Euro 2025: Semi-Final Previews & Predictions

0:00Rach:Before we kick off today's episode of Daily Brightness, a massive thank you to our proud partners, Shaw, for backing us since day one. What started as a leap into the unknown has turned into something really special for us and it means a lot to have Shaw with us on the journey backing us like teammates. Right Rach, we're into the summer. What does life after the WSL season look like for you? This year I just had a nice week at home, which was really nice to just like get my feet back on the ground after travelling and everything. And then I went away for a couple of weeks and then it's hit the ground running.

0:28pre-season program starts it's like the hardest thing ever what about you yeah i've really just

0:33Rach:taken a little bit of time to just do me really not been on any luxury holidays like you have because she sent me pictures every time you're away which has been nice but very jealous obviously we're going into a massive summer ahead for women's football we're going to be back in the lionesses aren't we always so a big thank you to shaw for always showing up for us on and off the pitch and supporting the podcast and thank you all for tuning in whether you've been with us from the start or you're just jumping in now there's so much more to come keep subscribing and keep watching for adults with crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis symptoms every choice matters trimphaya offers self-injection or intravenous infusion from the start trimphaya is administered as injections under the skin or infusions through a vein every four weeks followed by injections under the skin every four or eight weeks if your doctor decides that you can self-inject trimphaya Proper training is required.

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2:42Hello!

2:47Rach:Hello everyone and welcome to the Rest of His Football Daily Brightness. As you can see, we're in good spirits. It's myself, Rachel and Ben. Hello. Little inside joke there of me and Rach, but we thought, you know, give you a sneak peek, guys. I have a question. Do you think the time of day that we record directly correlates to how much you two laugh at the beginning of every episode? I've lost it. I've lost the point. I don't know. I wasn't expecting you to do that.

3:24Rach:right funny thing is though benji i will answer that question where are we sat from i can't remember we used to do it all the time you used to go hello i've lost i've lost i'm crying i actually can't remember wasn't it a lift oh my god it was it was when we had floor four me you ellen and me though and we watched the lift and that one was like hello wait where is this where is this it was in Wembley yeah on camp we used to have a group called floor four and it used to be me Ellen Mido and Rach yeah fourth floor we used to like obviously back when we used to like tiktoks and stuff like that and everyone was together that was like our little um little group and there was a woman at Wembley and we got to live and she went hello we all went hello and then it just me and rage as we do i lost it lost it when she said i just burst out laughing so i was like is that like are you really happy or is that just how you say hello yeah i didn't know she was like singing but you know what way like we then like hop on it and we it's stuck with us ever since and we just keep going hello and i've not done it for ages and i'm just reading the script and it says hellos does your mom really have like a dog walking voice like I remember we went through a walk with my mum once and she met someone like just passing and she went hello I was like who are you what the fuck is that I was like who what do you what has just come out of your mouth like normally you'd be like hiya you're all right hiya and she's like hello I always think it's like phone voice as well yeah no and you hear your mum on the phone Erin Cuthbert is the worst for that she is the worst for that it's like a Scottish accent just goes and I'm like she's proper Scottish and she'll always take her calls and I'll always nudge the girls and I'll be like oh business call over here I'm like all right you're right what you want no wonder I don't get the deals anyway that was a long intro how are we both just back in pre-season surviving and thriving running along I loved your picture Rach of the squad back together with Ellie Robark.

5:33So nice to have her. A bit of Yorkshire in the squad. A bit more Yorkshire, should I say. But no, she came in today for the first time so it was nice to be reunited with her and it's always good to add a nice face and nice person into the group, isn't it? Yeah, she's an absolute diamond. How is she getting on? I'm really intrigued. How's she doing? Yeah, so she was first day back in today so she was just doing medical screening and stuff. Wasn't in training today. But she seems happy? Yeah, seems buzzing. I mean, she gets to be with me every day.

