29 September 2018
Juventus Women continued their rich vein of form with a convincing win in Tuscany against Florentia. Another match and another win for the Bianconere, and it was a game they dominated for long periods. After a relatively balanced first half hour of football, it took some splendid play from Barbara Bonansea to break the deadlock. She struck a wonderful free-kick into the net with 27 minutes played to give Juventus a first-half advantage. The forward struck again just six minutes after the break, finishing off from Valentina Cernoia’s assist, putting Juventus in a commanding position. Florentia did have an opportunity to halve the deficit, when they were awarded a penalty after Petronella Ekroth’s handball, but Evelyn Vicchiarello fired over the bar. When given the same chance on 67 minutes, Cernoia did not spurn the opportunity. She scored from the spot to give Juventus a 3-0 lead, putting the match to bed and preserving the team’s unbeaten streak. There was also time for new arrival Ashley Nick to make her debut for the club. She entered the fray with nine minutes to play.
Speaking after the match, coach Rita Guarino said: “This result comes after an important and difficult week for us. The reaction from the girls was great. Our aim is to be competitive in every match, taking each one as it comes.” Meanwhile Sara Gama added: “This wasn’t an easy game. Florentia have shown themselves to be obdurate opposition and they’ll definitely make life difficult for many teams.”
