The knockout stage of UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 is set to begin with a compelling encounter between Norway and Italy at the Stade de Genève on Wednesday. Both teams will be aiming to book a place in the semi-finals, with the winner set to meet either Sweden or England in the next round.
Norway enter the quarter-finals on the back of an impressive group stage campaign, topping Group A with a perfect record. Their journey began with a comeback 2-1 win over hosts Switzerland, followed by another narrow victory over Finland to secure qualification with a game to spare. In their final group match, Norway edged Iceland 4-3 in a thrilling seven-goal encounter that highlighted both their attacking prowess and defensive vulnerabilities.
Despite advancing with three wins from three, Norway share the joint-worst defensive record among the remaining teams, conceding five goals – a tally matched only by Germany. However, they can draw confidence from their quarter-final pedigree, having won their last two appearances at this stage of the tournament in 2009 and 2013.
Italy also make a return to the knockout phase for the first time since 2013. They finished second in Group B behind Spain, beginning their campaign with a 1-0 win over Belgium. A 1-1 draw against Portugal followed, before they narrowly lost 3-2 to the reigning World Cup champions in their final group fixture. Despite that defeat, Italy did enough to secure progression and will now look to reach their first European semi-final in over a decade.
Although Italy have never won a Women’s Euro title, they will be encouraged by their recent record against Norway, having avoided defeat in their last three meetings (one win and two draws), including encounters during the qualifying stages of this very tournament.
Norway will be without defender Marit Lund, who is suspended following a red card against Iceland. Head coach Gemma Grainger is expected to bring back several key players who were rested in the final group match, including Thea Bjelde, Ingrid Engen, Guro Reiten, and Ada Hegerberg. Caroline Graham Hansen, who has been a standout performer with three goal contributions so far, is also set to return to the starting eleven.
For Italy, Andrea Soncin is likely to recall Emma Severini and Lucia Di Guglielmo. Up front, experienced striker Cristiana Girelli is expected to lead the attack after scoring in three of her last four appearances. The changes could see Barbara Bonansea, Martina Piemonte, and Elisabetta Oliviero make way.
The two nations last met in the European Championship back in 2005, when Norway triumphed 5-3 in what remains one of the highest-scoring matches in tournament history. While a similar scoreline is unlikely, fans can expect a fiercely contested battle with a semi-final place on the line.
