Le Azzurre had history on their side having never lost to the Lionesses in the competition in six attempts, whilst Sarina Wiegman's squad knew they had the beating of their opponents having swatted them aside 5-1 in a friendly in February 2024.
Lucy Bronze was making her 35th major tournament appearance for England, moving her level with Jill Scott for the joint most of all-time for the Lionesses. Having started each of England's last 13 Women's Euro matches too, she was now the holder of the outright longest run by a Lioness at the tournament.
With England being firm favourites to win the match, it was no surprise to see them take the game by the scruff of the neck from the first whistle, but what they clearly hadn't factored into their pre-match thinking was just how resolute the Italians would be in their defending.
Three times in the opening half hour, the Lionesses came close to opening the scoring, during which time Italy hadn't even touched the ball in England's penalty area.
Bonansea rocked England after half an hour
That would all change in the 32nd minute when Barbara Bonansea rifled home into the roof of the net after a swift Italian break.
It was their first shot on target in the match and in so doing, Bonansea became the second-oldest player to score in a Women's Euro semi-final (34 years, 39 days) after Elisabetta Vignotto, also for Italy, in 1989 vs Germany (35 years, 166 days).
Cristiana Girelli's impeccable passing range and ability to find space in a congested midfield saw Italy come more into the game as half-time approached, and with teammate Lucia Di Guglielmo completing as many dribbles (three) as every other player on the field combined by the break, the pre-match narrative had completely reversed.
Before Girelli had to leave the pitch injured just after the hour mark, she had made 13 passes in the final third of the pitch, the most in the entire Italian team.
England were already coming back into the game by then, and shots by Alex Greenwood, Georgia Stanway, Keira Walsh (x2) and Lauren Hemp (x2) were peppering Laura Giuliani's goal.
Italy held firm despite incessant pressure from England
Greenwood and Bronze continued to raid down either Italian flank and deliver the crosses that would hopefully get the Lionesses back on terms, pegging back their opponents again as they did so.
120 and 108 touches respectively - the most out of all the players on the pitch - evidences how hard the pair worked to keep England in the game.
It was Stanway with five tackles and Esme Morgan with 10 clearances that kept Italy at bay, as Le Azzurre continued to counter against England's more urgent attacking.
Elena Linari and Cecilia Salvai held it together at the back for Le Azzurre; however, the pressure from England was incessant as 12 and 14 clearances respectively as well as 51 crosses showed.
Despite clearly time-wasting rather than looking for a second goal to seal the win, Andrea Soncin's side still managed 19 successful dribbles and were absolutely a threat in the latter stages of a game that England had begun to dominate in all aspects.
With six to play, Michelle Agyemang came on and immediately looked to bother a tiring Italian defence, who had kept the outgoing Alessia Russo at bay with relative ease.
The teenager's movement ensured that the Italian back four couldn't settle. 11 times possession was won back by England in Italy's final third but with time running out, the Lionesses still hadn't been able to engineer that one moment to give them a foothold back in the game.
Agyemang rescues England from certain elimination
With two minutes of injury time remaining from the seven indicated, another hopeful cross was launched into the Italian box, and for once, Giuliani's handling was abysmal.
Agyemang was the grateful recipient, and her goal with just her second shot of the game - England's latest (excl. extra-time) on record from 2013 at the Women's Euros - was delivered with venom.
As lifelines go, it couldn't have been timed any better, and there was a marked difference in body language from the Italians at that point.
England were in the ascendancy, and of the starting XI, only goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, Leah Williamson and Morgan didn't manage to get a shot away during the match.
Given that they'd won each of their last five major tournament games that had gone to extra-time, fortune then favoured Wiegman's squad. And yet, still the Italians produced a backs-against-the-wall defensive performance to be proud of.
Despite being visibly the more tired of the two teams, Le Azzurre dug deep and found reserves of energy from somewhere to keep England at arm's length. Elisabetta Oliviero, for example, had involved herself in 22 one-on-one duels and won possession back on 10 separate occasions - both game highs - by the end of the game.
Chloe Kelly seals it at the death
Clearly, she and her teammates weren't going quietly, but they were to suffer the ultimate indignation as just three minutes from the end of extra-time, Emma Severini - who had been a more than able replacement for goalscorer Bonansea - was adjudged to have fouled Beth Mead.
Fellow England sub Chloe Kelly took her spot-kick only to see it saved by Giuliani, but the rebound fell kindly and the same player - a hero in the 2022 final against Germany - put the Lionesses through to their second successive European Championship final.
That will either be a rematch against the Germans or a real test against World Champions and tournament favourites Spain.
