Juventus Women got a very important win against a strong side in Paris Saint-Germain Women in the first leg of the UEFA Women’s Champions League second round, which leads to the group stage for the winners.
For Les Parisiennes, things did not go as planned for numerous reasons, and the result could have been a bit less heavy, making their comeback easier to achieve in the away leg.
Conceding three goals and scoring just one in Italy highlights a disappointing defensive performance yet an attacking one that keeps the team’s hopes for qualification alive.
It should also be said that “the team that scores more goals on aggregate over the two legs advance to the next round; if the aggregate score is level at the end of normal time of the second leg, extra time will be played, and if the same number of goals is scored by both teams at the end of normal time, the tie will be decided by a penalty shoot-out.”
This means that Paris Saint-Germain Féminine will need to score two goals and not concede any when they face Juventus in the second leg in order to decide the match by a penalty shoot-out.
If they are capable of scoring three against Juventus without conceding, that would be even more beneficial for PSG since it would allow them to avoid the risks of penalties and qualify for the group stage without much suffering.
Fabrice Abriel’s PSG Féminine will face Montpellier in the D1 Féminine before preparing to face Juventus in this second leg of the UWCL.
Therefore, it will be essential for them to economise their energies and focus on each game separately while considering their errors of the first leg and doing their best not to repeat them in the second one.
For Juventus, starting the season with a key European win made the overall atmosphere more conducive to progress.
The head coach, Massimiliano Canzi, did not hide his happiness, saying: “this is undoubtedly one of the most exciting evenings of my career, as I did not have the luck or skill to play in the Champions League.”
This psychological aspect can mean a lot in this double encounter.
Juventus will go to Paris with more confidence than their opponents and will also play the match with far less pressure.
Nevertheless, avoiding overconfidence and preparing for the match with an adequate attitude will be essential, as PSG can be very dangerous at home.
Also, Juventus will need to overcome the Lazio away game test without losing a lot of energy in order to start planning for the PSG match, knowing that their game against Lazio can be tiring and complicated.
This tactical analysis article will focus on both teams’ formations, performances, and tactics.
The analysis will also highlight both teams’ attacking and defensive errors and study how to avoid them in the second leg.
Juventus Women Lineup & Formation
Juventus started this match in a 3-4-3 with Pauline Peyraud Magnin in goal, Martina Lenzini, Viola Calligaris and Estelle Cascarino as centre-backs, Valentina Bergamaschi and Paulina Krumbiegel as wing-backs, Arianna Caruso and Hanna Bennison as central midfielders.
The attacking trio consisted of Sofia Cantore and Chiara Beccari as wingers and Amalie Vangsgaard as the team’s striker.
PSG Féminine Lineup & Formation
On the other hand, PSG’s head coach, Fabrice Abriel, opted for the 4-3-3 with former Manchester United goalkeeper Mary Earps, Élisa De Almeida, Griedge Mbock Bathy, Paulina Dudek and Tara Cynthia Hermine Elimbi Gilbert in defence.
The midfield was composed of Grace Geyoro, Thiniba Samoura, and Laurina Fazer.
At the same time, the attacking trio consisted of Romée Leuchter and Jennifer Echegini on the wings, with Marie-Antoinette Katoto as a striker.
Juventus Women Convincing Performance
Canzi’s players proved in this match that they are ready for the European challenge this season despite the changes in the squad and the integration of several new players.
In fact, it should be pointed out that the quick integration of these players was highly impactful, as names like Bergamaschi, Vansgaard, Bennison, and Krumbiegel looked confident and were already crucial in this game.
The use of Bergamaschi and Krumbiegel as wingers brought a lot of stability in terms of defence on both wings, in addition to a lot of attacking support, which resulted in concrete chances and, therefore, danger.
The perfect proof for this was the first Juventus goal action initiated by Krumbiegel.
Thanks to her intelligent dribble and through pass to Cantore, who was running towards the empty space left behind PSG’s defence, Krumbiegel launched a quick counterattack.
Afterwards, Cantore was attentive enough to spot Vansgaard’s movement towards the box and provide an excellent assist to her, which already highlights the created chemistry between the two players.
Vansgaard’s movement without the ball and her ability to run faster than her direct opponent should not go unnoticed, given that the Danish international is playing her first games with the team and is already adapting very well.
Her crucial decision-making in front of goal and her accurate finish promise a lot as Vansgaard showed to everyone that she is ready and that she deserves a chance as a starting striker.
This ability to launch quick yet efficient counterattacks has been one of Juventus’ improved aspects under Canzi so far.
It has become one of the team’s concrete attacking weapons, especially against teams that opt for constantly advancing using a high defensive block.
Juventus continued to exploit PSG’s defensive gaps throughout the match.
