Norway vs Italy Preview & Prediction | UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 | Quarter-Final

Click here for today’s sports betting tips from our expert analysts!

The first quarter-final of this summer’s UEFA Women’s Championship takes place at Stade de Geneve in Geneva as two-time winners Norway face Italy.

Kick-off date/time:

How to watch on TV & online: UK – BBC platforms / US – Fox Sports & ViX

Norway team news: Lund suspended

Norway were able to rest and rotate a couple of players in their 4-3 defeat of Iceland, with both Mathilde Harviken and Vilde Boe Risa substituted at half-time. Harviken’s replacement, Marit Lund, was sent off in that game and is now suspended.

Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Fiskerstrand; Woldvik, Mjelde, Harviken, Hansen; Naaslund, Boe Risa; Graham Hansen, Maanum, Gaupset; Hegerberg

Unavailable: Lund (Suspended)

Questionable: 

Italy team news: Toletti a doubt

Italy didn’t have the luxury of a change as they laboured to a 3-1 loss to world champions Spain but still managed to squeeze through. They will be expected to muscle through with the same eleven, though, despite that loss.

Predicted XI (3-4-3): Giuliani; Lenzini, Salvai, Linari; Oliveiro, Giugliano, Caruso, Boattin; Cantore, Piemonte, Bonansea

Unavailable: 

Questionable: 

Key stats

• This is a repeat of the 1993 final when Norway won their second Women’s EURO title with a 1-0 victory. Overall, the teams have met five times previously in Women’s EURO final tournaments. Norway lead the head-to-head in those meetings with three wins to one and the pair have also drawn once. This is their first encounter at the finals since Norway's 5-3 win against Italy in the group stage in 2005.
• Norway and Italy met in UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 qualifying, drawing both matches – 0-0 in Oslo on 31 May 2024 then 1-1 in Ferrara four days later in which Manuela Giugliano scored early for Italy (6’) and Frida Maanum late for Norway (83’).
• Women’s EURO winners in 1987 and 1993, Norway have reached at least the semi-finals in nine of their previous 12 Women’s EURO final tournament participations. However, they exited in the group stage in 2017 and 2022 and this is their first appearance in the knockout rounds since 2013.
• Norway progressed to the quarter-finals having won all three matches in a Women’s EURO final tournament group for the first time.
• Norway have won three successive Women’s EURO final tournament matches for the first time since 2013. Excluding penalty shoot-outs, they have never won four in a row.
• Norway’s total of eight goals scored is their second highest tally in a Women’s EURO final tournament, two short of the ten they scored in 2005.
• None of Norway’s last 30 Women’s EURO final tournament matches finished without a goal being scored. The last 0-0 was against Germany in the 1997 group stage.
• Norway have won their last two quarter-final ties at Women’s EURO final tournaments (2009 and 2013). Overall, they have won ten out of ten matches in Women’s EURO quarter-finals and all the six ties they have played (including when quarter-finals were not part of the final tournament).
• Maren Mjelde could become the second Norwegian player to make 20 Women’s EURO final tournament appearances after Solveig Gulbrandsen (20). Overall, only Birgit Prinz (Germany, 23), Kosovare Asllani (Sweden, 21) and Nadia Nadim (Denmark, 20) are the only other players to reach the landmark.
• Runners-up in 1993 and 1997, Italy had exited at the group stage in the last two Women’s EURO final tournaments. Their last knockout participation was in 2013 when they reached the quarter-finals.
• Italy have lost their last two Women’s EURO final tournament quarter-finals ties (2009 and 2013).
• Italy are aiming to reach their first Women’s EURO semi-final since 1997.
• Elena Linari could become the 11th player to make ten Women’s EURO final tournament appearances for Italy.
• Two members of Norway’s squad currently play for Italian clubs – goalkeeper Cecilie Fiskerstrand, who joined Fiorentina in 2024, and defender Mathilde Harviken, who has been at Juventus since January this year.
• Fiskerstrand plays at Fiorentina with Italy’s Emme Severini and Francesca Durante.
• Harviken won the 2024/25 Serie A/Coppa Italia double with Juventus, where her team-mates included eight members of Italy’s squad: Eva Schatzer, Sofia Cantore, Cristiana Girelli, Barbara Bonansea, Valentina Bergamaschi, Lisa Boattin, Martina Lenzini and Cecilia Salvai. Two other Italy players, Giada Greggi and Michela Cambiaghi, will be alongside her at Juventus next season.
• Norway’s Tuva Harunen and Italy’s Arianna Caruso play together in Germany for Bayern München.
• Italy’s Julie Piga started her career in France in 2016 with Lyon, where Norway captain Ada Hegerberg was a team-mate.
• Celin Brizet (Norway) and Caruso were on the scoresheet as Italy defeated Norway 2-1 at the 2022 Algarve Cup in Portugal.

Norway vs Italy prediction

Norway aren’t the force they used to be, but they have come through the group stages with a perfect record. After 2-1 defeats of hosts Switzerland and then Finland, the Norwegians entertainingly defeated Iceland by four goals to three to secure top spot in Group A and set up a quarter-final that they will fancy.

The Italian women’s team have been improving in the last 18 months or so, rising to number 13 in the rankings, but it has been a tough test in this tournament. They managed to defeat Belgium in their opener before a draw with Portugal and then a loss against the Spanish, aided by the fact that Portugal themselves lost to Belgium.

Taking the lead against such a strong Spain team will give the Italians belief. However, the experience of Norway and the performances thus far, whilst unconvincing defensively, will mark them out as a good value bet here, with Ada Hegerberg surely ready to come to the party after a couple of indifferent performances since scoring in their opener.

Norway vs Italy tip: Norway to win & both teams to score