Sarina Wiegman’s England Women continue the defence of their Women’s European Championship crown against Italy Women on Tuesday at 8pm (UK time).
England Women predicted lineup vs Italy Women
England Women (4-3-3): Hampton; Bronze, Williamson, Carter, Greenwood; Toone, Walsh, Stanway; James, Russo, Hemp
The Lionesses faced a challenging beginning to the tournament, suffering a defeat against France in their first group stage match. However, they rebounded impressively with a decisive 4-0 victory over the Netherlands, which allowed them to control their fate for the knockout stage.
A further convincing win against Wales in their final group match secured England’s advancement to the quarter-finals, albeit as runners-up. This positioned them against the unexpected Group C winners, Sweden.
In a dramatic encounter, Sarina Wiegman’s team came back from a two-goal deficit and triumphed in a penalty shoot-out, earning a place in the semi-finals for a second consecutive time.
England Women team news vs Italy Women
England are facing several injury concerns following their remarkable win over Sweden, with the most pressing issue being the fitness of captain Leah Williamson.
Nevertheless, the Lionesses remain “very optimistic” about her recovery. Lucy Bronze played through hamstring tightness, while Lauren James appeared to be limping during the match. Alessia Russo worked tirelessly in attack.
Read more: England Women vs Italy Women predictions, odds and betting tips
Manager Wiegman is expected to provide an update on the players’ conditions during her pre-match press conference on Monday.
Given their performance in the first half, changes to the lineup may be necessary. Chloe Kelly is advocating for more playing time after her impactful appearance as a substitute.
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Jess Carter struggled in defence before England’s reshuffle, and if Williamson is unavailable, Esme Morgan and Niamh Charles could be brought in, alongside Alex Greenwood, should Wiegman decide to make further changes.
Can we expect another rollercoaster performance?
Reflecting on what may be one of England’s best comebacks during her tenure, Sarina Wiegman told BBC Sport: “It was one of the hardest games I’ve ever watched. Very emotional.”
The Lionesses were 2-0 down at half-time after a poor first-half performance, and a comeback seemed unlikely in the quarter-final.
However, two goals in just 103 seconds from Lucy Bronze and Michelle Agyemang took the match to extra time. The Lionesses then won a remarkable penalty shoot-out 3-2, having witnessed nine missed spot-kicks.
“We could have been out of the game three or four times. When you’re 2-0 down at half-time, it’s not good,” Wiegman added.
Italy, who scored a last-minute goal to defeat Norway in the quarter-finals and are competing in their first Euros semi-final since 1997, would have taken encouragement from England’s first-half performance.
Thirty-five-year-old Cristiana Girelli has been a key player for Italy at the Euros, scoring three goals in total, including two in the quarter-final victory over Norway. However, England are unbeaten in their last five matches against Italy, all of which were friendlies, with four victories—most recently a 5-1 win in February 2024 in Spain, where Lauren Hemp scored twice.