02 November 2019
Juventus Women dropped their first points of the season when they drew 2-2 to Milan at Monza's Stadio Brianteo on Sunday afternoon. Staskova thought she had snatched the winner when she scored in the 81st minute, but a stoppage time goal by Vitale meant the points were shared.
It was a battle of first versus second, with Juventus coming into the fixture two points above the Rossonere. Rita Guarino was buoyed by the return of Barbara Bonansea in the list of players called up to the team.
The pitch was rain soaked and made it difficult to move the ball around, but that didn’t stop Maurizio Ganz’s team from threatening twice in the opening minute of the game, with Giancinti first striking at the near post and then from range, only for Giuliani to brilliantly deal with the first effort by parrying it around the post, while the second effort smacked the cross bar.
A looping ball fell over the top to an unmarked Eniola Aluko in the box, and as it fell to her, she couldn’t quite get the right hit on the volley and it fell into the palms of Korenciova. The Bianconere took the lead in the 20th minute when the ball was accidently pushed over the line by Milan’s Fusetti from close range following excellently executed cross by Cernoia. The rainy conditions made for difficult playing circumstances, and few chances were created on either end of the field for the remainder of the half.
Staskova was introduced into the game at the start of the second half by replacing Aluko. The Rossonere started the second 45 in the same way they did the first by threatening at Juve’s goal, and they equalised in the 50th minute with a tap-in from Conc. The Bianconere found themselves on the counterattack and Staskova burst into the box, but just before unleashing her effort, the ball was taken from her feet.
Caruso was then brought on in place of Rosucci in the 66th minute. Milan threatened moments later when Refiloe Jane sent in a dangerous across into the box, that Giacinti directed just past her near post. An excellent chance fell to Cernoia, with 15 minutes remaining, when she received the ball inside the box and with space around her, but her effort when agonisingly wide. The victory seemed to have been wrapped up nine minutes from time when Staskova found herself breaking past the last line of defence on the right-hand flank, she burst into the box and made no mistake when blasting it past Korenciova, to make it 1-2. The result was so nearly 2-2 inside stoppage time when a free-kick was delivered into Giuliani's box, it fell to he feet of Bergamaschi, but the Bianconera stopper did excellenly to drop down and make the save.
However, the Rossonere didn’t give up and they did find their equaliser when Vitale she nodded home a header from a long-range free-kick in the last minute of stoppage time to ensure that the spoils were shared.
Milan XI: Korenciova, Hovland, Fusetti, Bergamaschi, Giacinti, Heroum, Jane, Andrade, Conc, Tucceri, Vital
Subsitutes: Piazza, Amaral, Carissimi, Kulis, Zigic, Salvatori, Longo, Tambourini, Mauri
Juventus XI: Giuliani, Hyyrynen, Gama, Sembrant, Boattin, Pedersen, Galli, Cernoia, Rosucci (Caruso 66’), Aluko (Staskova 46’), Girelli
Substitutes: Sikora, Franco, Bonansea, Panzeri, Staskova, Souza Alves, Caruso, Tasselli
