Women's Euros hits semifinals as England face underdogs side Italy with winner of Germany vs. Spain looming
Hey there! The Women's Euro enters a final, exciting week with the start of the semifinals on Tuesday, while the transfer market has churned out another set of storylines to keep us entertained to start the week. I'm Pardeep Cattry with the latest.
📺 Footy fixAll times U.S./Eastern
Monday, July 21🌎 Copa America Femenina: Argentina vs. Peru, 5 p.m. ➡️ FS1🌎 Copa America Femenina: Chile vs. Ecuador, 8 p.m. ➡️ FS1
Tuesday, July 22🌍 WAFCON: Nigeria vs. South Africa, 12 p.m. ➡️ beIN Sports🇪🇺 Women's Euro: England vs. Italy, 3 p.m. ➡️ Fox🌍 WAFCON: Morocco vs. Ghana, 3 p.m. ➡️ beIN Sports🌎 Copa America Feminina: Colombia vs. Bolivia, 5 p.m. ➡️ FS1🌎 Copa America Femenina: Paraguay vs. Brazil, 8 p.m. ➡️ FS1
⚽ The Forward Line🏴🇮🇹 England, Italy face off in the semifinalsAction at the Women's Euro resumes on Tuesday with England's matchup against Italy, a meeting between a tournament favorite and a surprise semifinalist in the midst of a transformative run.
Reigning European champions England are back at this stage after surviving a penalty shootout win against Sweden, coming back from a 2-0 deficit and forcing the game to extra time, and are the heavy favorites in this match. It may come as little surprise that the Lionesses are back in the semifinals but their path to the final four has not been without stumbling blocks – alongside Thursday's quarterfinal, a 2-1 group stage defeat to France showcased England's inability to cope with some physicality and dynamism in defense. They have all the tools they need to outscore most teams, though – they have scored 13 goals in four games, 10 different goalscorers contributing to the total.
Before a ball is even kicked, though, the story of Tuesday's semifinal is Italy. Le Azzure are not a historic powerhouse but have been billed as one of the women's game's up-and-coming teams, their performances this summer backing up the claim. Italy are not a high-scoring side but they can still trouble defenses and could pose the same type of problems France and Sweden did for England, Cristiana Girelli leading the way. The Juventus forward has three goals so far during the Women's Euro, putting her just one behind tournament leader Esther Gonzalez, and is as likely as anyone to put the Lionesses in a tough position on Tuesday. Win or lose, though, Italy have already enjoyed a transformative summer in Switzerland – they notched their first knockout win at the competition since 1997 when they beat Norway 2-1 in the quarterfinals and are now the new faces of the growing competitiveness in the women's game. Girelli attributed part of their upward trajectory to manager Andrea Soncin, who took charge after the 2023 Women's World Cup and has gotten the best out of a talented Italy side.
- Girelli: "He's done an incredible job – he's played a huge role. He brought cohesion to this team, he gave us motivation, he let us express ourselves, and he gives us self-belief every day. We're building this awareness that we can do it no matter what. He's brought ideas – new ideas. And it's also maybe made us express our abilities even better. And one thing you can't take for granted is that he made us feel important, and he made us all realise that everyone has their time. He's done an extraordinary job."
A handful of Europe's most notable clubs spent the weekend finalizing moves for attacking talent, shoring up their offensive plans with the new season just weeks away.
Some long-gestating deals were completed or inched closer to the finish line, with Noni Madueke's move from Chelsea to Arsenal falling in the former category and Victor Osimhen's permanent transfer from Napoli to Galatasaray landing in the latter. Both moves come with their own narratives – Madueke is a notable newcomer during an ambitious summer strategy for the Gunners, who are doing what they can to end a streak of second place finishes in the Premier League, while Osimhen finds his landing spot, though it may have come as a surprise at the start of his transfer saga more than a year ago.
There was another genre of moves, though, that felt like fairly new developments. Liverpool have reportedly agreed to sign Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt, beating Newcastle United to the signing and sending upwards of $110 million to the German side for his services. The 23-year-old becomes the latest to join the Reds, who are in the midst of transforming their attacking operation with new signings like Florian Wirtz, but as Francesco Porzio notes, he may be a pick for the future just as much as he is for the present.
- Porzio: "Arne Slot needed a striker who could fit in his pressing style and can fit well in both 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3. What Ekitike has to improve in the Premier League is his goal contribution and conversion rate as he scored 15 goals in the 33 matches played in the Bundesliga last season with Eintracht, which was by far his best season in terms of goals scored in his career so far. Liverpool signed a striker who can help the team in both defensive and attacking phases, but he has to prove he can be at the level of the Premier League champions. Grade: B"
Elsewhere, Barcelona have reportedly agreed to sign Marcus Rashford on loan from Manchester United with an option to buy. The move makes economic sense for Barcelona, who are still cash-strapped despite a successful double-winning season, though it is an intriguing combination of club and player. At 27 years old, it is clear that Rashford has not lived up to the hype that was once placed on him at United but a change of scenery – and an exit from a chaotic and intense club environment – could do him some good, though as Roger Gonzalez writes, it depends on the circumstances.
- Gonzalez: "He would likely offer the team depth on the wings and at striker with the ability to play across the entire frontline. Rashford is somebody who could flourish in a less physical league like Spain, and sometimes all it takes is a change of scenery to rediscover oneself, like Antony at Betis last season. Don't be surprised if Rashford gets double-digit goals for Hansi Flick ... if he stays healthy. A loan without an obligation to buy brings little risk, so this is worth a shot for the Spanish giants as they pursue domestic and international glory. Grade: B"
🇪🇺 Women's Euro semifinals: Ahead of the semifinals, here's a ranking of the last four teams standing at the Women's Euro – and which one is still best positioned to win the whole thing…
🏆 All eyes on the final: … and here's a look at the potential matchups in the Women's Euro final, all of which offer some level of excitement with Spain and Italy contending for their first title, England hoping to go back-to-back and Germany targeting their ninth title.
🇺🇸 USWNT in 2025: With a few more matches in 2025 left to go for the USWNT, here's a glance at what to keep an eye on for the rest of the year, especially as an exciting group of up-and-comers challenge veterans for playing time.
💰 The Back Line💵 Best bets- Women's Euro semifinals: England vs. Italy, Tuesday, 3 p.m.💰 THE PICK: Lauren James to score (+115) – The greatest strength of this England side is not only that they have little issue finding the back of the net, but that they can count on goals from a variety of players. While there's a reasonable bet to be placed on a handful of players to score, some are obviously more likely than others. That's where Lauren James comes in – the forward has started each of England's four games so far and has two goals to show for it, carving out an important role for the Lionesses as they target a second consecutive European Championship. Considering England's status as the heavy favorites against surprise semifinalists Italy, count on James to have a say as they target a spot in Sunday's final.
For more picks, predictions, expert tips and the latest betting news, don't miss out on CBSSports.com's betting home page.
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