6:01Rach:she'll be over the bloody moon and she'll be happy to be back with her family as well because she's a proper family girl ain't she she had a good year traveling though like she loves to explore don't she so she'll have really really enjoyed her time listen ellie roebuck is basically spanish now like she's still speaking spanish to paula our spanish player i was like really all right then do you know i can't imagine that with such a northern accent because when i try and do it to myra she's like millie you're the hardest person to understand ever she went today i was like talking about the food at barstrum and stuff and she was like yeah but like at breakfast they have like ham on sandwiches i went ham on ham on i was like ham sarny that's sandwich love what you're going on about but no yeah it's good pre-season's been going well mils how's your pre-season going guys i'm back on the pitch tomorrow getting positive clicks positive clicks this is our new thing on the pod um yeah i've been smashing altergy i've smashed all my strength tests um i've been working really hard to be fair and yeah tomorrow i've got my last alter g and then i do my first pitch session which will be like super light but yeah as of tomorrow the boots are back on goodbye pool goodbye alter g smashing the gym are you nervous no i'm buzzing i'm ready now that's nice that's like a good bit of nice news to start the podcast with i like that yeah so i can't wait and it's just like perfect timing ben you're home now yeah yeah where are you actually what's that little place you're in what's that little room i nipped back home for a few days and i've i'm i'm in this weird spot right because you know all the things we spoke about before like having your own bed and having your own pillows and stuff i'm buzzing to be back home for a few days and actually have some home stuff that makes you feel really good at the same time you can't help but feel a little bit like oh i wonder what's going on i wonder what's going on over there we've got no one in the background this time like stuff in the faces with food in in the stadium or i don't know if people saw that last time but there was literally when i was in the stadium inst gallant there was a guy inhaling doritos whilst staring at the podcast like what's going off over there we're like you're right mate i've been if you've seen that guy on tiktok that like doesn't chew when he eats his food but it was like that it literally was this guy's like piling doritos into his mush also you don't enjoy your food if you eat it that fast no it is nice to be back but i get what you say you're always then thinking oh what's everyone doing i wonder what it's yeah what's going on over there well your setup looks good though yeah it's wicked i've got a very very tiny garden before you two rib me i've got a tiny tiny room that you're in doesn't look too little because i can barely see the pictures on the walls yeah i've got enough space to have a picture on the wall or two but i've got a nice little recording space which is which is wicked and it is genuinely nice to be back like i was assured that there was a heat wave here by you two clowns i've got home it's raining i i'm so glad it's raining because i'm sick to death of this heat you're done with it now to be honest i'm quite glad it's raining because it's nice it is nice but i also do miss the sun do you do you know what you're like do you have to go away on tour soon or something have you both got tours that you'll be going on uh august so like if that's warm weather is that a nightmare do you find yourself it's nice because you're going on a plane yeah it's one of them things where when it's hot in england it's just too hot it's like everyone's irritated we don't have air con in england you're sweating you can't sleep whereas when you're abroad you're like oh my god bake bake bake me bake me yeah do you know what I mean everywhere's got AC inside like it's easy peasy so it's just different in england isn't it you just I like the rain can I ask after all of the madness of the quarterfinals have you quite enjoyed there being a little bit of downtime after the quarters so you can just go up can breathe a bit I was just delighted it was over at the end.

9:47It's so stressful, that game.

9:49Rach:Well, yeah, we could have lost her. That's the thing. And I think that's been the... I mean, you look at the Germany-France game, like you look at Basher's interview and she's like, they had nothing, like literally nothing. And they didn't deserve it. But at the end of the day, it don't matter. They're in the semis and you're not. Did you like that, Mills? Did you like her interview? Yeah, listen, she's showing... Sometimes I think players are too scared to be honest in interviews. I think sometimes we always try and please the people that we're speaking to or, oh, you can't say this and you can't say that.

