The excitement is growing for the final of the Algarve Cup. After their wins over Denmark and Norway, the Azzurre are hoping to pass the last test against a Scandinavian side, and it’ll be the most difficult one of all: Milena Bertolini’s side will be up against Olympic runners-up Sweden, who currently occupy second place behind the USA in the FIFA ranking. The final, which will kick off at 12:05 CET, will take place at the Estádio Municipal de Lagos.

“Against such a strong side, you need to produce a perfect performance, trying to make as few mistakes as possible,” said the Head Coach. “They are organised and have many high-quality players. The girls are very motivated and we’ll need to be focused in our approach, but joy and enthusiasm should be mixed in too. After all, reaching a final is always a great source of pride.”

In the first two matches of the tournament, Orsi, Durante and other new players to the Italy setup have all showcased their talents and made a precious contribution: “Our roster is getting bigger and bigger,” added Bertolini. “This is crucial in terms of being able to play matches in such quick succession. A lot of energy is being expended, and tomorrow we’ll need experience but also the enthusiasm of our younger players.”

Sweden have emerged victorious from 15 of the 23 previous meetings between the sides; however, in their last encounter, Italy ran out 1-0 winners in a friendly in 2018 thanks to a goal from Sabatino, thus proving they can compete with the strongest teams in the world. Sara Gama, who didn’t play that day, can’t wait to take to the pitch: “It’ll be a difficult match; maximum focus is required,” said the Azzurre captain. “There’s no room for mistakes, so we’ll need to play with the right amount of composure in order to best manage the various moments of the game. We’re happy that we’ve reached another Algarve Cup final and shown all of our strength. Our run in the 2020 edition of the tournament wasn’t a coincidence and, after the cancellation of our match against Germany, we finally have a chance to fight to win this trophy.”

Tournament schedule (all times in local time - GMT)

Wednesday 16 February
Denmark 0-1 ITALY
Norway 0-2 Portugal

Friday 18 February
Sweden vs. Denmark cancelled (Sweden awarded a 3-0 win)

Sunday 20 February
ITALY 2-1 Norway
Portugal 0-4 Sweden

Wednesday 23 February
11:00 Final, Sweden vs. ITALY (Estadio Municipal - Lagos)
11:00 – Third place playoff, Portugal vs. Norway (Estadio Algarve - Faro)

Squad list

Goalkeepers: Rachele Baldi (Napoli Femminile), Francesca Durante (Inter), Laura Giuliani (Milan);

Defenders: Valentina Bergamaschi (Milan), Lisa Boattin (Juventus), Lucia Di Guglielmo (Roma), Sara Gama (Juventus), Martina Lenzini (Juventus), Elena Linari (Roma), Benedetta Orsi (Sassuolo), Angelica Soffia (Roma);

Midfielders: Arianna Caruso (Juventus), Valentina Cernoia (Juventus), Aurora Galli (Everton), Manuela Giugliano (Roma), Martina Rosucci (Juventus), Flaminia Simonetti (Inter);

Forwards: Barbara Bonansea (Juventus), Valentina Giacinti (Fiorentina), Cristiana Girelli (Juventus), Benedetta Glionna (Roma), Annamaria Serturini (Roma).