Spain Come from Behind to Top Group B With 3-1 Win Over Italy at Women’s Euro 2025

Comeback goals from Athenea del Castillo, Patricia Guijarro and Esther Gonzalez saw Spain top Group B at UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 with a 3-1 win over Italy.

Guijarro rifled in a low 49th-minute winner from a sloppy clearance by Martina Lenzini to ensure that Spain topped the group unbeaten, which was confirmed with a 91st-minute strike from substitute – Esther Gonzalez who turned in Alexia Putellas’ cross.

Italy took a shock tenth-minute lead through Elisabetta Oliviero’s strike but Del Castillo curled a low shot into the left corner in the 14th minute to restore parity in an evenly-matched first half.

Italy progressed as Group B runner-up and will now meet Norway in the opening quarter-final on 16 July in Geneva, whilst Spain’s reward for winning the group is a quarter-final tie against tournament hosts, Switzerland, on 18 July with both ties kicking off at 9pm CEST (8pm BST).

Belgium finished third in the group after Janice Cayman netted a 96th-minute winner to beat Portugal 2-1 in Sion, having seen Tessa Wullaert’s opener cancelled out by Telma Encarnacao.

In the knowledge that anything other than defeat would see them top Group B, Spain made a lightning start but struggled to beat Italy’s defence.

Italy quickly settled down and almost took an eighth-minute lead from the second of two corners as Elena Linari nodded her effort onto the bar.

Spain didn’t heed that warning just two minutes later as a cross was sloppily cleared by Caldentey for Oliviero to tuck away to put Italy into a shock lead and top of Group B with her maiden international senior goal.

The world champions however proved their dangerous quality when behind as Belgium discovered to their cost in their group meeting, which surfaced in the 14th minute as Del Castillo played an one-two move with Putellas in and out of the box to curl into the left corner to restore parity.

Guijarro and Salma Paralluelo saw further chances denied for Spain whilst Martina Piemonte pounced on a 30th-minute low cross by Oliviero, yet the Italian could only curl wide despite the offside flag having gone up.

Barbara Bonansea pounced on a tame 40th-minute headed clearance from Spain’s Irene Paredes but fired over the bar, although a VAR review found that Mendez had actually handled the ball with her right arm rather than head.

Sofia Cantore’s offside position however prevented referee, Iuliana Elena Demetrescu from awarding a penalty to Italy as the first half finished level.

Merely over 40 seconds into the second half, Arianna Caruso saw a shot blocked as Italy continued with the late momentum that they had in the first half.

Spain however snatched the lead from a sloppy 49th-minute clearance by Lenzini which Guijarro calmly rifled into the bottom-right corner to put the Spanish ahead and on course to top the group.

Aitana Bonmati, Caldentey, Paralluelo and Putellas saw shots denied as Spain began to dominate the game but Cantore forced a 61st-minute save from Adriana Nanclares, as the Italian curled a dinking shot towards the top-right corner.

Spain eventually saw the game out to secure top spot in Group B which was confirmed with a 91st-minute strike from Gonzalez to seal victory as the substitute turned in from Putellas’ clinical cross into box, whilst Italy progressed as runners-up.

 

Teams

Italy: Laura Giuliani, Martina Lenzini, Cecilia Salvai (Piga 77′), Elena Linari, Lisa Boattin, Elisabetta Oliviero, Manuela Giugliano (Severini 76′), Arianna Caruso, Barbara Bonansea (Serturini 77′), Sofia Cantore (Cambiaghi 85′), Martina Piemonte (Girelli 58′)

Substitutes: Rachele Baldi, Valentina Bergamaschi, Michela Cambiaghi, Lucia Di Guglielmo, Francesca Durante, Cristiana Girelli, Eleonora Goldoni, Giada Greggi, Julie Piga, Eva Schatzer, Annamaria Serturini, Emma Severini

Spain: Adriana Nanclares, Jana Fernandez, Irene Paredes, Maria Mendez, Leila Ouahabi, Aitana Bonmati, Patricia Guijarro (Zubieta 87′), Alexia Putellas, Athenea del Castillo (Lopez 58′), Salma Paralluelo (Gonzalez 76′), Mariona Caldentey (Pina 76′)

Substitutions: Laia Aleixandri, Ona Batlle, Olga Carmona, Cata Coll, Lucia Garcia, Esther Gonzalez, Vicky Lopez, Cristiana Martin-Prieto, Claudia Pina Alba Redondo, Esther Sullastres, Maite Zubieta 

Referee: Iuliana Elena Demetrescu