22 October 2023
Lineth Beerensteyn and Cristiana Girelli were are on target as Juventus Women earned a 2-1 victory away at Fiorentina on Sunday afternoon to head into the international break with a perfect record, with five wins from the opening five matches of the 2023/24 campaign.
THE GAME
Juventus were quick out of the blocks in Florence and thought they had taken an early lead through Cristiana Girelli, only to be denied by an offside flag. The hosts were quick to respond through Karin Lundin, who threatened Pauline Peyraud-Magnin’s goal twice in the space of three minutes.
Juve further threatened through Barbara Bonansea and Lineth Beerensteyn, before the latter fired the visitors ahead in the 34th minute of the match.
Joe Montemurro’s side headed into the half time break a goal to the good and were keen to increase their lead immediately after the restart. Girelli, Beerensteyn and Bonansea all troubled the hosts’ defence without managing to double the visitors’ lead.
However, Juve’s strongest spell in the game was to coincide with a Fiorentina goal. Michaela Catena headed home in the 67th minute to level the scores.
Both sides then tried to press for a winner, and it was Juve who prevailed. Marina Georgieva fouled Girelli in the box, who went on to convert the spot kick.
15 minutes of holding on followed before Juventus claimed all three points. The Bianconere head into the international break having won all five of their league matches so far this season, standing them in good stead ahead of their huge clash against Roma.
POST MATCH REACTION
JOE MONTEMURRO
“It was an excellent game. I’d like to congratulate our opponents and the club as a whole – they’re an example of solid foundations for women’s football. We dealt with the challenges posed by a team who counter attack at pace. Our girls did really well – we created a lot of chances even before the penalty. We’re aiming to play with greater fluidity when in possession but I’d also like to focus on how we approach games when the opponents have the ball. We need to show determination to win the ball back quickly – this will lead to good performances.”
CECILIA SALVAI
“Fiorentina are always a challenging opponent – getting points against them is never a given. I’d like to congratulate them on their performance. Their ground is also wonderful. This season’s Serie A is a real battle. The teams are well-drilled and winning the league isn’t going to be straightforward at all.”
FIORENTINA VS JUVENTUS WOMEN 1-2
Goalscorers: Beerensteyn 34, Catena 67, Girelli 77.
Fiorentina: Schroffenegger, Tortelli, Breitner (Parisi 88), Longo (Catena 61), Erzen (Toniolo 82), Mijatovic (Hammarlund 61), Severini (Agard 82), Lundin, Georgieva, Faerge, Boquete Giadans. Unused substitutes: Spinelli, Johannsdottir, Baldi, Zanoli. Coach: Sebastian De La Fuente
Juventus: Peyraud-Magnin, Lenzini (Gama 73), Salvai, Cascarino, Boattin, Caruso, Grosso, Garbino (Thomas 86), Bonansea (Gunnarsdottir 63), Girelli (Nystrom 86), Beerensteyn. Unused substitutes: Aprile, Toniolo, Palis, Bellucci, Sembrant. Coach: Joseph Montemurro
