The score indeed stays the same until the end: both Italian teams open their campaign with a minimal-margin victory.
Doesn't matter, Juve knows how to suffer.. Think it will be a quite different game at home with a non-plastic turf, but Vålerenga deserved at least a draw
Highlights in Italian from yesterday's match (apparently, for the Italian market, DAZN decided to adopt the same no-replays policy FIGC's YouTube channel follows: basically there are replays of the goal only, despite other interesting actions that could have deserved the same treatment ): At 25, Sofia Cantore is no more just a "young talent": she's most probably at the peak of her career and it looks like she finally grew into a difference-making player for her team. Juventus have to ride her brilliant form and maximize the end product of it: that's what they're doing in this beginning of the season. Of course they've also been lucky in this match vs Vålerenga, but they anyway put themselves in the best position to make use of any lucky circumstance. Other players shone in the evening: Barbara Bonansea, after the good performance vs PSG (including the goal that shut down the clash), confirmed that she keeps being relevant at this level. She had a lot of good actions, but what stands out of her game is the pass to Chiara Beccari in the action that led to the goal and the save on the goal-line in the first half (there was no replay and everything is confused, but I am quite sure that the ball from Olaug Tvedten's header have hit her back). Late in the 2nd Half there was another save on the goal-line, again from a CK-action and again from an header by Tvedten, if I am not wrong: this time it was Viola Calligaris saving the day. For some reason UEFA gave the Player of the Match Award to Estelle Cascarino (a general tribute to Juventus' defense?). In the end, Vålerenga was very dangerous multiple times, not only with the headers I mentioned, but also with Karina Sævik, who was a constant danger with her dribblings and serpentines in the box, but Juventus held the fort quite well and could have even scored a second goal from one of their counterattack-actions, if Amalie Vangsgaard had adjusted her aim a little. 3 points in this match were key, considering the other teams of this group: now Juventus of course have to especially target Arsenal in their rush for the second place.
No, but it's easier to keep at bay an opponent that's already three points behind, than one that's level. Basically, Juventus will have to concentrate on not losing to Arsenal and doing better than them vs Bayern. It's also mental: being currently ahead of them is a big boost.
Two Serie A's matches today; it's a shame Juventus-Roma hasn't been scheduled for today, since both teams will have to play important matches in the Champion's League midweek. Sassuolo and Fiorentina basically had one strong half each: in the first one, the home team scored with a wonderful lob by Gina Chmielinski, at her second goal in two consecutive weeks, and hit the crossbar with a nice FK by Cecilia Prugna. But Fiorentina took the 2nd Half and made it count: Sassuolo seem to be worth more than their lonely single point in 6 match-days would suggest, but their defensive shortcomings are too much glaring and Fiorentina had the perfect offense-line to exploit them. The equalizer came quite early with Agnese Bonfantini, and it looked more unlucky than faulty from Sassuolo's defense; later, though, Aurora De Rita (who had anyway been good at supporting Sassuolo's offense until that moment) basically trapped the ball in the box at a few inches from the goal-line for Emma Severini, who easily scored. A few minutes later Agnese Bonfantini was fouled in the box: Vero Boquete converted the subsequent PK and it was end of the game. So Fiorentina catch up with Juventus at the top of the rankings, waiting for Juventus-Roma tomorrow. Inter didn't have it easy in Como. In the end, the only separation between the two teams is the early goal scored by Michela Cambiaghi at 12'. Como didn't stop chasing the equalizer all game, but Inter defended well and managed to take home the full three points. Not a pretty match, but top-teams need to win those ones also. I've got the impression that Tessa Wullaert was a key-signing for Inter this season: her run and crosses from the Left-Side were basically the only dangers that Inter created this evening (including the action of the goal). Today's scores: Sassuolo 1-3 Fiorentina Como 0-1 Inter Today's highlights:
