The Azzurre to take on Malta and Spain in October
27 September 2024
Friday, July 12, 2024
The Azzurre crowding around referee Olofsson is the snapshot that concludes a match dominated by Italy but lacking a breakthrough. The 0-0 draw in Sittard is valuable given the 1-1 draw between Finland and Norway. This result stems from a lack of composure in front of goal and a mistake by the Swedish referee, who failed to see a clear handball by Spitze in the area 15 minutes before the end, allowing the Netherlands to secure a hard-fought draw.
The EURO 2025 qualifying group will wrap up on Tuesday. Andrea Soncin's team, currently in third place due to a worse goal difference than Norway, will host Finland at the Druso Stadium in Bolzano, with the visitors sitting at the bottom with 5 points. A victory for the Azzurre, regardless of the outcome of the other match, would secure direct qualification without the need for playoffs (which would also apply in the case of a draw and a Netherlands win). This would conclude a campaign in which the team has shown great personality, skill, cohesion, and a strong commitment to the shirt.
“The girls played outstandingly," stated Andrea Soncin. "Especially in the first half, we created many clear chances to take the lead. Our play put the opponents under significant pressure. It's a shame because this is yet another match where we could have earned three points, but this is the Italy we want. An Italy that fights and takes pride in wearing the blue shirt".
THE MATCH. In the starting lineup, there were three changes compared to the match against Norway the previous month. Boattin returned in front of Giuliani, taking Bartoli's place on the left and moving Di Guglielmo to the opposite flank. The central defensive partnership featured captain Linari and Lenzini, both of whom had started every group match. In midfield, Greggi was chosen for a more cautious approach instead of Dragoni; playmaking duties were handled by Caruso, with Giugliano on her right, using her skills to excel in the build-up. Up front, Giacinti remained the central striker, supported by Bonansea and Cantore, who was preferred over Bonfantini, the scorer of the decisive 2-0 in the reverse fixture.
The second half opened with a header from the ever-involved Miedema, which narrowly sailed over the bar. A few minutes later, the former Ballon d'Or winner tested Giuliani with a low diagonal shot, but the goalkeeper did well to deny the Manchester City newcomer. On 62', Dragoni and Cambiaghi came on for Greggi and Cantore, a tactical move by the coach to regain control of the match, which had dangerously shifted in favour of the players in orange. Miedema continued to showcase her talent, and on 65', she curled a shot that hit the outside of the crossbar from just outside the box. Just a minute later, Spitze unleashed a powerful strike from the same distance, which, despite a slight deflection, forced the Italian goalkeeper into a spectacular save.
The Netherlands' relentless pressure prompted Soncin to substitute Salvai for Giacinti. With three central defenders, the Azzurre regained their composure. On 75', they passionately appealed for a clear penalty for a handball by Spitze. However, the referee signalled to continue play, to the relief the 9,000 spectators present at the stadium. In the final minutes, Bonfantini received a second yellow card, leading to her expulsion and forcing the Azzurre into a tense finish. Despite this, they displayed great resilience and managed to avoid a last-minute setback.
NETHERLANDS 0-0 ITALY
NETHERLANDS (4-4-2): Kop; Casparij (46’ Wilms), Spitze, Janssen, Brugts; Van de Donk, Groenen, Kaptein, Grant; Miedema, Beerensteyn (’86’ Snoeijs). Unused Subs: de Jong, Weimar, Van der Zanden, Buurman, Van Dongen, Nijstad, Ripa, Leuchter, Jansen R., Egurrola. Coach: Andries Jonker
ITALY (4-3-3): Giuliani; Di Guglielmo, Lenzini, Linari, Boattin; Giugliano (’84’ Severini), Caruso, Greggi (62’ Dragoni); Bonansea (71’ Bonfantini), Giacinti (71’ Salvai), Cantore (62’ Cambiaghi). Unused Subs: Baldi, Schroffenegger, Bartoli, Bergamaschi, Beccari, Glionna, Piemonte. Coach: Andrea Soncin
Referee: Tess Olofsson (SWE). Assistants: Almira Spahić (SWE) and Niklas Nyberg (SWE). Fourth official: Eva Svärdsudd (SWE)
Note: Booking: Giugliano (I), Red card for two bookings: Bonfantini (I). Attendance 9000
Calendar, results and table of Group 1 (League A)
Matchday 1: ITALY 2-0 Netherlands, Norway 4-0 Finland
Matchday 2: Finland 2-1 ITALY, Netherlands 1-0 Norway
Matchday 3: Norway 0-0 ITALY, Netherlands 1-0 Finland
Matchday 4: Finland 1-1 Netherlands, ITALY 1-1 Norway
Matchday 5: Finland 1-1 Norway, Netherlands 0-0 ITALY
Matchday 6 (16 July): ITALY vs. Finland (19:00 CEST, Bozen), Norway vs. Netherlands (19:00 CEST, Bergen)
Table: Netherlands 8 points, Norway and ITALY 6, Finland 5