Coach Massimiliano Canzi gave his thoughts ahead of the friendly encounter that will see the Women’s First Team face Lyon in France on Saturday 7th September at 17:00 CEST.
The challenge against the French side was one of various topics discussed by the Bianconere coach, who also reflected on the victory against Sassuolo, as well as looking ahead to the upcoming UWCL draw - scheduled to take place on Monday 9th September at 13:00 CEST in Nyon. He also highlighted the excellent work carried out by the Juventus Youth Sector in recent years, which has recently seen Azzurra Gallo, the latest of a long list of players, sign her first professional contract with our club.
THE LEAGUE OPENER
“When you get three points you can only be happy, so the goals we scored against Sassuolo are positive signs. The three goals we conceded, on the other hand, are something we have been concentrating on over the last few days. We spent the week working on those details that didn't work in the league opener. The girls are amazing in this regard. They have an extraordinary capacity for self-analysis. What I pointed out in our post-match analysis they had already noticed, and for a coach it is nice when this happens.
THE FASCINATING FRIENDLY AGAINST OL
“The test against Lyon will be extremely exciting. This friendly will be crucial for us to test what we have done in training this week and playing against a top team like OL will raise our bar even higher. The learning process happens earlier when dealing with high-level opponents like Olympique Lyonnais. This encounter will definitely serve us well ahead of Round 2 of the Champions League, but before the first leg of the UWCL we will have a tough challenge in the league against Como Women, who won against AC Milan in their opening game of the season. It is imperative for us to think about one match at a time.
THE UWCL DRAW
“What should we expect from the draw? Being ninth in the UEFA ranking, a complicated double round, a difficult draw awaits us. The match against Bayern Munich, in a friendly, showed us that we can play against very good teams and the challenge against Lyon will give further indications of our performance at European level. We know that we will face a very tough opponent in the UWCL, but we also know that we will play as the best version of ourselves.
THE YOUTH SECTOR: A FEATHER IN OUR CAP
“However prepared the girls come out of the Youth Sector, the jump to the senior side is a very important one. Going from other teams - in Serie B or even Serie A - is a completion of one's growth. Clearly, if there were the possibility of having a Second Team as the Men's Sector already has, the girls could complete this path of growth ‘at home’, but as there is no such possibility, the experience gained in other teams in competitions where points start to count is certainly fundamental for them. Recently Azzurra Gallo, a girl who began her path with Juventus at Under 14 level, signed her first professional contract and this is further proof that our Youth Sector is working well.”