18 November 2025
On Wednesday, 19 November 2025, at 18:45 CET, the Juventus Women’s First Team will take on OL Lyonnes at the Pozzo-La Marmora stadium in Biella. It will be their fourth match of the UEFA Women’s Champions League League Phase.
On the eve of the match against the French side, coach Massimiliano Canzi and Cristiana Girelli spoke at a press conference to preview the showdown.
CRISTIANA GIRELLI
"OL Lyonnes is a team that can count on individual quality from all its players, and over the years they have always impressed me with their consistency and ability to handle pressure. They have changed several players and changed coaches last year, and since I first faced them with Brescia, they have been able to modify their style of play season after season. We will have to play our own game, with courage and our usual hunger, and also be a little brave because against such strong teams you always need to be unpredictable.
"Catching up with [Lisa] Boattin in second place for Bianconere appearances? I didn't know about that statistic; it makes me very proud and catching up with Lisa would be fantastic because she has helped write some very important pages in the history of this club. My focus and that of the team will be just one thing: to play to the best of our ability tomorrow.
“The gap between us and other teams in Europe? It depends on which teams you compare us with. This year's OL Lyonnes are very strong and, as things stand, I would say they are one of the favourites, if not the favourites, to win the Women's Champions League. Our mentality this year, so far, has been that of a winning team, and this is clearly because we have gained experience in the tournament. You can only develop a winning mentality by gaining experience, by playing matches like these. OL Lyonnes, in particular, has been a bit of a barometer for our growth. Since our first double header against them in 2021, we have grown a lot, we have matured, and it's great to be able to compete against them again this year. I expect a top-level match tomorrow. We will need both patience and courage, two fundamental things in this type of game. Paying attention to every little detail can make the difference, because any little mistake can cost you dearly.”
MASSIMILIANO CANZI
"It's clear that, from a motivational and mental point of view, the match against OL Lyonnes prepares for itself. Cristiana certainly used a keyword, which is ‘courage’. It's not the only keyword, but it's the most important one. Courage and awareness of who we are and what we can be will be fundamental. Tomorrow's match will certainly be crucial for our journey in the Women's Champions League, an important crossroads. We take to the pitch to win against any opponent, but we are aware that, in addition to points, goal difference will also count, so this is another important thing to consider.
“The match against Fiorentina? That will certainly be a very important challenge too, but as I've always said, we take it one game at a time, so our focus is solely on OL Lyonnes, a formidable team that has won twelve of its last thirteen UWCL matches. We have a very difficult match ahead of us, but we will give our all to come away with a positive result. Is there one aspect in particular to pay attention to? Yes, everything. Tomorrow, more than ever, we will need to play a perfect game. We are well aware of our opponents' strengths, but we have also identified some small weaknesses and that is where we will need to focus.
“Who won't be there? Barbara [Bonansea] won't be playing, and Eva [Schatzer] probably won't either. Barbara has a minor injury, nothing serious, but it will take some time to recover. We are still assessing Eva, but I can already say that it will be unlikely to see her tomorrow. [Lia] Walti, on the other hand, has a tibial muscle problem, but we hope to have her available for this match.”
