tournament for the first time in 28 years, where they will take on either England or Sweden for a spot in the final.
From the outset this summer, Andrea Soncin's side have relished their role as the spirited underdogs; their verve and dynamism best exemplified by Girelli's relentless running and clinical edge. As the clock ticked towards full-time at the Stade de Genève, the Italy captain was granted a lap of honor as she walked the perimeter of the pitch to be substituted, soaking up the applause from her adoring public before being mobbed by her teammates and manager in the dugout.
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The mood in the Norway camp couldn't have been more different. At the final whistle, several players had their heads in their hands while captain Ada Hegerberg -- who had only minutes earlier looked poised to be the hero of the piece -- cut a forlorn figure as she stood alone in the center of the pitch.
For much of this tournament, Hegerberg has, perhaps unfairly, been held up as a symbol of Norway's problems. Despite winning all three of their group games at a Euros for the first time ever, Gemma Grainger's side have largely failed to capture the imagination this summer, struggling past hosts Switzerland and Finland before an entertaining 4-3 victory over Iceland sealed them top spot in Group A.
That Hegerberg was an unused substitute in last Thursday's thriller in Thun only seemed to add weight to the growing sense that Norway had, perhaps, evolved past the former Ballon d'Or winner. But manager Grainger refused to bow down to external calls to drop her captain for the clash with Italy and, sure enough, Hegerberg found herself at the center of the action.
Cristiana Girelli vs Norway | #WEURO2025
— Yash (@Odriozolite) July 16, 2025
Girelli established herself as a cult hero in Italy with her brace today. Primary outlet for Italy, supported play by dropping deep, aerial monster at winning the first contact & brilliant defensive workrate.
One of Italy's finest ever! pic.twitter.com/DD5Rwrgaaq
In a first-half dominated by Italy, Hegerberg was presented with Norway's golden chance -- one with an expected goals (xG) value of 0.84 -- when the ball bounced off her thigh and bobbled behind from only three yards out.
After the break, it was the Norway striker who mis-controlled the ball in the build-up to Italy's opener; Girelli tapping in from close range after a low drive across the box from Sofia Cantore.
Hegerberg's evening went from bad to worse when she missed a penalty in the 60th minute after being pulled down in a clumsy challenge from Elena Linari. However, the 30-year-old bounced back in spectacular fashion just six minutes later, poking the ball past Laura Giuliani to draw Norway level and pumping her fist stirringly in the direction of the travelling supporters.
It looked like Hegerberg's strike would be enough to send the match to extra-time but Italy had other ideas. Once again, it was Girelli with the decisive moment, nodding home from another excellent Cantore cross in the 90th minute.
For Norway, it was a crushing blow and one that continues their trend of failing to deliver at major tournaments.
Despite being the second-most successful team in Women's European Championship history, they failed to make it out of their group in both 2017 and 2022. Though they went a step further this time, it is hard to fathom how a team packed with so much star quality -- Barcelona's Caroline Graham Hansen, Chelsea's Guro Reiten and Arsenal's Frida Maanum were also in the starting XI on Wednesday night -- consistently looks less than the sum of its parts.
But while the inquest into what went wrong for Grainger's side will no doubt continue long into the summer, this was a night that belonged to Italy.
Only six years ago, when the Azzure reached the quarterfinals of the World Cup in France, their side was made up entirely of amateur players. Their success at the tournament prompted the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) to commit to making Serie A Femminile fully professional by 2022, however it has not been entirely plain sailing since then.
They were dumped out of both Euro 2022 and the 2023 World Cup in the group stage, prompting longtime manager Milena Bertolini to resign via an open letter which claimed the team were "not put in the condition" to succeed.
Fast forward to present day, though, and Italy look like a force on the rise. Only two players in this summer's 23-player squad play their domestic football outside of Italy, while the country's bid to host the 2029 edition of the tournament indicates a more deep-rooted commitment to the growth of the women's game on home soil.
The significance of this moment was exemplified by the fact Girelli arrived for her postmatch news conference in tears, her pride at her team's achievement palpable.
"It's something magical but to be honest I felt something special since we came to Switzerland," she said. "Reaching the semifinals and being among the four best teams in Europe is something special, something great, but it is a demonstration of how much this team has believed from the beginning.
"We had very difficult years. We suffered a lot so tonight, being among the four best teams, is a great satisfaction. We are doing this for the glory but the meaning is much deeper."
Of course, only time will tell how acutely the legacy of this Euros is felt back at home. But, with a mouthwatering semifinal tie with either England or Sweden to come in Geneva next week, it would be foolish to bet against Italy delivering another magical moment or two before their tournament is through.