Italy’s women’s national team are set to participate in the FIFA Women’s World Cup held in Australia and New Zealand this year. The current crop of players is not the strongest in the nation’s history but there are still seasoned veterans and have upcoming talents that could excel at the tournament this summer.
Italy have not impressed hugely with their form in international fixtures in the build-up to the tournament. In the Arnold Clark Cup in February, they were defeated by Belgium and England, before claiming a consolation victory against South Korea.
The pre-tournament friendlies have seen them defeat Colombia and play out a goalless draw at home to Morocco.
Italy’s World Cup chances
There is certainly not great hope for the Italians going far in the competition. One of their biggest struggles is scoring goals as they do not have a consistent goalscorer within the national ranks. In the Women’s World Cup odds, Italy are offered at 2/9 to advance from the group stage. They are expected to get the better of Argentina and South Africa, but Sweden will present excellent opposition in Group G.
Italy are certainly lacking in many areas, but here we will focus on their strengths. Who could be Italy’s standout and most important players this summer?
Valentina Cernoia
The new AC Milan signing is Italy’s most capped player. She will bring vital experience and know-how to the squad on how to handle tournament pressure.
Valentina Cernoia signs a two-year contract with Milan ???, the club announced. Meanwhile, Allyson Swaby is set to join Milan, according to @LucaManinetti. The medical check should take place soon.#AllysonSwaby #ACMilan #ValentinaCernoia pic.twitter.com/6xZ5nuGntu
— Soccerdonna (@soccerdonna) July 8, 2023
Valentina Cernoia is a serial winner in Italian domestic football with seven Serie A titles to her name with Brescia and Juve. Now could be her time to make a significant impact on the international level. She is already an Italian legend, but now she has the responsibility of leading and nurturing the next generation into top players.
Cernoia has scored 10 goals for her nation from midfield, and could certainly help to ease their goalscoring worries. Italy’s team is filled with inexperienced players at the peak level of football, but she can bring the added composure that raw talent needs in order to excel.
Laura Giuliani
Laura Giuliani is another vastly experienced star that has represented her nation on many occasions. She has also been incredibly successful in the Italian domestic game. Giuliani was another crucial part of the dominant Juventus team of the late 2010s and early 2020s alongside Cernoia.
Experience is vital for the Italian side. They will need to be exceptionally solid defensively to compensate for their lack of regular goalscorers. Italy must concentrate on being tough to beat and the AC Milan goalkeeper can be a huge help in regard to that.
Milan’s two new starting goalkeepers are ready!
Mike Maignan and Laura Giuliani pic.twitter.com/QqPxm2MToq
— Matteo Bonetti (@Bonetti) July 29, 2021
Ultimately, Italy will head to Australia and New Zealand for the World Cup with a squad that is relatively low in international caps prior to the tournament. Cernoia and Giuliani will be vital cogs in the team’s setup that can be relied upon to support the more inexperienced starlets around them.
Italy are not expected to achieve great things in the competition down under, but with a pragmatic approach built around their veterans, they could make a run to the knockout stages.
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