They were able to punish them for playing with a high defensive line and with many players staying in Juventus’ half.
The Bianconere threatened PSG’s goal numerous times in the first half until they could score their second goal following PSG’s equaliser, thanks to a through pass from Bergamaschi and a remarkable solo effort from Cantore.
The Italian winger was, in fact, among the best players in this match, if not the best, as she provided the assist for the first goal and scored the decisive second goal unexpectedly.
Cantore dribbled past her direct marker with ease and elegance, nutmegging her and deciding to lean towards the right side near the box to be able to execute a beautiful curved shot that ended inside the net.
Cantore made a significant impression in this match and showed Canzi that she deserves consistent playing time.
She is having an excellent run of form at the moment and is contributing in a remarkable way to Juventus’ attacking performances.
Cantore was also involved in the creation of the third Juventus goal, thanks to her cross from the wing, which was cleared in the wrong way to find Bennison on the receiving end of it.
In fact, Bennison showed another important aspect that is improving at Juventus, as she is forming a powerful midfield duo alongside Caruso.
Both players are good enough in attack, especially in terms of shooting from distance.
Juventus are exploiting these two players’ attacking traits by instructing them to advance often and make sure to be first on second balls.
This allowed Juventus to score their third goal thanks to a powerful shot from Bennison, who won the duel with her direct marker.
Overall, Juventus’ performance was convincing enough, especially from the attacking aspect.
We saw a lot of diversity in their actions and numerous ideas being applied on the pitch.
The team relied heavily on the wings at the start of most of its attacking actions before reaching the box, and this method paid off against PSG in this first leg.
However, diversifying their attacking plans for the second leg will be necessary, as PSG will be aware of Juventus’ current plans and will most probably be much more prepared defensively.
Moreover, it will be crucial to defend better and instruct midfielders to lean towards the wings to cover, especially when it comes to wingers trying to cut inside and shoot.
The only goal conceded in this match for Juventus was scored due to non-efficient marking from two Juve defenders and, more importantly, a lack of defensive support from midfielders.
PSG Defensive & Attacking Issues
PSG did not start the match well and were overwhelmed by Juventus’ dynamism and quick counterattacks.
The team’s transitions were often slow, and their attacking plans were usually predictable for Juventus’ defence, except for a few times.
Moreover, PSG’s players committed numerous concentration errors in attack, which led the team to concede dangerous counterattacks and, therefore, lose a lot of energy when trying to retreat.
As the picture below shows, having three players in the middle of the field and the rest of the players in the opponent’s half was not really the adequate plan to use against such an opponent.
The problem is that PSG gave the impression that they underestimated Juventus’ attacking potential throughout the game and did not try to fix this tactical error only when it was too late.
They were also slower than Juventus’ players, which added to PSG’s defensive transition issue, making things a bit easier for Juventus during counterattacks.
Attacking-wise, PSG lacked passing accuracy inside the final third, chemistry between the attacking trio, and appropriate timing of key passes.
PSG’s attacking actions were often slow, as their lines were distant from each other, which explains why there weren’t many successful collective combinations near or inside the box.
A lack of concentration and chemistry was very noticeable during PSG’s attacks, as the team could have scored more than one goal if the passes and their timing had been accurate.
In this example, a mistimed and inaccurate pass from the wing messed up an attacking action that could have been much more dangerous if there had been more coordination between the winger and the striker, who also moved in advance.
The only positive event for PSG in this game was Samoura’s goal, which highlighted the player’s shooting and penetrating abilities.
Nevertheless, PSG needs to improve its attack organisation and exploit their players’ individual abilities.
It will not be wise enough to repeat the same defensive errors in the second leg if they plan on turning the table on Juventus.
Playing with an exaggeratedly high defensive block will most probably put PSG in trouble, as Juventus will be looking forward to exploiting the spaces left behind the defensive line.
Conclusion
Juventus Femminile performance and ideas were obvious and intelligent in this match since they knew how to exploit PSG’s weaknesses and respond in the best possible way.
That being said, the Bianconere should remain attentive and organised in defence and avoid leaving spaces, especially for shots from a distance.
On the other hand, PSG will strictly need to improve their performance in the second leg if they want to qualify for the group stage, as they looked unworthy of qualification based on the first leg.
In order to improve their performance, they will have to start the second leg with a much more determined attitude and make sure to close all gaps for Juventus’ attacking players.
At the same time, it will be essential for PSG to diversify their attacking plans and build more chemistry upfront by working on short passing combinations and relying on the wingers’ individual efforts and penetrations at other times.
Although their mission seems more complicated following the first leg, PSG still have the chance to beat Juventus and qualify to the group stage if they change all that went wrong in the first leg.
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