Bianconere continue perfect start with late win at Lazio | OneFootball

The Women’s First Team had to dig in and show every bit of their fighting spirit on Saturday afternoon, but they did just that and managed to take maximum points home with a late 2-1 win away at Lazio.

Sofia Cantore appeared from the bench to snatch the winner and continue her impressive run of form, after Eva Schatzer’s first goal with the first team had been cancelled out by an Eleonora Goldoni header.

THE MATCH

The Bianconere started on the front foot and looked to get forward and trouble Sara Cetinja in the Lazio goal whenever they could, even with Coach Massimiliano Canzi having made a number of changes in between their two legs of the Women’s Champions League tie with Paris Saint-Germain.

Eva Schatzer struck first to open her Juventus account, but Lindsey Thomas’ fine work on the right was to thank for the breakthrough being found. Thomas drove to the byline inside the hosts' box, from where she perfectly teed up Schatzer who arrived in the box in perfect time to send a half-volley beyond Cetinja and into the back of the net. That strike saw Schatzer become the Bianconere’s 10th different goalscorer in Serie A this season, and just 10 minutes into Matchday 3.

But Lazio were always likely to be tough opponents, and the Biancoceleste showed no signs of lying down and accepting defeat. The hosts drew level when Eleonora Goldoni climbed highest in the box and did well to head home past Pauline Peyraud-Magnin.

Both sides went looking to get themselves ahead, and each had their chances, the best for the Bianconere coming as Cristiana Girelli flicked a header onto the roof of the net from a corner, while Pauline Peyraud-Magnin had to be at her reactive best to deny the hosts the advantage.

The goal that would prove to be the winner finally came with under 10 minutes to play, and it was substitute Sofia Cantore who got it, continuing her incredible run of form. A ball into the box turned momentarily scrappy, but it found its way to Sofi at the back post and she expertly lifted in over Cetinja’s head for her fifth goal in as many Serie A games, and her sixth in six outings between the league and Women’s Champions League.

Lazio then pushed to restore parity and came close with Giusy Moraca seeing her shot from range clip the top of the crossbar, and Paulina Krumbiegel was called upon to heroically turn a header away from right under the crossbar.

But, the points were sealed and return safely home to Turin, meaning the Bianconere continue their 100% record to start the 2024/25 season.

MASSIMILIANO CANZI’S POST-MATCH COMMENTS

“I have to give compliments to Lazio, they played their game really well, they put us in difficult but we did well to resist and to keep looking for the winner right until the end. We were well and fortunate in some situations, but it’s a good sign that we were able to hold them off.

“I’m very happy for both [Eva Schatzer and Martina Rosucci]. Starting with Eva, she’s still very young but she’s working hard and improving a lot, and she’s always been ready to play when we’ve needed her. Martina is working well, she’s working a lot. Of course she’s not exactly where she wants to be physically because she’s been out for a year and a half so that’s very normal. Today we put her on at a very important time in a finely balanced game, so we know what she can do and we didn’t rush her. We know how important she is, and she showed that by coming on in an important moment.

“Now, from tomorrow morning we’ll be thinking about the Women’s Champions League against PSG, which will be a very tough game.”

MARTINA ROSUCCI’S POST-MATCH COMMENTS

“Finally after a long time I’ve officially returned to playing. I had already come back for a friendly, but today I returned to playing in a competitive game and it’s an incredible feeling. I looked forward to this moment every day, and now I’ve done it.

“Anybody who knows me would know that these tears were inevitable. There’s a lot of things behind the tears, but a lot of happiness. In a lot of moments I couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, but even if I couldn’t see it I believed it was there and I knew this moment would come. So those tears were tears of freedom and happiness, and in life when bad things happen if you don’t give up then something good can always come after it.”