The match-day was completed today with three games. The first one was the big match of this match-day and, basically, of the whole league, to the point that, exceptionally, Juventus had the chance to play it at the Allianz Arena of Turin (normally, the attendance of a match of the women's league In Italy wouldn't be enough to justify its use ). Well, the match certified what was obvious for everyone to see in this beginning of the season, both domestically and in Europe: Juventus are back at the level of their 5 consecutive titles between 2017 and 2022 and they're currently way stronger than Roma. Of course, along with the form there is also the strategy to take into account, and even by this point of view Massiliamo Canzi seemed to have outplayed Alessandro Spugna: starting Lindsey Thomas could have been seen as a normal rotation to manage the challenging string of domestic and Champions' League's matches, but actually her runs on the Right-Side looked like the weapon that caught Roma off-balance in the 1st Half. On the other hand, the choice of once again keeping Valentina Giacinti on the bench and only inserting her in the 2nd Half seemed odd: resting her for a few matches or even "punishing" her for some game because of her current lower converting ratio could make sense, but it now looks like Spugna doesn't see her as part of his best 11 anymore and this is probably too much. Anyway, in the 1st Half, Juventus' dominance was complete and the goals that made it clear were scored by their two fittest player at this moment: Barbara Bonansea, who looks like she's having a second youth at age 33, and Sofia Cantore, at her 6th goal of the season already, between domestic league and Champions' League. The goal scored at 90'+3' by late sub Benedetta Glionna was too liitle too late and gives the final score the false impression of a close match: Roma were sure better in the 2nd Half than in the 1st, but they anyway never gave the impression of actually being able to get back in the game. So Juventus keep their perfect record and one have to wonder who they could realistically lose points to, this year. Roma not only see the title slip away from their hands: at this rate, even a Champions' League worthy placement could become a problem! The other two matches were Lazio-Napoli and Milan-Sampdoria: since I didn't watch them live and FIGC's YouTube channel haven't uploaded their highlights yet at midnight of Sunday, I'll postpone my comment about these two games to tomorrow, when I'll have the chance to watch something of them. Meanwhile, I'll leave you with the scores, here below, and with the updated rankings. The matches of today: Juventus 2-1 Roma Lazio 0-0 Napoli Milan 1-0 Sampdoria The rankings (as usual, goal difference and goals scored are in brackets): Juventus 18 (+13, 20 goals scored) Fiorentina 15 (+6, 13 goals scored) Inter 14 (+11, 15 goals scored) Milan 10 (+1, 6 goal scored) Roma 9 (+3, 11 goals scored) Lazio 6 (-1, 8 goals scored) Como 4 (-6, 6 goals scored) Napoli 4 (-6, 3 goal scored) Sampdoria 2 (-12, 2 goal scored) Sassuolo 1 (-9, 8 goals scored) The highlights (the only ones available at the moment):
Totaly agree about Giacinti, as I think I said before, she has a very high level in her and her timing of her runs are almost second to none in the leauge. .. Anyway Juve was really good in the first half, best since the PSG-game. It is incredible that they played so well, given I thought Juve's line up looked like a 2nd-string one, but Canzi makes everyone give there best it seems like.. Only thing I think has been a bit frustrating with his tactics is the end of the games, well last 2 games at least. I think they becomes much too defensively focused and passive at the end of games.It was almost comical seeing Vangsgaard run for the corner flag in the 75-minute . Think that is a dangerous mentality, but they probably saved some energy and they for sure were a bit tired in the end, but still.. . About, the other games I saw some highlights on Milan-game and it looked like a well deserved win for Milan, maybe Bakker is on to something. In the other match, which btw I still think you can see on youtube for free on Dazn, but please don't to save your time., Lazio tried and tried but was very harmless close to goal and Napoli just sat back with their Neandertal version of football. Piemonte was really bad, she is no Girelli with the ball that's for sure, and Napoli is a really meaningless team, hope they go down, honestly.Sassuolo is actually maybe the most entertaining of the bottom 5-teams, so I really hope they stay up, but their defence has really been a weakness.
In the highlights I counted 5 chances each (4:1 Juve in first half, 4:1 Roma in second half). In the last 10 minutes Roma had a free kick against the post, a must score chance for Linari and the goal after some comical defence by Juve. So I had a different impression based on these highlights. What I don't like in your ranking is that I can't see the conceded goals. So I should mention that Milan (Giuliani) had conceded less goals (5) than all the Champions League clubs (Juve 7, Fiorentina 7, Roma 8).
The highlights lied, Juve were the much better team and played brilliant football in the first half scoring 2 goals. In the second part of the second half Juve stopped playing football and classicaly italian tried to sit on the lead, there was also a bit of tiredness adding to this. Roma were kinda effective one must say, they didn't feel dangerous but nevertheless created a lot of chances, I think almost all of those 4 were in the last 20 min.
