General Football
England in the semi-finals and Manchester United’s infamous five – Football Weekly
Max Rushden is joined by Lucy Ward, Jonathan Wilson and Philippe Auclair as the Euro 2025 semi-finals are decided and Manchester United try to move on unwanted players
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On the podcast today; an extraordinary comeback from the Lionesses against Sweden that culminated in a hugely entertaining penalty shootout. Whatever ‘proper English’ means in the context of this team let’s hope they can manage it for two more games.
Soccer has changed, but the drama and dynamics of penalties remain
Two recent shootouts in the women’s Euros show why the dramatic tiebreaker remains a fascinating fixture of soccer
England’s victory over Sweden at the women’s Euros came after one of the worst penalty shootouts in history (or at least, worst in terms of how many penalties were missed; in terms of drama, it was arguably one of the greatest ever). Of the 14 penalties taken, only five were scored. That led, predictably, to the usual tedious criticism of the women’s game and suggestions that the penalty spot should be moved closer to the goal.
Which is, of course, nonsense. Four of the five penalties that were scored were excellent, hit firmly into the corners, and the other, the kick that turned out to be the winner, was smashed sensibly and without fuss, straight down the middle by Lucy Bronze as the goalkeeper Jennifer Falk dived out of the way. Two nights later, as Germany beat France in a shootout, 12 of the 14 penalties were scored. In the Women’s Super League last season, 90.32% of penalties were converted. Nobody has used those examples to suggest moving the penalty spot further away to give goalkeepers more of a chance.
England arrive in the beating heart of Euro 2025 with Italian job still to do
Stade de Genève has arguably been the epicentre of Euro 2025 – England need to stamp their mark on the ground
Just off the shore of Lake Geneva, the Jet d’Eau fires a relentless, arching cascade 140 metres into the air. It is the centrepiece of an effortlessly refined city that has taken leave of its senses at times during Euro 2025. England supporters landing on a clear Monday morning could appreciate the landmark from high up; those feeling brave could stretch out and walk within a few dozen strides of a torrent pumped out of the ground at around 125mph.
There is hope that England’s women can channel similar momentum when they face Italy at Stade de Genève in their semi-final on Tuesday. It took the squad time to switch off from their epic shootout win against Sweden in the last eight, when they snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. Adrenaline coursed through Sarina Wiegman’s players in the hours afterwards and nobody would be averse to a sounder night’s sleep this time around.
Long balls, set pieces and brilliant Bronze: how England can improve against Italy
Sarina Wiegman’s team can’t forget they are lucky still to be in Euro 2025 and there are areas where they must get better
For all the well-deserved praise England have received since Thursday’s victory over Sweden, relating to their never-say-die attitude, spirited comeback and the gamechanging impact of their substitutes, it should not be forgotten that the defending champions are lucky still to be in Euro 2025.
The Lionesses were somewhat fortunate that Sweden failed to convert two penalties to win the contest and England will know they need to make notable improvements if they are to progress past Italy and reach a third consecutive major tournament final. Here are six areas in which the players and Sarina Wiegman must do better.
The rise of Alessia Russo: a tale of talent, training and a moment seized
The England striker is finally grabbing the limelight, but her route to stardom began long before she became a Lioness…
Above all, she remembers the beach. She would wake every morning to a view of the sea, spend her days splashing in the surf, playing football on the sand with her brothers. They would talk into the night, eating and drinking, the waves crashing below them. These are her earliest and most treasured memories: Nettuno, the coastal town an hour south of Rome, where her nonna still lives and which Alessia Russo still describes as her favourite place in the world.
The story goes – and so fondly is it recounted in the Russo family that it has long since passed into lore – that one day Alfonso was up from Sicily, visiting Rome with a friend, when he saw a girl stepping on to a train at the railway station. No, not just a girl. The girl. Two fairly major issues: he didn’t know her, and it wasn’t his train. But Alfonso was a true romantic, the train was about to leave the station, and above all he knew that some moments in life just need to be seized.
Italy’s icon Cristiana Girelli takes Le Azzurre to verge of Euro 2025 history
Italy’s No 9 has been pivotal to their run to Euro 2025’s semi-finals and is finally getting the recognition she deserves
The clock showed 89 minutes and 18 seconds. That was how close a weary Italy were to extra time against Norway in a tense quarter-final in Geneva. It was clear from the frayed nerves and unusually dishevelled appearance of the coaching staff on Italy’s bench that they were concerned those on the field did not have much left in the tank. All their stamina and emotions had been left on the pitch after almost 90 energy‑sapping minutes of a game they knew they should be winning.
What they seemed to forget for a minute, however, was that they have Cristiana Girelli. Their talismanic centre-forward can do many things on a football pitch but nothing is more certain than her scoring goals. They needed just one chance, one delivery and the odds were on that their captain would take it.
ITV gamble pays off with 8 million expected to watch England’s Euro 2025 semi-final
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Sarina Wiegman’s team to face Italy on Tuesday night
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Viewing figures increasing as tournament progresses
ITV is poised to surge ahead of the BBC in the European Championship ratings battle, with an audience of more than 8 million people expected to watch England’s semi-final against Italy on Tuesday night.
The commercial broadcaster took a gamble by choosing to have first pick of the semi-finals in pre-tournament negotiations with the BBC, which in return got live coverage of three of the four quarter-finals, including England’s thrilling penalty shootout win against Sweden. The broadcasters will share live coverage of the final on Sunday.