There was a feeling of mission accomplished in Bern on Friday night for Italy. Despite their 3-1 defeat by Spain, the Azzurre clinched their spot in the quarter-finals of Euro 2025, returning to the knockout stage of the competition for the first time in 12 years.

Italy flew out of the blocks, hitting the bar through captain Elena Linari before Elisabetta Oliviero opened the scoring just 10 minutes into the game. The lead was short-lived, Athenea del Castillo equalising four minutes later, before Patri Guijarro put Spain ahead shortly after the break and Esther González sealed the win.

Losing to Spain is no source of shame. Losing to the reigning world champions seldom is, particularly when in this form. La Roja are one of four teams to have finished the group stage with a perfect record, scoring 14 goals and conceding just three times, averaging a staggering 69% possession and a 89.7% pass-completion rate.

They are, in short, delivering exactly the kind of performances their tag of pre-tournament favourites warranted.

And for that matter, Italy are also living up to expectations. Andrea Soncin’s team arrived at Euro 2025 as dark horses on the back of winning their qualifying group and finishing second in their UEFA Nations League.

But reputation only goes so far at major tournaments and a group containing Spain, Portugal and Belgium shaped up as a tricky assignment for the Azzurre.

It is one they have now passed with flying colours, dispatching Belgium and drawing with Portugal only after conceding a late equaliser, which prevented them from securing a ticket to the last eight with a game to spare.

The defeat by Spain ultimately proved inconsequential for Italy, whose reward for qualifying is a meeting with Norway on Wednesday night.

The Group A winners also won all of their group matches, but have looked considerably less impressive in doing so. Norway have won their games against Switzerland, Finland and Iceland by one goal, without keeping a clean sheet.

At the other end of the pitch, the eight goals Norway have scored represent their highest-ever group stage tally – only Spain, France and England have scored more.

But the goal return cannot mask the fact Gemma Grainger’s side have lacked cohesion, and their progress through Group A may not have been as smooth without the experience of Ada Hegerberg and Caroline Graham Hansen.

Italy, meanwhile, have averaged just 41% possession in their first three fixtures, the second-lowest in the tournament behind Wales, and have at times struggled to create clear-cut chances.

The counterpoint to that is that until losing to Spain, Laura Giuliani had to make just two saves in 180 minutes. Arianna Caruso, who scored a wonder goal against Belgium, has been a driving force in midfield, while even at 35 years of age Cristiana Girelli confirmed she remains Italy’s most potent attacking weapon with a superb strike against Portugal – her 59th international goal in 123 caps.

Italy finished ahead of the Netherlands and Norway in their A1 qualifying group, with a goalless draw in Oslo followed by a 1-1 draw in Ferrara, as Frida Maanum’s late goal cancelled out Manuela Giugliano’s sixth-minute opener.

Under Soncin, the Azzurre have claimed illustrious scalps in the Euro 2025 qualifiers and in the Nations League, defeating Spain, Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark. Beating Norway to reach a first semi-final in 28 years, however, would top the lot.