Building on the excellent performances against Spain and Sweden, continuing to grow and finishing their Nations League group journey in the best way possible. This is what Italy Women are aiming to do as their matches against Spain and Switzerland in Group A4 draw ever nearer. 180 decisive minutes await, with the Azzurre currently sitting in third place, three points behind the Swedes. The showdown against the world champions will take place on Friday 1 December in Pontevedra, while the Azzurre will then take on the Swiss, who they beat 1-0 in their opener, at the Stadio Ennio Tardini in Parma four days later.

Andrea Soncin has called up 28 players for the team’s final two matches of 2023, with Francesca Durante, Emma Severini, Chiara Beccari, Martina Piemonte and Annamaria Serturini making their returns to the Azzurre fold. Sofia Cantore and Michela Catena, who were forced to leave the camp due to injury on the eve of October’s match against Spain, have been called up, as has Michela Cambiaghi, who was a key figure away to Sweden on her first Italy start. Barbara Bonansea and Cristiana Girelli won’t be available to the Head Coach; they’re currently struggling with an adductor injury and a sprained right ankle, respectively. The players will meet up at Coverciano on Sunday evening, while their departure for Pontevedra is scheduled for Thursday 30 November. The group will return to Coverciano the day after their match against Spain and remain there until the day before their clash with Switzerland.

Italy will have to watch out for Switzerland (currently on zero points) behind them but, at the same time, are hoping to chase down Sweden in second place. The top two in each group will remain in League A, while the third-place sides will be involved in a relegation play-off against a second-place team from League B. The bottom teams in League A will suffer relegation to League B.

SPAIN vs. ITALY. There have been 18 meetings between Italy and Spain, the last of which was played in Salerno on 27 October and saw the visitors run out 1-0 winners thanks to a late goal from Jenni Hermoso. The overall head-to-head record reads as follows: eleven Azzurre wins, four draws and three victories for Spain. However, Italy haven’t beaten La Roja since 2002.

ITALY vs. Switzerland. Switzerland are the side Italy have faced on the most occasions. The Azzurre recorded eleven consecutive wins against the Swiss between 1985 and 2003 before extending this tally to 13 (plus two draws) by the end of 2010 thanks to two victories in the play-offs for the 2011 World Cup. In the last 13 years, there have been four wins apiece. Italy won 1-0 in Thun and St. Gallen in the last two meetings, but the last encounter on Italian soil saw the Swiss run out 2-1 winners in Palermo in November 2021.

The Azzurre are set to play for the second time at the Tardini in Parma after their 7-0 victory over Lithuania in 2022 in World Cup qualifying (Caruso and Bergamaschi (x2), Cernoia, Sabatino and Bonetti got on the scoresheet).

Squad list

Goalkeepers: Rachele Baldi (Fiorentina), Francesca Durante (Inter), Laura Giuliani (Milan), Katja Schroffenegger (Fiorentina);

Defenders: Elisa Bartoli (Roma), Valentina Bergamaschi (Milan), Lisa Boattin (Juventus), Lucia Di Guglielmo (Roma), Sara Gama (Juventus), Martina Lenzini (Juventus), Elena Linari (Roma), Cecilia Salvai (Juventus), Alice Tortelli (Fiorentina);

Midfielders: Arianna Caruso (Juventus), Giulia Dragoni (Barcellona), Aurora Galli (Everton), Manuela Giugliano (Roma), Giada Greggi (Roma), Emma Severini (Fiorentina);

Forwards: Chiara Beccari (Sassuolo), Agnese Bonfantini (Inter), Michela Cambiaghi (Inter), Sofia Cantore (Juventus), Michela Catena (Fiorentina), Valentina Giacinti (Roma), Benedetta Glionna (Roma), Martina Piemonte (Everton), Annamaria Serturini (Roma).

UEFA WOMEN’S NATIONS LEAGUE – LEAGUE A, GROUP 4

Friday 1 December
20:00 CET – Switzerland vs. Sweden
21:30 CET – Spain vs. ITALY

Tuesday 5 December
19:00 CET – ITALY vs. Switzerland
19:00 CET – Spain vs. Sweden

Table (after four matches): Spain 12, Sweden 7, ITALY 4, Switzerland 0