On another remarkable night in Basel, the Lionesses pulled victory out of the jaws of defeat once again to successfully retain their European Championship title and become the first senior England side ever to win back-to-back Euros. In a further piece of history, they also became the first England team ever to win a major title on foreign soil.
Kelly was at the heart of things again, just as she had been at Wembley in 2022, setting up her side’s second-half equaliser, which was headed home by Alessia Russo, before converting the decisive penalty in another nerve-jangling shootout.
Just as had been the case in the quarter-final win over Sweden, a host of penalties were missed, with Hannah Hampton making two crucial saves from Mariona Caldentey and Aitana Bonmati, two of the world’s best players.
Beth Mead and Leah Williamson missed for the Lionesses, but Alex Greenwood and Niamh Charles held their nerve, meaning Kelly had the chance to become the match-winner for the second Euros final in a row. She was not found wanting, slamming the ball home to secure footballing history and hand Sarina Wiegman a third successive European title. The women’s game in this country was already blossoming before the Dutch head coach was appointed, but she has taken it into the stratosphere.
Yet again, the Lionesses had to come from behind to win. It took Spain 25 minutes to break the deadlock, but for most of the time prior to Caldentey’s headed opener, it felt as though the World champions were gradually going through the gears.
True, England had a couple of early chances, most notably when Cata Coll’s misdirected clearance was seized upon by Lauren Hemp, only for the Spain goalkeeper to redeem herself by thrusting out a leg to block the England winger’s shot.
In the main, though, it was Spain’s intricate passing play that was the primary feature of the opening stages, with Bonmati and Alexia Putellas passing and probing as they tried to unpick the Lionesses’ defence.
England’s backline, featuring the recalled Jess Carter ahead of Esme Morgan, was hanging on, but the deadlock was broken midway through the first half when Spain made the most of right-back Ona Batlle’s dart inside down England’s left flank.
Batlle delivered an inviting cross towards the back post, and after breaking past a static Lucy Bronze, Caldentey powered a header past Hampton. The Spanish goalscorer was a key part of the Arsenal team that won the Champions League last season – here, she was outdoing a number of her domestic team-mates.
Could the Lionesses respond? They had in each of the previous knockout rounds, but their cause wasn’t helped when Lauren James limped off before the interval following a recurrence of the ankle injury that had also curtailed her involvement in the semi-final win over Italy.
Given James’ match-winning capabilities, Sarina Wiegman was always going to gamble on the Chelsea forward’s fitness. Ultimately, though, it was a call that didn’t pay off with James having looked half-paced in her time on the field before she was substituted.
Kelly came on to replace James, reprising the super-sub role she had filled in both last week’s semi-final and the Euro 2022 final victory over Germany, but the course of the game remained unaltered, with Spain asking all the attacking questions.
Hampton saved from Bonmati and Caldentey at the start of the second half, before Putellas wasted a decent opening by curling wide from 20 yards out.
It was a crucial moment as, from nowhere, the Lionesses fashioned a leveller three minutes before the hour mark.
Kelly was the architect of the equaliser, switching the ball onto her right foot before whipping in an inswinging cross from the left. There was still a lot for Alessia Russo to do on the edge of the six-yard box, but the England striker angled her body adeptly to guide a header into past Coll’s right hand. It was Russo’s ninth goal in a major tournament – second only to Ellen White in the England standings – and undoubtedly the most important.
Kelly’s introduction was the key to changing the game for England, with the forward’s pace and directness down the left-hand side helping to transform her side’s second-half play.
There was a much greater impetus to the Lionesses’ attacking play after the interval, and Kelly went close in the 69th minute with a low strike that Coll touched around the post.
Spain were still offering a threat of her own, though, and Hampton was forced to make a smart reflex save when substitute Claudia Pina arrowed in a shot from the left of the 18-yard box.
England’s defenders mounted an impressive rearguard action in the closing stages to ensure the game went into extra-time, and were equally impregnable in the additional 30 minutes of play, with Carter and Leah Williamson outstanding at the heart of the back four.