This is because, in six prior encounters in the tournament or qualifying rounds since 1987/88, England has yet to secure a victory.
With one draw and five defeats, resulting in a goal difference of 13-6 in favor of Le Azzurre, it indicates history is decidedly against the Lionesses.
A small glimmer of hope that the defending champions might lean on before the semi-final is their 5-1 victory in a friendly match against them in Spain in February 2024.
Additionally, Italy has only reached the final twice before, in 1993 and 1997, both times losing.
In their last semi-final appearance, Italy triumphed 2-1 over Spain in 1997; however, that was merely their second win in six last-four matches.
Last-minute Italy secures progression
It was solely due to a last-minute goal from Cristiana Girelli in their 2-1 victory against Norway that they managed to advance in this year's tournament as well.
All three of her tournament goals have been scored at the Stade de Geneve, where the semi-final will take place, and her two goals in the quarter-final there made her, at 35 years and 84 days old, the oldest player to score twice in a Women's Euro finals match.
The 35-year-old, participating in her final European Championship and clearly eager to finish on a high note, is in excellent form.
"They're (England) the reigning champions, and we hold them in high regard because they have players capable of changing the game at will," she stated.
"However, we have immense confidence that we can achieve a positive result against any team.
"He (Andrea Soncin, Italy's manager) consistently encourages us to play with bravery and to engage in football because we possess the quality to do so, and both our results and performances currently reflect that."
Battle-tested England prepared for the challenge
Following the chaotic brilliance of England's quarter-final victory over Sweden, marking the first instance of a team overcoming a two-goal deficit in a Women's Euro knockout match, there is little doubt that Sarina Wiegman and her coaching staff would prefer a much smoother route into the final against either Spain or Germany.
“I’m simply reflecting on how this team turned it around once more and demonstrated resilience," she remarked after the "crazy" match against the Swedes.
“At times, we say we’re never finished. Well, tonight, we proved we’re absolutely never finished."
Lauren Hemp concurred: "It just highlights the depth within the squad. We have an exceptional group of players - anyone can come on and influence a game. It’s amazing to have such players in the team."
It’s this indomitable spirit that has characterized England's journey to the semi-finals, and they will be hoping it serves them well as they strive to change history.
Wiegman aiming for a third title
Wiegman, who has been at the helm since September 2021, remains the only coach to have won the Euros with two different nations following her 2017 triumph with theNetherlands, and she will be optimistic about achieving a hat-trick of titles if her squad continues to defy expectations.
So far, 13 different Lionesses have found the back of the net, making England the first team to score over 10 goals in three separate Women's Euros group stages, having previously done so in 2017 and 2022.
Alessia Russo, as anticipated, has scored during the tournament, and she is also currently tied for second in assists after setting up three goals against the Netherlands.
Lauren James, Georgia Stanway and Ella Toone have each netted twice, although all trail behind Spain's Esther Gonzalez, who has four goals so far.
Coincidentally, both teams are participating in their seventh semi-final, although England has reached this stage in four of the last five tournaments. They have also made it to at least the semi-finals in every Women's European Championship and World Cup since 2015.
In four of Italy's previous six appearances in the Women's Euros, they did not advance beyond the group stage - including in 2017 and 2022.
Goals almost guaranteed
Italy has scored first in all four of their matches so far in the 2025 tournament, and with all of England's last 38 Women's Euro finals games featuring at least one goal, the Lionesses should be prepared for a quick start.
For various reasons, another captivating match is on the horizon. Will the Lionesses reach their second consecutive final, or will Le Azzurre follow the path they last took 28 years ago? Game on!
Tune in to follow England vs Italy from 21:00 CET on Tuesday with Flashscore.
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