On the other hand, Milan, with just 6 goals, scored less than half the goals of the teams ahead of them in the rankings (Juventus 20, Fiorentina 13, Inter 15) and just a little more than half the goals of Roma (11). So, probably you and @dravde are onto something when you say that the GK (and the defense in general) are one of the strengths of Milan, although Laura Giuliani didn't have to make any particularly difficult save vs Sampdoria. Indeed Milan now had three consecutive wins with the minimal margin of 1-0 and I agree that the one vs Sampdoria was the most deserved of the three, although the home team's constant pressure didn't come with a clinical finishing: most of Milan's shots were weak, or central, or wide (Amanda Tampieri was actually challenged in just a few cases, and she mostly answered well: although she's a little rough around the edges, I can see why she was once called by Andrea Soncin for a NT's training camp and even played in a lonely friendly match); in the end, one of the few players who had managed to actually be somehow dangerous throughout the whole match, Evelyn Ijeh, was rewarded with the goal at 70' (and, just after that, the higlights that I am posting below suddenly end, without even the traditional final-whistle scene, as if someone had cut short with the editing ). So with this winning streak of 1-0s, Milan even manage to pass Roma in the ranking: is it more by Milan's merit or by Roma's fault? Only time will tell. The other missing match, judging by the highlights, was a quite forgettable one, as @dravde had suggested. Lazio made the game but couldn't finish well, and bumped against what looked like an old-time-style catenaccio by Napoli. Martina Piemonte looked awkward and whiny, while a player I like a lot who seem to have started the season on a right foor is Eleonora Goldoni. Lazio, at the moment, are the first team in the bottom-half of the rankings, but it's just because they're not able to win games like this one (as seen vs Milan a pair weeks ago) that they're anyway 3 points behind the top-half and it won't be easy for them to reach the title pool: maybe, though, they are the only team, among the bottom ones, who have at least an half-chance to make it (Como could look similar on paper, but they're even more behind already). .
I agree Tampieri is good. Actually think Serie A-standard for gks are quite well, was worse a few years ago I think, but Guiliani as @Lohmann and I knows is the cream of the crop Yea Milan looks like they done a reversed Juve, start with a tight defence and then hope somebody can star to score, while Juve scored a lot of goals, but let in a lot until they achieved the right balance or something. I think Milan's defence looks pretty solid with Soffia(soon a regular NT-player I think) ,Piga, Finnish international Koivisto and the new upcoming player and then they got more than decent Swaby on the bench, a lot better defence than Fiorentina IMO. Add to this tight defence some smartness in Mascarello/Cernoia and the talented Mrs Ijeh and it doesn't look to shabby. Well done Bakker! Roma-Milan could be interesting, but you would think Roma will be very hungry in that game, so I think Gulian's gonna work.
Well, that's basically what I meant: "Only time will tell (very soon)". No way: I see Bayern took things very seriously, by losing to Wolfsburg not to compromise their Champions' League's campaign, so Juve has to give respect to that attitude and to show up with their best 11! Jokes apart, I wonder if Inter can somehow hinder Juventus' run for the title, that seems almost unstoppable at the moment, although their wasted chances allowing Milan to come back in the derby don't look promising. On the other hand, who else could otherwise challenge them on the domestic scene? Roma just lost and was left 9 points behind. Fiorentina are 2nd-placed at just 3 points, but they've been bludgeoned by Juve in the direct clash. Milan anything? So, if Inter can't take points from them, I am not sure who could.
In the old format I think it would be tough, but now all top teams face each other 4 times, Roma actually still got everything totaly in their own had, three wins against Juve and it's a question of goals scored. Regarding Fiorentina I still don't believe in them to finnish 3rd, I think there a reason they lose big, take out Boquete and press their defence and I think you got a good chanse of winning and winning big if you're a quality team. As long as Fiorentina can dictate the games I think theyre excellentm not so much pressed. Anyway let's see,,
No need to repost Bayern's starting 11, kindly provided by @Lohmann here above. For what concern Juventus, this is the line-up: JUVENTUS: Peyraud-Magnin; Calligaris, Kullberg, Cascarino; Krumbiegel, Caruso (C), Bennison, Schatzer, Boattin; Cantore, Vangsgaard. On the bench: Proulx, Capelletti, Lehmann, Rosucci, Girelli, Bonansea, Bragonzi, Beccari, Thomas, Bergamaschi, Gallo, Lenzini. Coach: Canzi. Emma Kullberg (who started and played well vs Roma) has been preferred to Martina Lenzini. Lisa Boattin is finally back (was just on the bench vs Roma, but she wasn't subbed-in at any point)! Valentina Bergamaschi was sacrificed: not sure about that, she looked in a good form. On the offense-line, Sofia Cantore is a no brainer and she of course starts; no Barbara Bonansea instead, no Chiara Beccari and no Cristiana Girelli: Amalie Vangsgaard gets the nod: let's hope she's less wasteful than vs Roma.