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Tom Hamilton
GENEVA — England supervisor Sarina Wiegman stated her group’s run at Euro 2025 is sort of a film as they grabbed a 96th minute equaliser towards Italy after which booked their place within the closing due to a objective proper on the finish of additional time.
The Lionesses left it late as soon as once more towards Italy with Michelle Agyemang‘s late equaliser sufficient to drive the match into additional time, and Chloe Kelly then transformed the rebound from her personal saved penalty within the 119th minute to steer England into the ultimate with a 2-1 win.
It was the bargain match-winner in Girls’s Euro historical past, eclipsing Eve Perisse’s 102nd-minute objective for the Netherlands towards France within the 2022 quarterfinals.
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After they wanted the chaotic penalty shootout towards Sweden to get by way of, England have led matches within the knockout levels for a mixed 5 minutes. It has been a outstanding run, and Wiegman stated the best way they have by way of these two matches has been “unbelievable.”
“We will make a film some day! Properly it is a film, my goodness, it is unbelievable,” Wiegman instructed the BBC. “Right here we’re once more, it is actually, actually particular.”
When requested whether or not she’s having fun with the film, she stated: “When it finishes like that, I am having fun with it however it’s slightly bit dramatic.”
England once more wanted the bench to save lots of them from elimination as Beth Mead, Aggie Beever-Jones, Agyemang and Kelly all made their affect within the second half.
“I do not know if I make the modifications on the proper time,” Wiegman stated. “We wait, it has affect, after we rating we’ve got to discover a form that additionally meant the tempo needed to go down a bit.
“We thought we performed effectively, acquired some probabilities, however the closing contact [was missing]. That is why we waited.”
Agyemang was but once more the star for England. She scored the equaliser towards Sweden, after which saved the Lionesses from elimination along with her end within the sixth minute of harm time.
“She feels inevitable proper now,” captain Leah Williamson stated of her Arsenal teammate. “I believe she’s high quality. I believe what she brings … she’s a nightmare to play towards. I am glad she’s my teammate at membership and nation. She deserves her flowers.
“I hope she will get them. hope she enjoys tonight, after which I hope she’s able to go on the weekend.”
And Wiegman was delighted with Agyemang’s affect.
“She has one thing particular,” Wiegman stated. “She’s solely 19 years outdated, she’s very mature, she is aware of precisely what she has to do. Once you speak about little issues that she picks up immediately, as a result of she’s not solely within the 18-yard field very harmful however when we’ve got to go to her as a goal participant, she retains the ball rather well too.
“Even once you noticed her shot hit the crossbar, that was not only a shot, she was aiming for it. If she continues like this she has a really shiny future.”
Kelly stated of Agyemang: “She got here on to the pitch and gave us a lot extra momentum. She gave us a variety of confidence and when a ahead is doing that it is particular.”
For Kelly, it was yet one more match-winning second for the tremendous sub. She scored the profitable objective within the Euro 2022 closing, and has once more been a star off the bench at Euro 2025. Her affect from the bench helped England to their draw with Sweden, and he or she scored the winner to save lots of England from yet one more penalty shootout.
Submit-match, she mirrored on how she practically gave up the game in January as she sought an exit from Manchester City, however her kind on mortgage at Arsenal — a group she’s since signed for on a everlasting deal — steered her to the Euros.
“The moments in January once I felt like giving up soccer, makes you so grateful for these moments right here at this time,” Kelly stated. “It makes you get pleasure from each minute of that.
“Confidence comes from inside however from round you as effectively. The gamers I stand facet by facet with on the pitch breed confidence in one another. However I believe a variety of self-taught undoubtedly occurs. The individuals you encompass your self with, my household is basically necessary to me and breed a variety of confidence inside me.”
And she or he’s produced the products but once more, to steer England to a different main closing.
“I simply cannot consider what’s simply occurred — the idea within the squad, the resilience, the togetherness of this group is so particular,” Kelly stated. “I am simply proud to be English.”