PRESS ROOM | Comments after PSG-Juventus Women | OneFootball

Coach Massimiliano Canzi and Barbara Bonansea spoke to the press after Juventus Women’s First Team’s 2-1 win over PSG in the 2nd leg of the second round of the UEFA Women’s Champions League.

COACH MASSIMILIANO CANZI’S COMMENTS

“I have at my disposal a group of girls with such experience and intelligence that there was no need to explain how important it was to concentrate on the challenge at hand and that it was not over after the first leg victory. If we had arrived in Paris thinking we were already qualified, it would have been a catastrophe: instead things went well. I was expecting a lot of pressure from them in the first few minutes but instead it was on applying pressure and it went better than I imagined. To speak only of the approach though would be reductive: we played a perfect second leg.

I honestly don’t know how far we can go in this competition, but I can say that we don't see this group stage qualification as the end goal, but this must be and will be a starting point: this victory gives us the awareness that we can play against anyone and now we have to enjoy ourselves, regardless of the opponent. I had asked the girls to play one good game and one perfect one, they were able to play two perfect ones and PSG struggled mainly because of us: we closed down all their sources of play, attacking for over 90 minutes showing great physical condition, as well as excellent team spirit.

Defensively we have worked a lot: we had a couple of games in which we struggled in that area (including one in a friendly, which in some ways counted less), but in general we must also take into account the strength of the opponents. In truth we are an attacking team, because these are the characteristics of our players, but we have worked a lot in our own half: there will be times when we will concede goals and our attention will always be on improving that too, but I have never been particularly worried about this aspect.”

BARBARA BONANSEA’S THOUGHTS

"As soon as I scored I started to count and I said to myself, ‘How many goals do they have to score to knock us out?’ but I couldn't do it because I didn't understand anything. I came in at a delicate moment in the tie, but that's OK because we were facing one of the best teams in Europe - it was normal to suffer. Scoring a goal at that moment was fundamental to changing size of the challenge: it gave us morale and also some breathing room at a time when we were tired. We of the old guard have black and white hearts: when it matters most, we always try to bring out our best and we try to transmit these values to the others. That's why we are even happier with this victory. It's a very important goal, I'm very happy, but every goal that helps the team is important."