England will look to take another step toward defending their European title when they face Italy in the Women`s Euro 2025 semi-final on Tuesday in Geneva.

After a dramatic comeback win over Sweden in the quarter-finals, the Lionesses are heavy favourites to progress to their second consecutive final under coach Sarina Wiegman.

The reigning champions were on the brink of elimination in Zurich last Thursday, trailing 2-0 late on before two quickfire goals forced extra time. England eventually edged Sweden 3-2 in a tense penalty shoot-out, keeping alive their hopes of back-to-back Euro titles.

Now preparing for their sixth consecutive major tournament semi-final, England are just one win away from a potential final showdown with either Germany or world champions Spain.

“I really had a sense throughout the game, even when we were down, that it wasn’t our time to go,” said defender Esme Morgan, reflecting on the Sweden match. Wiegman admitted she thought England were out “about three times” but now remains on course for a third straight Women`s Euros title, having also won with the Netherlands in 2017.

Despite being tournament favourites, England have shown vulnerability, losing to France in the group stage and enduring a tough first half against Sweden. However, their resilience—sparked by impactful substitutes Michelle Agyemang and Chloe Kelly—has renewed belief in the squad.

Their recent record against Italy also boosts confidence. England won 5-1 in a friendly in February 2024 and 2-1 in the 2023 Arnold Clark Cup.

Italy, ranked 13th in the world, are surprise semi-finalists and in the last four of a major tournament for the first time since 1997. After finishing second in their group behind Spain, they beat Norway in the quarter-finals thanks to two goals from veteran forward Cristiana Girelli.

“It’s exciting because we are going to face the reigning champions,” Italian defender Martina Lenzini said. “Getting to the semi-finals for us is already a big achievement… but we believed we could do this.”

England`s preparations have been overshadowed by revelations of racist abuse directed at defender Jess Carter. The FA has alerted police after Carter, who has 49 international caps, said she had received repeated abuse since the start of the tournament.

“Whilst I feel every fan is entitled to their opinion on performance and result, I don’t agree or think it’s OK to target someone’s appearance or race,” she wrote on social media.

Meanwhile, England are monitoring the fitness of captain Leah Williamson, who was forced off with an ankle injury during the Sweden match. Teammate Morgan said the squad was “very optimistic” that she would be available for the semi-final.

The winner of Tuesday’s clash will advance to the Euro 2025 final in Geneva on Sunday, where either Germany or Spain awaits.