In the final seconds, the crossbar spectacularly prevented the Women's National Team from securing a win at Oslo's Ullevaal Stadion and clinching a spot for EURO 2025. The first 90 minutes against Norway ended 0-0, with the Azzurre displaying focus and great personality under the watchful eye of FIGC Secretary General Marco Brunelli. Andrea Soncin's players missed the knockout blow, but it remains a good point, especially since Norway came close to scoring a couple of times between the end of the first half and the start of the second half. However, the Italian defence thwarted every attempt, leaving no room for the powerful opposing forwards.

Another excellent performance and the support of the crowd will be needed to secure a win in the return fixture against the Scandinavians, scheduled for Tuesday at 18:15 CEST at the Paolo Mazza stadium in Ferrara. Tomorrow morning, the team are set to fly back to Italy and travel to the Emilian city to start preparing for this important fixture. The team believes in their chances, confidently chasing the qualification dream, and aims to give the fans an unforgettable evening.

"I am proud of the girls' performance," declared the coach. "We played the game we wanted, with the right play and distances. I am truly happy with what the players do every day, with the group, with those who come on, and with how much those on the sidelines push, transmitting emotion, attachment to the jersey, and passion. We look forward to the next challenge with great optimism".

THE GAME. There were three changes to the starting eleven from the last match on 9 April against Finland. In defence, Boattin was replaced by Bartoli, who positioned herself on the right alongside Lenzini, Linari, and Di Guglielmo. To add more physicality to the midfield, the coach initially left out Giugliano, relying instead on the pace of fellow Roma player Greggi, in a midfield completed by Caruso, who took on the playmaking duties, and Galli. The focal point of the attack, Giacinti, and on her sides, due to Cambiaghi's absence from the squad, were Cantore on the left and Bonansea on the right, who returns to the starting lineup after an excellent match against the Netherlands.

Gemma Grainger responded with the traditional 4-3-3 formation, relying on Hansen in attack, former Roma player, Haug and Ildhusøy, the last two having scored along with Bjelde e Terland in the 4-0 win against Finland. The English coach left Hegerberg, Pallone d’oro winner in 2018 and top scorer of the squad with 47 goals, on the bench.

The almost summer-like heat, unusual for these latitudes, affected the start of the match, which began at a slow tempo with both teams intent on not taking unnecessary risks. Italy, with their passing game, controlled the play, often leaving the opponents chasing the ball and finding the first dangerous attempt on 12' with Cantore, whose right-footed shot went just wide. Fifteen minutes later, in a scramble in the Azzurre's penalty area, Norway comes very close to scoring, but central defender Harviken missed the target. This close call energised Soncin's players, who returned to applying pressure, hitting the target several times with long-range shots without troubling the experienced Fiskerstrand. The home team misses another golden opportunity with Ildhusøy on 45'. The Tottenham striker picked up a short clearance from Giuliani and, unmarked from close range, sent the ball over the crossbar.

The second half kicked off with Caruso's miracle block, as she slid in to deflect Terland's low shot to deny a certain goal. The game unfolds with continuous end-to-end action, and in the 55', Cantore, perfectly put in by Bonansea, narrowly missed the post with a curling shot from outside the box. Five minutes later, both coaches begin the flurry of substitutions, with Naalsund and Hegerberg coming on for the hosts, while Bonfantini and Dragoni replace the exhausted Bonansea and Greggi. The 17-year-old from Barcelona, in her tenth appearance for the national team, was inspired. On 71', she left a couple of opponents behind and unleashed a rocket that narrowly missed the crossbar.

In addition to Catena, Soncin also threw Salvai and Giugliano into the mix, who contributed to keeping the team high up the pitch. In the six minutes of added time, Norway ran into the wall erected by captain Linari and Lenzini, while the Azzurre on the counterattack, just before the final whistle, created the biggest chance of the game. Giugliano feeds Bonfantini with a through ball, who beat her marker and unleashed a diagonal shot that Harviken, in an attempt to clear, sent onto the crossbar. It could have been the goal that brought qualification closer, but Italy have shown they are there, and in four days in Ferrara, they will try to make amends in front of their home crowd.

NORWAY 0-0 ITALY

NORWAY (4-3-3): Fiskerstrand; Bjelde (56’ Thorisdottir), Bergsvand, Harviken, Hansen; Bøe Risa (62’ Naalsund), Engen, Reiten; Graham Hansen (90’ Sævik), Haug (62’ Hegerberg), Ildhusøy (46’ Terland). Unused Subs: Pettersen, Mikalsen, Østenstad, Mjelde, Kielland, Maanum, Gaupset. Coach: Gemma Grainger

ITALKY (4-3-3): Giuliani; Bartoli (78’ Salvai), Lenzini, Linari, Di Guglielmo; Galli, Caruso (78’ Giugliano), Greggi (63’ Dragoni); Bonansea (63’ Bonfantini), Giacinti, Cantore (70’ Catena). Unused Subs: Baldi, Schroffenegger, Bergamaschi, Boattin, Severini, Beccari, Girelli. Coach: Andrea Soncin

Referee: Stéphanie Frappart (FRA). Assistant referees: Camille Soriano (FRA) e Melissa Rossignol (FRA). Fourth Official: Emeline Rochebiliere (FRA). NB: Attendance 9.300, booked: Galli

Schedule, results and Group 1 table (Lega A)

Matchday 1: ITALY 2-0 Netherlands, Norway 4-0 Finland

Matchday 2: Finland 2-1 ITALY, Netherlands 1-0 Norway 

Matchday 3: Norway 0-0 ITALY, Netherlands-Finland (20:45 CEST)

Table: Norway and ITALY 4 points, Netherlands and Finland 3 (Netherlands and Finland with one game less)

Matchday 4 (4 June, venues and times to be defined): ITALY vs. Norway, Finland vs. Netherlands

Matchday 5 (12 July, venues and times to be defined): Netherlands vs. ITALY, Finland vs. Norway

Matchday 6 (16 July, venues and times to be defined): ITALY vs. Finland, Norway vs. Netherlands