10:18Rach:And she's just saying it how it is. And if you look at it, France should have won. Like they should have. And to be fair, if it's not for Berger in goal, they are winning that game. Like they are. So it's like, but it's one of those, like don't matter how you perform tournament football, knockout stages, it's whoever gets it over the line. Don't matter about your performance. Right, moving on to the semis. what are we thinking about England v Italy? I'm excited, but I don't want us to start the way we start. I don't want us to be passive. I don't want us to think, oh, Italy will be fine. Like, no, Italy were very good in their last game and they've got a lot of attacking threat.

10:58Rach:So defensively, I think we need to be a lot better and we need to make sure we're solid from minute one. So yeah, I'm excited though. I think we've definitely got it in the bag, but I think we need to start, we need to start how we're ending games for sure a little less pace aren't they in italy than sweden i mean that was brutal how direct sweden were i mean you both talked about it before just saying how they would target one side and try and drag players out and play on the counter-attack but i think to almost took everyone by surprise by how direct they were it was like one two passes and suddenly they were in a goal i don't think it should have though because if you look at the personnel it really shouldn't have yo-yo very very direct will always always run in behind black stanias always runs in behind that is literally a whole game well runs in behind and even if she gets the ball to feet runs in behind so i don't think it should have took us by surprise but one thing i think italy are very good at is their crossing their movement in the box and i don't think i think if you look at us in the games we have to stop crosses it's not like let's encourage it there we can just defend it because I don't think we've been maybe that dominant at defending crosses so I think stop the cross because that looks like that's like a style of their play Italy get it wide very good movement very experienced down the center of the pitch that and set pieces right yeah it's how they scored against Norway so um I definitely think we need to shut that out but yeah definitely less pace less to kind of be concerned about running and behind can be a lot more aggressive, a lot more compact.

12:33Rach:And yeah, listen, I think we should dominate like we should. Yeah, I think we've absolutely got this one in the bag. I'm not concerned at all. But I do think, again, it's one of those ones where you can't be complacent and think, oh, it's Italy, like it's not a top five side. But equally, they've only lost one game. Yeah, they've had a very good tournament. This might be their first major semi-final for God knows how many years. But equally, you don't get to a European Championship semi-final by chance. Do you know what I mean? like that takes a lot and I think they've got a lot of passion I feel like Italians are very like a bit like America they're like really patriotic do you know what I mean I just think on the semi-final like you've got to play the game that's in front of you and yes Italy will pose some different types of threats but I'm really not concerned I just think it comes down to intensity I do agree with you though I think we need to start a little bit brighter yeah the teams that don't show enough intensity you either go in a goal behind or you're losing like the other teams that show it and that's that passion that Italy have.

13:31Rach:They can do it for 90 minutes. That's the other thing. So we can't afford to start slow. And I really want us just to take the game in the first half. I think as well, like, obviously, they've had an extra day off and didn't play 120 minutes and penalties. And, like, I don't care what anyone says, Mills. Like, you know how important that extra day of rest is. Massive. Like, obviously, England will be so prepared. They'll be doing all the recovery strategies known to man and they'll be so prepared. Makes a difference, though. But an extra day and 30 minutes less of football. Emotionally, just as much as physically.

14:01So I think that could be something that they'll probably want to come out of the blocks a little bit quicker because they're a tad fresher. Were you surprised that everyone trained England-wise? Because, I mean, it looked like they were sort of almost walking wounded at the end.

14:16Rach:Yeah, I was very surprised. I thought we would have. I mean, it's also player decision. Like, I know for a fact you tell Lucy to have a day off, she's like, no thanks. And I think the positive, though, is everyone remains together. and the team is together and it's a good sign that everyone's on the pitch. It means everyone's available. But I was a little bit surprised. I thought maybe having had one less day, we might have given people a little bit of an extra rest. But then again, they might have only done part of the session as well. We know, being in that environment, that you do get managed.

