England's late stabs at Italy's heart

There were around 70 seconds left in stoppage time. 70 seconds that Italy would have had to survive to reach their third European Championship final, their first in 28 years. A paltry amount of time - but ultimately long enough to herald the beginning of the end for the Azzurre, to shatter the dream and the surprise, to turn coach Andrea Soncin's team into a heap of misery.

Substitute Michelle Agyemang scored the equalizer for the English side - and the Italians right in the heart. Once again, it was the 19-year-old striker, a team-mate of Lia Wälti at Arsenal, who played her part in keeping the Lionesses' hopes of successfully defending their title alive. In the quarter-final against Sweden, she saved her team in extra time by scoring to make it 2-2. Chloe Kelly, who also played a major part in the turnaround against the Scandinavians with two assists after coming on as a substitute, made the late luck perfect again with the foul penalty she converted in the second-last minute of extra time.

Two late goals and an at least questionable penalty - that was too much for the Italians. Tears flowed, the hoped-for jubilation gave way to a cruel emptiness. Captain Cristiana Girelli, and not just her, wept bitterly as she faced the cameras after the match. "Of course we wanted this final, because it would have meant something incredible, something extraordinary," said the 35-year-old striker, who was substituted early due to cramp symptoms. "Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be. Football giveth, football taketh away."

"Penalty? I don't know"

"We were one minute away from the final. The players deserved a different ending. It's a bitter defeat. It's something that hurts. But we have to be proud of what we've achieved," said coach Soncin. He briefly looked at the scene that led to the penalty after the game. "They were holding each other. Was it a penalty? I don't know."

Here the great sadness, a few meters away the great jubilation, tears of joy and relief. Esme Morgan unpacked the British sense of humor. "Games full of drama like this are of course the most fun - and we just love to entertain," said the central defender. Of course, she was also full of praise for Michelle Agyemang. "She's just an incredibly intelligent player who knows where to take space."

Chloe Kelly also singled out Michelle Agyemang. "She provided a jolt to our team after she joined. She has given us a lot of confidence." Coach Sarina Wiegman said: "She has something special. She's only nineteen, but she's already very mature. If she continues like this, she has a very bright future."

Fifth final in a row for Sarina Wiegman

The near future for Sarina Wiegman and her team is the final. For the Dutchwoman, Sunday could end with her third European Championship title in a row. Eight years ago, she led the team from her home country to triumph. This will be Sarina Wiegman's fifth time in a row on the sidelines of a major event. Six years ago she lost the World Cup final with the Dutch and the year before last with England.

Those were bitter moments - even if the 2-0 defeat to the USA and the 1-0 loss to Spain did not come about in such spectacular fashion. Nevertheless, Sarina Wiegman knows how the Italians feel.