The UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 in Switzerland is in full swing (yay!) with match day 2 starting this week. With four groups of four teams, the group stage consists of 3 games and the top two teams will go through to the knockout rounds. Italy is in Group B with Spain (one of the favorites to win the whole tournament), Portugal, and Belgium.
There are nine Juventus players on the team. (Well, at least recent Juve players — I am still going to count Arianna Caruso and Sofia Cantore even though they’ve officially signed on permanent transfers elsewhere this summer.) Italy won their first game last week against Belgium by a narrow 1-0 scoreline. The Azzurre looked a little disjointed in that game, missing passes and chances on goal — it was exceedingly hot that day so that likely played a role — but they were able to break the deadlock in the second half with a beautifully worked passing sequence into Caruso who expertly placed the ball into the goal.
Italy vs. Portugal
I watched the first game at home in the United States, but I had the fortune to watch Italy’s second group stage game against Portugal in person earlier this week in Geneva, Switzerland, while I was en route to Italy to visit family. When I arrived in Geneva, it was pretty darn hot, but a rainstorm blew in and thankfully cooled things down to a nice — 65 degrees the day of the game; it was an evening game at 9 p.m. local time and we headed to the game early — an easy tram ride and then walk to the stadium.
Stade du Geneve
Barbara
On our way, we heard and then saw Portugal fans gathering to walk to the stadium together. Unfortunately, there wasn’t an organized fan walk for Italy fans, but we did run into some here and there along our way. Entry into the stadium went smoothly, just a brief pat-down, and we quickly found our seats in Tribune Est. We were in the 12th row just off center field, which was fortuitous because it was the side where Italy warmed up and we were far back just enough to be covered from the light rain that started falling the hour before the game started.
Italian national team warming up for game against Portugal
Barbara
At first I was worried the stadium would be mostly Portugal fans. However, once the stadium started to fill up —to a max attendance of 22,713 — I was happy to see many more Italian fans. There were five Juve players (present and very recent past) in the starting lineup: Cristiana Girelli, Caruso, Cantore, Lisa Boattin, Cecilia Salvai, and Martina Lenzini. Former Juve keeper Laura Giuliani was also in the starting lineup after not featuring at the Women’s World Cup two years ago.
Attendance for Italy vs Portugal
Barbara
First Half
The game started with a moment of panic when Caruso went down, and stayed down, one minute in from a hard challenge and the medical staff needed to come on to the field. But she was fortunately able to continue!
Kickoff at Stade du Geneve Italy vs Portugal
Barbara
The first half was OK. Italy had most of the possession and had some chances — including Girelli hitting the post on one chance and then Italy scoring on another but seeing it taken back for offsides. Portugal did have some brief moments on the ball in dangerous spaces but weren’t able to really put anything together. Perhaps the most notable occurrence in the first half was the yellow shown to Manuela Giugliano – her second in the group stage, which means she will miss the next match against Spain.
Second Half
The second half saw three goals, but only two of them actually counted. The first was beautifully scored by Girelli in the 70th minute.
Portugal v Italy - UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 Group B Cristiana Girelli getting ready to score against Portugal
Photo by Pier Marco Tacca - FIGC/FIGC via Getty Images
I have seen Girelli score three goals in person in three different countries the past two years. In the 2023 Women’s World Cup in New Zealand for Italy, it took her all of four minutes after entering a scoreless game against Argentina to get her head on to the ball and into the back of the net. Then a penalty in a Juventus Women game against Inter in November 2023 in a season where she ended with the most goals in the Serie A season (19). But the third against Portugal was the best of the bunch. The strike and precision were something to see. However, what you do not see in that highlight video is, after receiving the ball from Giada Greggi in the midfield, Girelli pauses outside of the 18 and encourages Boattin with a small flick of her hand to make an overlapping run. It was likely that move that made the defender hesitate and not put pressure on the ball, which was a mistake, because it gave Girelli the space and time to take that curling right-footed shot.
As the game entered the 80th minute, it seemed like Italy was sitting in to defend a 1-0 lead. Unfortunately, it did not hold. First, Portugal scored but it was taken back for offsides, and then they scored again in the 88th minute and that one counted.
Uffa, it was such a bummer.
Italy were so close to getting their second win to open the tournament and the six points needed to secure their place in the quarterfinals.
Portugal v Italy - UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 Group B Photo by Daniela Porcelli/Getty Images
I thought the substitutions that Italy coach Andrea Soncin made were mostly spot on. The introduction of Greggi was particularly effective as she brought some great energy and played well on both sides of the ball, providing the pass the lead to Girelli’s goal and defending like a busy bee pestering the Portugal’s attacking players. Unfortunately, the substitutions that Francisco Neto made for Portugal were also pretty good — Jessica Silva’s entrance added some further technically and Andreia Jacinto’s intensity added to Portugal’s push, and success, in tying up the game.
Player of the Match: Cristiana Girelli
Girelli ended up deservedly winning player of the match, in part of course because of her brilliant goal. But what was also so impressive in Girelli’s play throughout the game was how she won what seemed to be 90-95% of the balls coming out from the Italian back line and goalkeeper. She just has a keen ability to move to the perfect spot to flick the ball on with her head or drop it to her feet, all while bodying off defenders.
Portugal v Italy - UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 Group B Photo by Image Photo Agency/Getty Images
Moving Forward
Now Italy will face Spain needing to at least tie if Portugal win big against Belgium, or at least not lose by many goals (Portugal has a minus-5 goal differential compared to Italy’s plus-1). Spain is already through to the next round so perhaps they will not field their most lethal lineup on Friday, but then again any Spain lineup will be rough. So we should all cheer on Belgium to tie or beat Portugal and hope that Italy can play smart against Spain and maintain their superior goal differential.
Other Teams featuring Juventus Players
There are 14 current Juventus players that are on squads in the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025.
In addition to the eight on the Italian squad (Valentina Bergamaschi*, Boattin, Barbara Bonansea, Michela Cambiaghi, Girelli, Lenzini, Salvai, Eva Schatzer (*replaced Chiara Beccari who was originally called upbut was injured), Juve players are on five other teams:
Denmark — Amalie Vangsgaard
France — Pauline Peyraud-Magnin
Norway — Mathilde Harviken
Netherlands — Danielle de Jong (new to Juve)
Host Switzerland — Viola Calligaris, Alisha Lehmann