Italy started on Thursday evening with a 1-0 (1-0) victory against Belgium to the women of women in Switzerland. The team of coach Andrea Soncin was not able to convince in Sion for a long time. In the end, a goal of Bayern striker Arianna Caruso made the difference against offensive harmless Belgians.
Before their first game in Switzerland, the Italians had repeatedly emphasized that they wanted to do it better this year than at the 2017 European Championships in the Netherlands and in 2022 in England: there they lost their opening games and had already driven home both times after the preliminary round. There was also an invoice with the Belgians, who had won the direct duel 1-0 in the group phase in England.
The revenge succeeded. And so after the first 90 minutes in Group B this time it looks really better for the Vice European Champions from 1993 and 1997. On the way to the quarter-finals, two heavy opponents are waiting in the preliminary round with Portugal next Monday (July 7th, 205, 6 p.m.) and the Spanish world champions (July 11th).
But the opening victory also motivates the Italians for these tasks, as Coach Soncin emphasized: “We know that we can and have to improve, but I am very satisfied with the attitude of all players. We want to be in the tournament for a long time. So we stay on the floor with our feet and work on improving.”
Deirling: “The disappointment is great”
Belgium, on the other hand, may not allow any further slips after the opening loss if the co-round is to be reached. This was also cleared by midfielder Hannah Eurling after the game: “The disappointment is great. (…) If you don’t win the first game or play a tie, it will be more difficult. Especially when Spain is next to it”said the new addition of Union Berlin in the UEFA interview. Above all, she struggled that, despite great efforts, her team could hardly score scoring opportunities: “Maybe it was because of the weather. We are usually good at counterattacks, but today it was difficult for every ball win.”
Mead of silence for Diogo Jota and his brother
Even before the beginning of the 90 minutes between Belgium and Italy, the fans had spread a good atmosphere in the stadium on the edge of the Alps. But after singing the national anthems, it became very quiet shortly before the start of the game: there was a minute’s silence for the Portuguese international Diogo Jota from FC Liverpool and his brother André Silva. They died in a car accident in Spain in the early morning – the news had shocked the news of the football.
Disassemned game in the Stade de Tourbillon
With the kick -off of the Swiss referee Désirée Grundbacher, the focus later was on football with the kick -off. Both teams relied on a similar tactic in the sold -out Stade de Tourbillon in Sion: with high pressing, the opponent’s building game should be disturbed. However, instead of overceptures of the ball, the approximately 8,000 spectators in the smallest EM stadium saw many inaccuracies in the building game and hardly any train to the goal. The attackers Tessa Wullaert near Belgium as well as Caruso and Cristiana Girelli near Italy were initially unable to set any accents.
Italy shocked Belgium shortly before the break
At temperatures around 27 degrees there was a drinking break after half an hour – and in this way the first goal chances for the more active Belgians will soon be strengthened: Wullaert narrowly missed in her 150th international hit number 94 (40th) and Jill Janssens from TSG Hoffenheim scored the goal (42nd).
But then the Italians turned the course of the game upside down. In the 44th minute they conquered the ball in midfield, switched quickly and plunged the completely disordered Belgian defensive decisively into embarrassment. Caruso, who plays in the Bundesliga for the German champion and DFB Cup winner Bayern Munich, had no resistance from 14 meters and hit Halbhoch to the left.
Great joy among the Italians after the 1-0 by striker Caruso.
Belgium harmless in the attack after the break
After a committed first half, the Belgians could not have a lot of accused – and so Icelandic trainer Elísabet Gunnarsdóttir refrained from changing at the start. With the lead in the back, the compactly defending Italians retired, but Belgium did not use the space in midfield. A safe header from Wullaert (58th) – there were no more opportunities. Also because Italy acted much more bite in the duels in the second section than before the change of sides.
Goal scorer Caruso “player of the game”
The longer the game lasted, the more the players fell. The Belgians continued to fight for game shares, but the bottom line was that the offensive remained completely harmless. Girelli with the Hacke and Caruso on the margin (64th) and Cambiaghi with two shots from the penalty area (79th, 89th) had the 2-0 for Italy in the final phase. In the end, however, the Italians also cheered over the narrow 1-0. The striker Caruso responsible for this was used by the UEFA after the final whistle “Player of the game” excellent.