Execution Day: Italy Strikes with Precision, Spain Destroys with Flair

July 3rd wasn't just another matchday at UEFA Women’s EURO 2025; it was the day tactics and ruthlessness collided. Italy played with patience, silence, and one lethal strike. Spain? They came like a thunderstorm, five goals, four scorers, and a warning to the rest of Europe: we’re not here to participate, we’re here to dominate.

Italy 1–0 Belgium: Caruso Carves the Silence

Italy weren’t built to dazzle, they were built to out-think, outlast, and out-position. And against Belgium, they executed that vision to perfection.

The Moment That Broke Belgium

In the 44th minute, when the match still hung in delicate balance, Arianna Caruso ghosted into the right half-space, unnoticed. Lucia Di Guglielmo, cool under pressure on the flank, delivered a low, fizzing diagonal pass that cut between Belgium’s midfield and defensive lines. One touch to control, one to finish. Caruso buried it with a left-footed curler.

Caruso: The Silent Assassin

She only had 39 touches in the entire match, but each one was purposeful. Her half-turns opened channels. Her off-ball movement distorted Belgium’s structure. Defensively, she was tireless, dropping into a 4-5-1 block to press wide lanes and cover central zones.

It wasn’t flashy. It was fatal.

Di Guglielmo’s Assist: A Tactical Gem

Forget a simple through-ball, this was intentional architecture. Di Guglielmo’s assist bypassed two lines, arrived with backspin to slow it for Caruso’s stride, and proved the power of reading the game before the ball is even played. She saw the run, she trusted the space, and she delivered.

Behind the Curtain: Italy’s Brains and Backbone

  • Manuela Giugliano ran the midfield like a seasoned conductor, clean, calm, and precise. She passed at over 90% accuracy, provided cover for the fullbacks, and transitioned from defence to attack with ease.

  • Elena Linari, commanding from the back, dominated in the air and stepped out smartly to intercept passes before Belgium could build rhythm.

Italy didn’t need to take risks. They just needed one opportunity. And they took it like champions do.

Spain 5–0 Portugal: Relentless Red Waves

In Bern, Spain turned what should have been a tense group stage match into an exhibition. They weren’t playing football, they were orchestrating a demolition.

Five goals by halftime. One team in total control.

González: The Finisher Supreme

Striker Esther González opened the gates in the 2nd minute, latching onto a perfectly weighted long ball from Olga Carmona. With her first touch, she steadied. With her second, she finished.

Her second goal, a crisp volley in the 41st, came from a devilish cross by Claudia Pina, who terrorised Portugal’s left side all night.

González only had 28 touches. Eight of them came inside the penalty area. She was lethal in every sense.

Spain’s Creative Engine

  • Vicky López scored in the 17th minute, showcasing timing and composure beyond her years. She ran a diagonal inside from the right wing and finished a silky through-ball from Mariona Caldentey, who racked up two assists and created four clear chances.

  • Alexia Putellas, always the architect, added her goal in the 33rd after a slick layoff from Salma Paralluelo. One touch. One glance. One perfect curling finish.

Bonmatí’s short but sharp cameo reminded everyone why she’s one of the most complete midfielders in the game, threading vertical passes, breaking lines, and assisting within minutes of entering the pitch.

Tactical Breakdown: Total Overload

Spain’s shape morphed constantly between a 4-3-3 and a 3-2-5. Their midfield triangle, Bonmatí, Putellas, and López rotated like clockwork, dragging Portugal into spaces they couldn’t cover.

Their press was suffocating. Their possession, purposeful. Their finishing? Ruthless.

Portugal couldn’t breathe. Spain didn’t let them.

Full-Time Fury: This Was Just the Opening Salvo

What you saw on July 3rd wasn’t just group-stage form; it was tournament-winning intelligence and intent.

  • Italy proved that games can be won with one run, one pass, and ninety minutes of discipline.

  • Spain reminded us that when their gears click, they can score five before you even adjust your shape.

Caruso’s subtle brilliance. Di Guglielmo’s tactical vision. González’s ice-cold finishing.

Caldentey’s orchestration. López’s teenage swagger. Bonmatí’s brain.

All of it was on full display.

This wasn’t just a doubleheader. It was a message:

If you don’t come prepared, you’ll be picked apart.

Missed the games? You missed movement, mastery, and mayhem.

But don’t worry, the rest of this tournament promises more stories just like these.


Subscribe. Stay sharp. The Women's EURO 2025 has only just begun.


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