'is This A Movie?' - England Overcome Odds To Reach Final

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

When each nan talk should person been astir nan Lionesses' defence of their European title and really they would get retired of a difficult group, it was distractions disconnected nan transportation that dominated conversations.

Before Wiegman's squad announcement connected 5 June, she had 2 elder world retirements and nan 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 nan eve of Wiegman's squad announcement, Millie Bright made herself unavailable for selection for nan Euros, saying she is incapable to "give 100% mentally aliases physically".

There was a mixed 217 caps betwixt nan 3 and Wiegman had to insist location was "no crisis" heading into nan tourney contempt nan unsettling period.

Whether location was capable acquisition was questioned - Hannah Hampton was nan only capped goalkeeper successful nan squad, while 2 elder leaders successful Earps and Bright were not travelling to Switzerland.

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

Getting retired of nan group shape was ever going to beryllium easier said than done.

With heavyweights France and 2017 winners nan 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 sadistic fashion.

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

After nan game, Wiegman said her broadside were "bullied each complete nan pitch" and "looked for illustration we've ne'er played together".

But erstwhile nan unit was on, England delivered.

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

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

Four days later, England sewage nan confidence-booster they needed and secured their quarter-final spot pinch an emphatic 6-1 triumph victory complete Wales.

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

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

Surely that was a bully thing?

But Sweden were nan in-form team, winning each 3 of their group games and conceding only erstwhile on nan measurement - little than immoderate different team.

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

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

A breathtaking punishment shootout followed - pinch Sweden doubly failing to person erstwhile it would person sealed triumph for them - and England limped complete nan statement to complete nan comeback.

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

"I don't cognize why, but this squad is conscionable incredible. They instrumentality together. They do immoderate is basal to move astir a consequence for illustration we did.

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

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

The Lionesses released a associated connection and said they would extremity nan anti-racism motion of taking a knee earlier matches "to find different measurement to tackle racism".

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

Wiegman near Carter retired of nan starting XI - her first alteration successful 4 matches - pinch Esme Morgan slotting in.

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

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

Their opponents were nan underdogs - sitting 8 places beneath England successful nan world rankings, and competing successful their first semi-final since 1997.

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

However, Italy did not publication nan book arsenic they took a daze lead successful Geneva done Barbara Bonansea successful nan first half.

England looked retired of ideas and only Hampton's double 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 nan victor successful extra-time.

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

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

But she reacted quicker than anyone else, sprinting to flick nan rebound complete nan line, beating team-mate Ella Toone to nan ball, earlier gesturing to nan crowd to "chill out" pinch her celebration.

She had it covered each along.

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

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

"I thought successful nan 88th infinitesimal 'we do person to people now different we'll person a problem 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 create 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 jump nan last hurdle.

It will beryllium world champions Spain aliases Euro 2022 runners-up Germany up adjacent - but this is England.

"Getting to 3 awesome finals successful a statement and getting to nan Euros last again shows what this squad is made of. We conflict to nan end," said defender Bronze.

"It astir apt wasn't our champion capacity again but it conscionable shows nan conflict that we person and nan talent that we person got. It was a rollercoaster of emotions."