14:46Rach:So yeah, I have no concerns with that. But I just thought, I was concerned. I thought we might have had a few injuries and a few players unavailable. So I'm happy that everyone is. Yeah, it's really good news because Leah's ankle looked bad, looked in a bad way. Yeah, her ankle, LJ's ankle, Alex's shoulder, Mido was down, Lucy, like... Hannah's nose. Yeah, I think... Hannah's nose. But I think that is like the strength for the team as well. Like physically, they're prepared in the right way. You know, like Millie said, they probably have been managed, you know, making sure that they're fit. But I think it's such a positive sign that they're all available.

15:21Like that's huge for us, huge. When you get to this point, do you... this probably sounds like a silly question because everyone wants to play but do you find a level that you can go to even if you are in a little bit of discomfort are you like you cannot physically drag me off that pitch I'm playing you have to I think like Millie we could both say in our careers how many games we've gone through like hanging on bare bones but you just got to get through it and obviously if there's a major problem like no one's expecting you to play but I do think you're right Ben I think there's like a you know semi you're not missing that unless your leg's falling off.

15:55So I do think there's an element of as long as you're fit enough to be able to get through, get through.

16:00Rach:And I think it's the individual. Some players have a higher pain threshold and they'll be able to. Some players just absolutely can't. But for me, that's where I probably don't understand. I don't understand that because I would literally have one leg and I still would not come off that pitch. And you don't need any more motivation than playing in a semi-final of Euros. you're the holding champions like you're literally two games away from being back-to-back champions there's nothing getting you off that pitch there should be nothing getting you off that pitch unless it's you know manager's decision but mentality wise you have to have that like I'll do anything what do they have to do differently at the start of the game and if you consider how we started the other day how do you change it up so that doesn't happen again I mean Italy will be slightly different right but you've already mentioned the threat they have from Giorelli from set pieces or crosses her movement's amazing defensively we're going to have to be at it again what do you do differently in the first 15 minutes it's just your attitude in the way that we come out it might be the first tackle like when you're in a team sport if someone nails someone you rile each other up like you've got to be the first team you've got to be the team that's setting the tone be the team that's the most passionate be the team that's winning the jewels, win your first and second, like put someone on their arse in the first 30 seconds, like you're not going to get booked in the first 30 seconds, but let Italy know that we're here and we're not going to have the same start because if you're looking at England, they'll be thinking get out in the first 15, they're shaky, they're not aggressive, too passive, maybe think we've already won before we've actually won, like that's what it gives off when you don't start with intensity, so it's got to be tackles from the front, like Alessia's work rate, that's got to be everyone's work rate and we just got to be a little bit be a bit of a bitch like be hard to beat like show that true grit like lucy was a perfect example in the last game that's proper england like that is english grit and every player has to show that in the semi-final like you can't just have one or two has to be everyone like rachel italy is so passionate like they're gonna match that they're gonna want this like more than ever right so feeling fairly confident then how do you think is going to play out Rach I'm going to go oof I don't know let's go 3 or 4 3-0 England oh I love that confidence see I thought it was going to be that against Sweden I really thought we were going to fly out of the blocks I'm weirdly more nervous for this now than I was for that which is bizarre I said 3-1 England against Sweden what about you Mills do you know I'd love to keep a clean sheet but I'm going to say 2-1 2-1 England I think this one might be a bit more of a battle I'll go 2-1 as well or it could be 2-2 extra time, I don't know if something's just telling me that as well I'm saying we're breezing it and clean sheet this time and I also really really hope everyone is fit and available because training's one thing playing in a semi-final is another thing so I really hope everyone is 100 % available and able to like play the game right we'll take a quick break there and then when we come back we'll be previewing the other semi-final this episode is brought to you by tinder people think that dating is to just find the one mill but i think there's so much more to it than that we spoke about it before about you know you have a soulmate in life but you have a soul best friend and you're my soul best friend as you know i don't think it should be looked upon as just a dating app you might want just a companion or you know you could have an unexpected friendship blossom i think it's quite small-minded just to think of it is oh I have to find like a it's a relationship I'm looking for like no it's you could find a friendship and that could be someone that you rely on for the rest of your lives I think we've heard a lot of success stories from tinder from people in relationships and stuff but like you said it's not just about that it's about you might not get on with them romantically but they might become your best friend or someone that you can go to the pub with and have a drink with or go do a pub quiz with so I think there is a lot of success behind that as well it's not just finding the one.

