09 September 2021
Juventus Women qualified for the UEFA Women’s Champions League Group Stages after defeating Vllaznia 1-0 on Thursday evening at Vinovo, to win Round 2 3-0 on aggregate.
The Bianconere came into the game with a two-goal advantage having won the first leg in Albania 2-0 courtesy of goals from Girelli and Hurtig.
The first dangerous play arrived in the sixth minute when Hurtig’s cross met Bonfantini, she sliced it, but it ricocheted off a defender and allowed the visitors to clear. Sofie Pedersen then forced a save out of James-Buhigas with her glancing header from Lenzini’s cross, before Boattin blazed an effort just wide at the back post.
Despite Joe Montemurro’s ladies dominating play, Vllaznia were proving a tough opponent to breakdown. The breakthrough did come in the 33rd minute of play when Bonfantini’s pull back by the byline found Staskova, and she tapped it home from point-blank range.
Into the second half, and things were equally as tight between the two teams. It was so nearly 2-0 when Lundorf’s long-range strike rattled the crossbar, before Pedersen nodded a second effort just wide.
Hurtig was proving to be a threat down the left side of play, while Lenzini unleashed a bullet from range that sailed high of the target. Cristiana Girelli, who came on in place of Pedersen in the 75th minute, came agonizingly close to getting on the scoresheet with a curling effort that sailed inches wide of the target.
The final moments of the game saw Hurtig denied by James-Buhigas, while Pfattner, who was making her Champions League debut, went down in the box after a challenge, in which the referee waved played on. Nonetheless, the game ended in a victory for the Women, who progressed to the next around of the Champions League.
