Spain have booked their place in the World Cup final after a controlled 2-0 semi-final win over Italy, a match settled by an own goal from Italian goalkeeper Lucía Belli and a close-range finish from Pau Comendador. Their opponents will emerge from the remaining semi-final between North Korea and Colombia.
The news from the club
There was little of the usual semi-final urgency in the opening half-hour, with neither side creating a genuine chance of note. Spain thought they had broken through in the 33rd minute when Alba Cerrato found the net, but the referee overturned the goal after a VAR review identified a foul by Irune earlier in the move.
Italy could not escape so cleanly seven minutes later. Daniela Agote, lively throughout the first half on Spain’s right flank, delivered a dangerous cross and Belli turned the ball into her own net while attempting to clear. David Aznar’s side went into the interval with a one-goal advantage.
Agote again supplied the decisive moment after the restart. Breaking forward down the right in the 57th minute, she waited for the right pass and picked out Comendador, who finished from close range to double Spain’s lead. The Athletic Bilbao forward added to her tournament-leading scoring tally with the strike.
Comendador nearly had another in the 87th minute, but the move was stopped because Rosalía had handled the ball beforehand. It did not affect the result: Spain saw out the 2-0 victory and can now prepare for the final.
The final route
Spain will face either North Korea or Colombia in the tournament’s deciding match, with the second semi-final set to determine the other finalist.
