Italy secured their place in the Women’s Euro 2025 quarter-finals despite a 3-1 loss to Group B winners Spain, finishing second in the group ahead of Portugal, whose tournament ended in heartbreak with a last-minute 2-1 defeat to Belgium. Spain, who topped the group with a perfect nine points, will face hosts Switzerland in the last eight, while Italy are set to meet Norway on Wednesday.
Andrea Soncin’s side took a shock lead in Bern through Elisabetta Oliviero’s 10th-minute strike, but Spain responded with goals from Athenea, Patri Guijarro, and Esther González to maintain their flawless campaign. “Our main goal was to qualify, and we’ve achieved that,” said Soncin, who has guided Italy to their first Women’s Euro quarter-final since 2013. “There’s still a gap between us and Spain, but with good organization, we can compete.”
Spain, the reigning world champions, were dominant throughout the group stage, netting 14 goals in three matches—just four fewer than their total in the 2023 World Cup. Coach Montserrat Tomé praised her team’s historic perfect group-stage record but emphasized the need for rest before their knockout clash. “We’ll recover well and keep doing what we’ve been doing,” she said.
Portugal’s hopes of overtaking Italy were dashed in dramatic fashion as Janice Cayman’s 96th-minute winner for Belgium sealed their elimination. Belgium, already out of contention, finished third, while Portugal ended their emotional campaign in fourth. Italy will now look to build on their progress as they prepare for a tough quarter-final against Norway, while Spain remain strong favorites to add a European title to their World Cup triumph.