Italy set sights on bigger goals in Norway showdown

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Soccer Football - UEFA Womens Euro 2025 - Group B - Italy v Spain - Stadion Wankdorf, Bern, Switzerland - July 11, 2025 Italys Lisa Boattin and teammates react after the match REUTERS/Matthew Childs/File Photo

OBERENTFELDEN, Switzerland - Italy are putting the euphoria of making the knockout stages of the Womens Euros for the first time since 2013 to one side and aiming for even greater heights when they take on Norway in the quarter-finals in Geneva on Wednesday.

The Italians lost their final Group B game to Spain but managed to go through in second place thanks to a 1-0 win over Belgium and a 1-1 draw with Portugal to set up a meeting with the Norwegians, who won Group A with three wins out of three.

The fact that we qualified in the quarter-finals gave us a lot of positive energy, (but) we immediately got back to work and we are preparing the game as we have prepared the others, taking care of every detail, Italy forward Sofia Cantore told reporters on Monday.

Once you reach a small goal like this, you think about doing your best to reach another, so lets say there is maximum concentration for the next game and, beyond tactics, I think we should put in everything we have in our hearts.

After making it to the last four in six of the first seven Womens Euro competitions, Italy have struggled to reach those heights since.

They (Norway) are a