20:07Yeah, as you say, Tinder is for all types of connections. And it works because on Tinder, a new relationship starts every three seconds from slow burners to instant sparks.

20:16Rach:Wherever it takes you, it starts with a swipe. Download Tinder today.

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21:58Rach:Hello! Welcome back! To the second off. We are now moving on to Germany, Spain. Guys, what are we saying? I firstly want to say two of the most bizarre red cards in the last two games for Germany that I've ever seen. Why are you pulling a hair, though? What are you thinking? And also, when you've been sent off and you're walking off that pitch saying that's not a red card, what planet are you on, love? You've pulled a bloody hair. Literally. I've never understood that, right? I've never understood why your first reaction would be to Yang. And do you Babe Do you know There's VAR Everyone's watching It's on the screens It's getting looked at You're not escaping it You've literally Yanked her head Her head just went Literally Girls got whiplash You're miles away From the ball as well I just don't understand it There's no reason To do it whatsoever It doesn't make sense It's just so dumb And do you know what I do think France Were the better team And I know we say It doesn't matter But I I do think France Spain would have been like the ultimate semi-final.

23:04It would have been a great semi-final but also like France are just so weird. It's like they can't get past this stage.

23:10Rach:Yeah, but if you don't have any goal, they're battering them. England used to be that struggle. We were on that uphill battle, weren't we? For ages. Like semi-finals for ages but oh my God, like we can't get away with not talking about Anne because what the actual hell. She is unbelievable, you know. Like that defied everything. No one makes that save. There's no female she is the ultimate female keeper like nobody makes the same she that's what i'm saying she's like superhuman like if she's not in goal france are battering them germany didn't have anything forget how good she was all game because she was absolutely incredible like even in the penalties everything like she they need they bloody need to all be shining her shoes the next day after that game let me tell you but that i've watched that save and i'm no expert in goalkeeping but I've watched that save back so many times and I'm just like, the sheer athleticism it takes.

24:02It looks in slow motion though. To do what she's done. And it was off her own player, so it was like a vast natural reaction. The way she's got there, when she sets off and jumps, I'm just like,

24:14Rach:in the moment I was like, how have you just done that? How? She'll be the player that keeps them in the semi-final though. That's what I'm saying. When you've got her in goal, that's where I'm like, I think, oh, but do you know what? If Germany can defend and if Anne has another game like that, I'm like, can Spain defeat that? I don't know. But equally, I've got to give credit to Germany because to go down after 13 minutes to 10 men, bearing in mind they've already gone through all the struggles they've gone through this tournament, previous red card, losing players left and right. To get through a quarterfinal against arguably what we thought was one of the best teams in the competition and play another 107 minutes with 10 players, to be fair, and made the 11th player.

24:57so it's fine but like that's not easy like do you remember when we did it when we played Nigeria for like 60 minutes down to 10 and I was on my arse the hardest game of football I've ever played in my life that was ridiculous that game and they've managed to do that

25:14Rach:for 107 more minutes like fair play yeah you do have to like you said credit where credit's due like to have that mentality and that grit but we've said that always said that about Germany haven't we they find a way they've just always found a way so it could be very interesting though do you have a plan like if that happens have you practiced the idea of going like 60 minutes say without a player not that early on you don't ever expect that maybe like second off like you'd say okay bank or drop in yeah keep the ball like don't just clear it if you need to but if not like we build our way up but you don't do it after 30 minutes because you don't expect your player just to yank someone's bleeding air and get sent off stuff like that infuriates me because I'm just like think you're not thinking without meaning to sort of be I don't mean mean but you just you leave your teammates in such a look you've literally fucked everyone like that's what you've done and you've been go on then 13th minute it just made me laugh when she came off and she was like not a red card I was like on what planet on what planet yet are you going whoop and not getting away with it and saying no red cards But also, why are you pulling a hair in the first place?

