01 May 2022
It was a game full of goals and excitement in Vinovo as Juventus Women faced Milan in the Coppa Italia semi-final. The first leg had seen Joe Montemurro’s side secure a hefty advantage, beating the hosts 1-6 in Milan. Things weren’t quite so simple this time around as the Bianconere had to come from behind in an eight-goal thriller, winning 5-3 in the end.
In their fourth kit (powered by Adidas & Kobra), rather than the iconic black and white strip, Juve did not get off to the start they hoped for, going behind early on to Lindsey Thomas’s goal. Valentina Bergamaschi then doubled Milan’s advantage not long into the second half. The Bianconere were quick to react, reducing the deficit through Andrea Staskova just a couple of minutes later. However, Bergamaschi once again extended the visitor’s lead. The scoreline didn’t threaten Juve’s qualification chances, but they weren’t about to accept defeat: Staskova got a second to make it 2-3, Barbara Bonansea equalised with a wonderful effort, Arianna Caruso converted a penalty to put them ahead and Lisa Boattin, wearing the captain’s armband, sealed the deal with a fifth. They now face a head-to-head with Roma in the final.
Ahead of the game, Montemurro stuck with his customary 4-3-3 formation: Aprile in goal; Lundorf, Lenzini, Sembrant and Boattin in defence; Grosso, Rosucci and Caruso in midfield; Bonfantini, Staskova and Nilden upfront. It was clear from the get-go that Juve would control the game, but it was Milan who broke the deadlock. Thomas beat the offside trap and lobbed the ball over Roberta Aprile.
Going a goal down didn’t change the game. Juve continued to dominate possession and Milan were looking for opportunities to counter. Staskova came close to drawing the hosts level and Martina Rosucci couldn’t quite get to the second ball from Arianna Caruso’s corner. For Milan, it was Thomas up top who always looked like their most dangerous player, but Aprile seemed to have things under control. With no more goals before half-time, Milan went in with the advantage at the interval.
The second half proved to be quite a rollercoaster and just a few minutes in, it was quite clear that there would be drama. On 49 minutes, Bergamaschi was one-on-one with Aprile and managed to double Milan’s advantage. However, just two minutes later, Staskova halved their lead, capitalising on Selina Delia Babb’s parry from Caruso’s effort. On 55 minutes, Agnese Bonfantini came close to bringing the game level, but somewhat surprisingly, it was Milan who found the back of the net again in their next attack, with Bergamaschi bagging her second.
At 1-3, Juve were still in the driving seat for getting through to the next round, but Milan were starting to dream bigger. The Bianconere had no intention of losing, however, and upped their game. Staskova got another and then Bonansea equalised with a fantastic effort. The team’s desire to win was growing at 3-3. Caruso put in a brilliant long ball for Bonfantini who, as she went to strike, was taken out by Linda Tucceri Cimini. The Milan midfielder was awarded a red card and Juve a penalty, which Caruso converted. In the final few minutes, it was the captain Boattin who got the final goal. She put away a stylish tap-in following an effort from Nicole Arcangeli’s, who did really well after coming on.
Juve are in the final of the Coppa Italia, where they will play Roma. The game is scheduled for 22 May.
