02 March 2025
The first Matchday of the Women’s Serie A Poule Scudetto went the way of the Bianconere in the match played at the Pozzo-La Marmora stadium in Biella between Juventus Women’s First Team and Roma. Juventus Women triumphed in a pulsating match full of twists and turns, as Mathilde Harviken’s opener and Cristiana Girelli's wonderful hat-trick, were enough to seal a 4-3 victory.
THE MATCH REPORT
The first chance of the match came via the head of Emma Kullberg, following a corner kick, as she tried to direct the ball goalwards but was unable to find the target. In the 7th minute the Giallorossi hit the crossbar with Manuela Giugliano's shot before Girelli's effort flew over the bar at the other end. It was an intense start to the match, but the best of the action was yet to come. Everything happened between the 19th and 25th minute with the spectators at the Pozzo-La Marmora in Biella witnessing an end-to-end encounter. Harviken gave Juve the lead with a powerful shot, following a rebound in the penalty area, with her effort hitting the crossbar on its way to finding the back of the net; three minutes later came Roma equalised through Moeka Minami and two minutes later they took the lead via Emilie Haavi. In the 25th minute these six hectic minutes reached their pinnacle when Cristiana Girelli, like the fox in the box that she is, latched onto a stray ball and finished with a precise right-footed shot. The main action of the first half was all concentrated in the middle of the period and after 45 minutes of play it was 2-2 in Biella.
The second half began with another quickfire flurry of goals. Girelli got her second goal of the game in the 55th minute following an exchange on the right between Paulima Krumbiegel and Martina Lenzini, with the latter delivering the ball into the area for Girelli who managed to turn the ball in with the outside of her outstretched boot. Two minutes later Evelyne Viens levelled the scoreline following a goalmouth scramble. Then, on the hour mark came Cristiana Girelli's moment of magic, as she sealed her hatrick with a back-heeled volley to put Juventus back in front. In the closing stages, it was Pauline Peyraud-Magnin who was in the centre of the action, as she had to stop two threatening efforts from Giada Greggi from outside the area. Kathrine Moller Kuhl also came close with a right-footed shot that hit the crossbar. A phenomenal Juventus Women were victorious on the first Matchday of the Serie A Poule Scudetto thanks to a 4-3 win over Roma at the Pozzo-La Marmora stadium in Biella.
MASSIMILIANO CANZI
“It was a good game, played with great desire and intensity. We prepared for the match knowing that we would have to play like that, we did well physically until the very end, the attention to detail was there even though we conceded two goals from set pieces. We have to improve on our management of the momentum of the match, but today we did well. Mathilde Harviken and Abi Brighton are improving a lot from a physical and tactical point of view, I'm very happy with their attitude and they slotted into the group immediately. Just as we didn't over-react after the defeat against Roma in the first phase of the league, we won’t get over-excited at the moment. There are still seven games to go, the road is still long. Today I really liked the spirit of sacrifice, the desire to sacrifice for teammates and never giving up until the end as we have in our DNA at Juventus.”
CRISTIANA GIRELLI
“When you win a game like this a hat-trick holds even more importance. I am happy with the goals and the performance, as a great team we endured moments of suffering without ever giving up. It was an important match, but there are seven others and we want to play all of them as if they were finals. I dedicate this hat-trick to us, to those who arrived this year and to those who have always been here. I feel good physically, I'm happy to have had confidence bestowed in me that I'm trying to repay on the pitch. I always want to play, to give everything and I'm happy that today went the way it did.”
MARTINA LENZINI
“This was the first game of the Poule Scudetto, until we have mathematically achieved our goal we don't talk about anything and we continue to work game after game. It is never easy to prepare matches of this calibre in a short time, but the important thing is not quantity but quality, so even after preparing for the match in just a few days we are a strong group capable of being able to do it. Personally I feel good, we have worked exceptionally well with the staff to prepare and perform at our best in every game.”
JUVENTUS 4-3 ROMA
Pozzo La Marmora (Biella), Sunday 2 March, 2025 at 15:30 (CE5T)
Goals: 19’ Harviken (J), 22’ Minami (R), 24’ Haavi (R), 25’ Girelli (J), 54’ Girelli (J), 57’ Viens (R), 60’ Girelli (J)
Juventus: Peyraud-Magnin, Lenzini, Kullberg, Harviken, Krumbiegel, Brighton, Bennison, Bergamaschi (88' Thomas), Bonansea (69' Vangsgaard), Girelli, Cantore (70' Rosucci).
Unused Substitutes: Lehmann, Stolen Godo, Beccari, Cocino, Capelletti, Gallo, Termentini, Proulx.
Coach: Massimiliano Cazi.
Roma: Kresche, Thogersen, Minami, Linari, Di Guglielmo, Corelli (73' Pilgrim), Dragoni (73' Moller Kuhl), Guigliano, Greggi, Viens (60' Giacinti), Haavi.
Unused Substitutes: Ceasar, Glionna, Oladipo, Pandini, Cissoko, Nielsen, Merolla.
Coach: Alessandro Spugna.
Bookings: 10' Brighton (J), 75' Bennison (J)
Next Match:
Juventus-Fiorentina
Women's Coppa Italia - Semi-Final - Second Leg
Thursday, 6 March, 2025 at 18:00 (CET)
Pozzo La Marmora (Biella)
