Guarino: "Empoli are a quality team. We must pay attention."

Juventus Women started the second round of the season with a massive 5-0 win over Verona, celebrating their home debut in the new year in the best possible way. This weekend, though, the Bianconere will direct their attention away from the league and to the Coppa Italia Femminile, where they will take on Empoli in the first of the double-legged affair after having progressed out of the group stage with two wins in as many matches.

Ahead of the match, Coach Rita Guarino has clear ideas about what the objective of her team should be: "When we go out on the pitch, we always try to give our best to be able to bring home the result. Tomorrow's match will be important for our progress in this competition. A possible second Italian Cup trophy? We are focusing on this match rather than winning the trophy. As always, we think game after game so as not to lose sight of our objective.”

Outside of the Italian Cup, the reigning Italian champions will have to face the Tuscan side in three consecutive matches (two in the cup and one in the league): "Clearly it will not be easy to play three times against the same team two weeks apart, consequently several strategies will need to be adopted. It is true that we will face one match at a time and this aspect will be fundamental to keep in mind, in such a way as to think only after the other two fixtures.”

Juventus and Empoli have already met this season, in the opening home fixture of the season at Vinovo on 29 August, where the Bianconere won 4-3 in the 93rd minute: "The match at the end of August was a good match, played well by both teams, despite having made some mistakes that penalised the progress of the match itself. What remains of that match is the correction of those mistakes, but also the awareness of the ability to react in unfavourable situations.”

Finally, Guarino wrapped up with a brief focus on our next opponent: "I expect a match against an opponent I respect, where there are players of undoubted quality. Maximum attention, therefore, on our part and the awareness that great performances will be needed to win these three comparisons. Empoli are not a revelation, but a team of great value, and like the Tuscan team, there are many other teams that have grown a lot. The level of Serie A has risen considerably. In addition, if we add our current unbeaten run, the motivation of our opponents to play against us has risen further, and this aspect forces us to be even more careful.”