European Championships, winning debut for Italy: Arianna Caruso decides with Belgium
Italy opens its adventure at the women’s European Championships in the best possible way. At the Stade de Tourbillon in Sion in the first match of Group B, the Azzurre impose themselves on Belgium 1-0 and immediately take the lead in the standings with 3 crucial points to aim for the passage of the round.
The first half chance is midway through the first half, with Caruso and Giugliano triangulating but the former Juventus player now at Bayern Munich misses a good opportunity. In the 26th minute a shot by Toloba ends just wide with Giuliani controlling. On the half-hour mark a difficult header off target by Severini.
Clamorous chance for Belgium, which had more possession of the ball, in the 40th minute: captain Wullaert, who plays for Inter, first saw a left-footed shot repelled and then with her right-footed shot sent on the outside of the net. A minute later Janssen sends high a right-footed shot from the edge.
Italy seemed to be in trouble but in the 44th minute Di Gugliemo foiled for Caruso, who, off-center on the left, thunderbolted Lichtfus under the crossbar with his right at the first post. After the VAR check is validated, Azzurri take the lead and in the recovery Van Avermaet misses high a right.
In the resumption, in the 64th minute clamorous heel by Girelli that Lichtfus unexpectedly finds the ball in his hands avoiding the doubling of the azzurre. At 79′ Cambiaghi tried the left from a favorable position but sent wide.
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Andrea Soncin’s girls are still dangerous on a couple of occasions, Belgium never is even in the nine minutes of recovery and then Italy signs the first victory in these Swiss European Championships.
