06 November 2026
The Women's First Team host Sassuolo on Matchday 6 of the Serie A Women season, and coach Isaac Guerrero previewed the action.
The quest for consistency
"We need consistency in our results. Building on the path we started in Vienna and continued in Florence, we must strive for greater balance. This week I was talking to the girls about what I call the “blanket theory”: we must maintain this level of balance when winning the ball back, just as we managed to do in Vienna in a particular context, against an opponent who relies heavily on one-on-one duels and aggressive pressing. We want to maintain this desire to attack going forward, but without losing our ability to dominate the opposition through ball possession. The girls are doing a brilliant job of maintaining this balance and never leaving themselves exposed. Thanks to their commitment, the ‘blanket’ is getting bigger every day, making us as complete a team as possible. We show a lot of character when we have the ball and we’re also improving greatly when we don’t have possession.”
Energy management and physical condition
“I can see the team are in good physical shape. We’re working hard on this aspect to ensure the players feel at their very best physically, mentally and tactically, as these aspects are all interconnected. A real tour de force lies ahead of us: playing five matches in fifteen days, with a game every three days right up until the international break, is a huge challenge for everyone. We’re fortunate to have a squad in which every player is fully involved, they approach their daily training with the utmost focus and are ready to take to the pitch at any moment. With everyone’s contribution, we can achieve anything, and we’re ready to tackle this gruelling fixture list.”
The pitfalls of Sassuolo
“Sassuolo are a side whose quality is far greater than their league position suggests. They were just a few minutes away from beating a very strong side like Como 1907 and have also achieved significant results in the Serie A Women’s Cup against Fiorentina and Roma. They are a dangerous side, capable of causing damage on the counter-attack and boasting a top-class strike partnership. They possess qualities that go beyond what their results have shown so far.
"It’s always the attitude with which we take to the pitch that makes the difference. The key is to play our own game: dominate possession, be patient in moving the ball to draw the opposition out of position, and build on the excellent form we’ve shown in winning back possession over the last two matches. We must be fully focused on ourselves and on what we’re capable of. When this squad gets carried away by our style of play and a strong team spirit, it becomes a side capable of competing against anyone.”