26:28Rach:We don't do that in football. It's not even like, that's not how you, what are you doing? I don't know. I don't know why your natural instincts is to just do that. But again, we were like, I don't know why your natural instincts was to just dive on the line and save it with your hands. Well, that's what I'm saying. Surely you've had this conversation like, no more silly red cards now. Let's think about it. Also, you can't blame mental fatigue because it's the 13th minute. It's not like last minute and you're just not thinking and you're knackered. No, like why are you grabbing a hair? You were also touching.

26:55Rach:She was also in a touching distance just to use your shoulder or put your body in. I just think that's two silly red cards. Surely you've had a conversation and been like, guys, come on, this is silly. What are we doing? Well, and also now, given that, I mean, we spoke about it last week, but given that Spain are like the best at draining teams, considering that they've gone through that draining experience already, Spain will just be looking to drag them around all over the place. Oh, they're going to be lapping that up. They'll be playing little tiki-taka. they'll be like yeah patience and also yes and incredible but Spain are one of the best teams at finishing they can put it in the corner the top corner so easily just effortlessly can I just say as well I had such a panic with that Spain-Switzerland game because I went so big the other day I was like Spain are walking all over and taking the piss yeah we did and a bachelor but I said Switzerland going at half time nil nil fair play they were brilliant like they did they did everything that you need to do, right, in one of those games.

27:56Rach:Also, weren't there a player sent off in that game? Yeah, Noelle. Yeah, but didn't she also complain? I'm like, you're the last player and you've chopped her down, not touching the ball. I'll be honest, I didn't see that part of the game. She came off going, it's not red card. And I was like, you've not touched the ball. You're the last player. She's threw a goal. I think it might be a red. But there, again, there's another two penalties missed. I don't know what's happening with these penalties, but some of them are just, I'm just like, what's going on? What is going on here? mitch get your boots on girl come on they are terrible terrible penalties and yeah and and scored so like fair play what a pen that was in the shootout sick but they have it's been the pens have been dreadful up until that shootout the france germany shootout i think it was the worst conversion rate uh for penalties in a major tournament for something like sort of seven or eight major tournaments so it was so bad people have been missing like the the huggerberg ones were were wild i'm sorry she should never be on penalties you've got guru writing and you've got the two of the coldest penalty takers in women's football i'm sorry get off the penalties you got to put your ego aside and let let the penalty takers take them well because guru last last year how many pens did she take for for you guys and she was one of the best on the penalties is Maren Mielder is one of the best at taking penalties.

29:20Rach:You've got two of the best in the world on your team. I wonder what that message is from the sidelines. Is it decided before with her, do you think? Obviously, I know, say, for example, at England, you'll know going into the game, you know who's on penalties, right? But I wonder if there's any conversation around, hang on a minute, why is Guru not on them? Or why is Maren not on them? Because imagine if us being at England, right, and I was the one that was taking the penalties and I was crap at them, right? That's wrong. Not crap, but like my conversion rate wasn't as good as you, let's say. And you're not a natural penalty taker.

29:52Yeah, so like I'd like to think that someone would be like, oh, Millie's better than Rach at that.

29:56Rach:But also I'd feel so uncomfortable. If I were a natural penalty taker, my conversion rate, like you said, weren't the best and there was other players that are like the best, I'd be like, hold on a sec, I don't feel comfortable. Like you should be on this. I love taking penalties, mate. Did you? You're very good at taking penalties. Did you actually like it? Love it. What is it that you like about it? I don't know because I am actually a really bad overthinker, aren't I Millie? Like in normal day-to-day life, like I'm a worrier. Like I think overthink everything. But when it comes to penalties, I'm just like, well, I don't know.