CYMRU FALL TO ITALY IN FINAL HOME GAME BEFORE EURO

Wales suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat to Italy in their final home match before heading off to

UEFA Women's EURO 2025 on a night that confirmed their relegation to Nations League B following their earlier loss in Denmark.

It was a disheartening evening in Swansea, with only a moment of magic from Jess Fishlock sparing Cymru a complete whitewash.

The atmosphere at the Swansea.com Stadium was electric before kick-off. The national

anthems stirred emotion among the Red Wall, who had come out in full force to give the

team a nice send-off.

Laughter, smiles, and song filled the air, but the game that followed quickly turned joy into despair.

Just eight minutes in, Italy opened the scoring. A chaotic set piece saw Elena Linari pounce

on a loose ball, curling it into the top-right corner and silencing the Swansea crowd.

Wales tried to respond. Ceri Holland’s blistering run ended in a low cross to Carrie Jones,

but she stumbled at the crucial moment, letting the opportunity and the ball slip away.

In the 20th minute, Italy doubled their lead. Manuela Giugliano floated a cross into the box,

and captain Cristiana Girelli rose to head it past Olivia Clark.

Wales’ defence was nowhere to be seen, and the home crowd responded with sighs of frustration.

Despite the harsh scoreline, the fans continued their support, singing Calon Lân and the

Welsh anthem from the stands.

Holland earned a free-kick in a promising area, but the effort was comfortably saved by Italian 'keeper Laura Giuliani.

Italy made it 3-0 before the half-hour mark. Sofia Cantore headed the ball across goal for

Girelli, who returned it to Cantore, allowing her to head in the third. The grey skies over

Swansea mirrored the mood.

Clark, who had already taken a few knocks, pulled off a heroic save to deny Cantore a

second but was forced off shortly after due to injury. Italy made it four before half-time —

another Giugliano corner caused havoc, and Girelli nodded in her second of the night.

Wales were reeling.

The whistle for half-time brought audible sighs of relief.

The second half saw no less passion from the Red Wall. Their unwavering support

continued despite the scoreline.

Rachel Rowe tried to make something happen but found herself isolated. Hannah Cain’s effort deflected wide, and a promising corner from Lily Woodham was easily claimed by Giuliani.

Italy hadn’t finished pressing. A long ball to Valentina Giacinti almost spelled disaster for

Wales, but substitute goalkeeper Safia Middleton-Patel made an impressive stop. Ariana

Caruso later fired well over the bar in a rare Italian misfire.

Then came Jess Fishlock. The Reign FC legend was a bright spark from the moment she

came on. Adored by fans, young girls shouting their support in the stands, her presence

alone lifted the team.

And finally, Cymru had their moment. Fishlock picked up the ball from 40 yards out and

unleashed a thunderous strike that curled around Francesca Durante, ricocheted off the

underside of the crossbar, and into the net.

It was a stunning goal, one that will live long in the memory and offered a sliver of redemption in a tough evening.

The full-time whistle came as a relief. Italy were the better side, and Wales’ performance

showed exactly why they’ll be playing in Nations League B next season. Yet, the support

from the stands never wavered, a reflection to the spirit of Welsh football.

Next stop the EURO. Wales will need to regroup quickly for their biggest challenge yet.

Team line ups:

Cymru team: Clark, Woodham, Evans, Green, Holland, James, Cain, Rowe, Ladd, Jones,

Griffiths.

Substitutes: Kelly, Middleton-Patel, Richardson, Teisar, Barton, Fishlock, Hughes,

Estcourt, Joel, E. Morgan, Powell, F. Morgan

Italy team: Giuliani, Oliviero, Linari, Giugliano, Cantore, Girelli, Seve rini, Caruso, Lenzini,

Soffia, Salvai.

Substitutes: Baldi, Durante, Bergamaschi, Bonfantini, Rosucci, Giacinti, Bonansea,

Piga, Monnechi, Goldoni, Schatzer, Cambiaghi.