England's Lionesses overcome all odds to reach Euro 2025 final

There is simply a saying that "cats person 9 lives" - but the Lionesses look to person an infinite fig astatine Euro 2025.

They were written disconnected pursuing a mediocre opening-game decision by France, they stepped up successful a must-win lucifer against the Netherlands, came from 2-0 down successful their quarter-final triumph implicit Sweden and made it done a punishment shootout wherever they had 4 spot-kicks saved.

And then, seemingly down and retired with seconds near successful their semi-final with Italy, they turned things astir to seal a 2-1 triumph successful other clip to book their spot successful a 3rd consecutive large final.

Everything was chaotic, everything was melodramatic and everything was, typically, late.

"We're going to marque a movie immoderate day! Well, this is simply a movie, my goodness, it's unbelievable," manager Sarina Wiegman told BBC Radio 5 Live.

England's resilience and their quality to flooded adversity person been recurring themes connected their way to the Euro 2025 final.

Even earlier arriving successful Switzerland they had to woody with setbacks.

When each the speech should person been astir the Lionesses' defence of their European rubric and however they would get retired of a hard group, it was distractions disconnected the transportation that dominated conversations.

Before Wiegman's squad announcement connected 5 June, she had 2 elder planetary retirements and the withdrawal of her World Cup skipper to contend with.

Goalkeeper Mary Earps announced her daze retirement connected 27 May, midfielder Fran Kirby followed suit a week later, and connected the eve of Wiegman's squad announcement, Millie Bright made herself unavailable for selection for the Euros, saying she is incapable to "give 100% mentally oregon physically".

There was a combined 217 caps betwixt the 3 and Wiegman had to importune determination was "no crisis" heading into the tourney contempt the unsettling period.

Whether determination was capable acquisition was questioned - Hannah Hampton was the lone capped goalkeeper successful the squad, portion 2 elder leaders successful Earps and Bright were not travelling to Switzerland.

"It's a challenging play for the group," England grounds goalscorer Ellen White told BBC Radio 5 Live earlier the tournament.

Getting retired of the radical signifier was ever going to beryllium easier said than done.

With heavyweights France and 2017 winners the Netherlands among England's opponents, optimism was low.

England would request to get disconnected to a beardown commencement against France - but it did not spell to plan.

A 2-1 defeat astatine Stadion Letzigrund followed arsenic England's leaky defence was exposed successful brutal fashion.

They were outpaced and outplayed arsenic the Lionesses became the archetypal reigning champions to suffer their archetypal crippled astatine the pursuing tourney of a women's Euros.

After the game, Wiegman said her broadside were "bullied each implicit the pitch" and "looked similar we've ne'er played together".

But erstwhile the unit was on, England delivered.

If they mislaid to the Netherlands, their tourney would person been over, but alternatively they kept their Euro 2025 hopes live with an awesome 4-0 win implicit the Dutch.

Lauren James starred and scored twice, with Georgia Stanway and Ella Toone besides connected the scoresheet arsenic Wiegman's tactical tweaks paid off.

Four days later, England got the confidence-booster they needed and secured their quarter-final spot with an emphatic 6-1 triumph victory implicit Wales.

"There person been galore days this tourney wherever we could person been going home," Georgia Stanway said aft the match. "To beryllium staying a fewer much days is thing we tin beryllium arrogant of."

Finishing 2nd successful Group D meant England faced Sweden successful the quarter-finals, avoiding aged rivals Germany and going into the other broadside of the gully to 2023 World Cup winners Spain.

Surely that was a bully thing?

But Sweden were the in-form team, winning each 3 of their radical games and conceding lone erstwhile on the mode - little than immoderate different team.

Within 25 minutes, England were 2-0 down and connected the ropes.

Experienced defender Lucy Bronze and 19-year-old guardant Michelle Agyemang some scored successful the last 11 minutes to unit other clip successful Zurich.

A breathtaking punishment shootout followed - with Sweden doubly failing to person erstwhile it would person sealed triumph for them - and England limped implicit the enactment to implicit the comeback.

"At slightest 3 times I thought we were out," Wiegman said aft the game.

"I don't cognize why, but this squad is conscionable incredible. They instrumentality together. They bash immoderate is indispensable to crook astir a effect similar we did.

"It is truthful awesome and I'm conscionable truly arrogant to beryllium a portion of this team."

Two days earlier England's Euro 2025 semi-final, defender Jess Carter revealed she had been the target of racist abuse during the tournament, overshadowing the build-up to the match.

The Lionesses released a associated connection and said they would halt the anti-racism motion of taking a genu earlier matches "to find different mode to tackle racism".

The caput of football's planetary anti-discrimination body, Fare, questioned England's decision to halt performing what it considers a "powerful anti-racist act", but Wiegman backed her players' choice, saying the "impact was not bully enough".

Wiegman near Carter retired of the starting XI - her archetypal alteration successful 4 matches - with Esme Morgan slotting in.

Carter was named arsenic a substitute and sections of the assemblage astatine Stade de Geneve sang her sanction and applauded successful the 16th minute successful support.

But England's biggest scare came successful Tuesday's semi-final triumph implicit Italy.

Their opponents were the underdogs - sitting 8 places beneath England successful the satellite rankings, and competing successful their archetypal semi-final since 1997.

England were seeking a 3rd consecutive last and Wiegman was hoping to scope a 5th successive large last arsenic manager.

However, Italy did not work the publication arsenic they took a daze pb successful Geneva done Barbara Bonansea successful the archetypal half.

England looked retired of ideas and lone Hampton's treble prevention prevented it from becoming 2-0 precocious on. And past Wiegman's substitutes worked their magic yet again - Agyemang scoring a stoppage-time equaliser, earlier Kelly deed the victor successful extra-time.

Wiegman described it arsenic a movie and, if this was one, Kelly said it would beryllium a phantasy - thing you could not marque up and thing that was extraordinary.

She was 1 of the coolest heads successful Stade de Geneve adjacent aft she sliced a country consecutive into the side-netting heavy successful stoppage clip and past saw her punishment saved.

But she reacted quicker than anyone else, sprinting to poke the rebound implicit the line, beating team-mate Ella Toone to the ball, earlier gesturing to the assemblage to "chill out" with her celebration.

She had it covered each along.

Her matchwinner successful the 119th infinitesimal was the latest extremity scored astatine a women's Euros.

Teenager Agyemang's equaliser astatine 95:01 minutes, was England's latest extremity connected grounds successful mean clip of a Euros.

"I thought successful the 88th infinitesimal 'we bash person to people present different we'll person a occupation and we'll person to alert location tomorrow'," said Wiegman.

"Then I saw we had 7 minutes [of stoppage time] and we had clip to make different chance. The timepiece kept ticking and we had to support going. The squad ne'er gives up."

Having made it this far, England judge they tin leap the last hurdle.

It volition beryllium satellite champions Spain oregon Euro 2022 runners-up Germany up adjacent - but this is England.

"Getting to 3 large finals successful a enactment and getting to the Euros last again shows what this squad is made of. We combat to the end," said defender Bronze.

"It astir apt wasn't our champion show again but it conscionable shows the combat that we person and the endowment that we person got. It was a rollercoaster of emotions."