Champions, Girelli’s brace saves Juve with Wolfsburg

Juve drew at home with Wolfsburg (2-2) and kept alive the hopes of qualifying for the quarter-finals of the Women’s Champions League. After the home defeat with Chelsea, the bianconere snatch a point in full recovery, so as to remain glued to the Germans who have only one point advantage in the group standings, behind Chelsea. The girls from Montemurro will have to try the feat on German soil, before appearing on the Chelsea field (another prohibitive commitment) and close the grouping at home with the modest Servette. Queen of the evening Cristiana Girelli: hers is the double that Juve holds in full competition, among the top sixteen teams in Europe.

BUCK AND ANSWER

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Complex evening: Montemurro ranks from the first Caruso, who had stayed out with Chelsea, and keeps Hurtig on the bench, advancing Cernoia in the offensive trident with Girelli and Bonansea. The idea is to hurt on fast transitions as the Germans try to assert physical superiority. Rauch engages Peyraud-Magnin, safe in the opening episode. Later the bianconere pass with Girelli, who closes an excellent filter from Caruso at the net, good at continuing the action all of before together with Bonansea. The joy of the eleven thousand at the Allianz Stadium lasts only a couple of minutes, because at 25 ‘Lattwein collects a short header from Gama (to ward off an insidious cross from Hendrich’s right) and bags with a great blow from outside the area . The inertia of the match returns again in favor of the host team, who try to exploit the moment by becoming dangerous near the Juventus goal in two or three other circumstances.

GERMAN OVERTAKE

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At 32 ‘Roord – that Montemurro coached a few years ago at Arsenal like Janssen – tries again from a distance: the Juventus goalkeeper is keeping a good watch this time. But he risks even before the interval, on a shot from a few meters by Wassmuth who crosses the entire face of the goal without any deviation. The first good opportunity at the beginning of the second half happens between Caruso’s feet, served in the area by Pedersen but blocked by three opponents at the time of the conclusion. But Wolfsburg immediately responded with an attempt from the edge by Huth, saved. And he completes the overtaking in the 64th minute with Wassmuth, at the end of a profitable transition started from his own half by Oberdorf and subsequently worked by Roord on the trocar and by Hendrich for the assist from the right: 2-1 for the Germans and the race further ascent for the girls of Montemurro.

LOOK AS A DREAM

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Fresh forces for Juve: inside Hurtig, Staskova and Bonfantini to revive the attack, in support of Girelli. Montemurro’s choices will prove to be decisive, but first it is Roord who becomes dangerous with a low shot that goes off just wide. At the ninetieth the Germans remain in ten for the expulsion of Rauch: a clear foul on Bonfantini. Juve still believes in it and draws precisely on the developments of the free kick beaten by Cernoia, defended with teeth by Bonfantini and again by Staskova, who finds and serves Girelli: the goal of the new ten makes the fans explode with joy in the stands – between they also the president Andrea Agnelli – and the race for second place in the group reopens. An evening of Champions which therefore ends in the best possible way, and which will be remembered as another historic stage of the Juventus Women project.