06 December 2018
Juventus Women started their New Year as they ended 2018 - with a convincing win. Follow yesterday's victories for both Milan and Fiorentina, the Bianconere responded with a win of their own to return themselves to the top of the Serie A table.
The match was sealed in the second half with goals from Eniola Aluko and Benedetta Glionna. The first half was a balanced one between the two sides, with the home side going closest to scoring after five minutes, as Doris Bacic was forced to intervene on a Chievo attack to palm a strike onto the crossbar.
However, the Bianconere began to grow into the game with Aurora Galli and Arianna Caruso both seeing chances flash just wide of the post. Towards the end of the half Juve began to turn the screw even more and a double chance minutes before the end had Barbara Bonansea's cross almost turn in at the near post, before Lisa Boattin's follow-up went inches wide of the base of the goal.
Juventus restarted the second half strongly, and after a quarter-hour of pressing the breakthrough finally came. A ball into the box caused a scramble with Chievo desperately trying to clear but Aluko popped up in the right place at the right time to poke home. It was the England international's tenth goal of the season and she wasn't done there, as 10 minutes later her cross into the box from the left found Glionna at the far post, and the Italian forward lashed her effort into the roof of the net to double Juve's lead.
The Bianconere attempted to increase their margin through efforts from substitute, Ashley Nick and Bonansea but the two goals proved to be enough, as Juventus Women took all three points home to Turin. Juve start their year in the best way possible, and up next is a return home to Vinovo against Florentia on Saturday 12 January.
POST MATCH COMMENTS
"It's never easy to start again after the break, but we've done well today: Our approach was great in terms of winning the ball back, creating chances and then controlling the game." (Boattin and Galli at the end of the match)
"I was starting to worry about the result when it was 0-0 - said Coach Rita Guarino - because I know the pitfalls of the first games after the break. In the second half, however, the girls were good at unlocking and then dominating the game. We found a reinvigorated Chievo, a very organised team that closed the spaces well. In the first half, we also made some mistakes too, but then we grew into the match."
"This is a season that started with some difficulties, but now the team has found its own pace. Faced with a challenge, the girls were organised and found the right balance. But this league confirms that we must always maintain the highest possible focus. (Stefano Braghin, Head of the Academy Organizational Department and Juventus Women)
