Agyemang's late heroics take dramatic semi-final all the way

The banner held up in the small block of Italian fans behind the goal read "football's coming to Rome" - "home" bruisingly crossed out - and for much of the 90 minutes it looked like it was, until wonderkid Michelle Agyemang's late strike forced extra time.

- Suzanne Wrack

It had looked like Barbara Bonansea's first-half goal for Italy had secured a first final for Andrea Soncin's side since 1997, but in the final minute of added time England's 19-year-old hero scored her second critical goal of the tournament to keep their title defence alive.

The Lionesses had escaped Group D after a staggeringly bad performance in their first group game against France, and came from two goals down against Sweden to win on penalties, and in Geneva that battling spirit was on show again. "The English are never done," Leah Williamson had said down the camera in 2022 on the way to a first major title and in 2025 the new generation of super subs stepped up when it mattered most.

The 30,000 capacity Stade de Geneve did not feel like a fitting place for a semi-final as it is approached. You weave your way through a graffitied industrial jungle and past a scrap metal yard towards a stadium with exterior that is less brutalist beauty and more brutally ugly.

It was the fans that provided the colour though, England supporters sweeping towards the stadium in numbers far greater than those from close neighbours Italy, expectations of a third successive final high.