Milena Bertolini’s Italy side are back where it all began, staying in the same hotel that hosted the side for their opening World Cup fixture against Australia. Much like their previous match against the ‘Matildas’, the Azzurre are sharing the same accommodation once again  – but this time with the Netherlands. The Oranje recently beat Japan in the Round of 16, and they’ll now pose a real threat when they take on the Azzurre in their quarter-final this Saturday at 15:00 CEST. The winner of Italy vs. the Netherlands will not only secure a spot in the semi-final, but will also qualify for the Olympic Games in Tokyo, where three of the best European teams from the World Cup will compete.

However, the team’s main aim at the moment is to rest after beating China in the last round - a victory secured in testing weather conditions. In a bid to recharge her players’ batteries, Milena Bertolini has given the team a day off before they return to training tomorrow.

It has been a thrilling journey for the squad so far, and Valentina Giacinti has been a key figure – notably scoring her first goal of the tournament against China. As the top scorer in the last two league seasons, the Milan striker is now setting her sights on the Netherlands: “Scoring goals is always great,” said Valentina during today’s press conference. “But doing it at a World Cup is incredible. When I saw the ball, I said to myself ‘I must put it away’. It’s difficult to describe the emotions that I felt, I smiled and then cried. No one expected this from Italy, we’re enjoying a magical moment and I still haven’t realised what we’re doing. We’re a bit tired, but this doesn’t mean that we’re not eager to get back out on the pitch. We needed a day off to regain our energy.”

During the last 16 meetings with the Netherlands, the Azzurre have registered eight wins, five draws and three defeats: “We’re studying how the Dutch play. They’re a really strong side, particularly in attack. We want to find their weak points and understand how they’ll come to attack us.”

As a player, Giacinti has been compared to both Inzaghi and Paolo Rossi, however, her role model is Alvaro Morata: “I tried to make the most of my playing time, making the Coach realise that I wanted to play. The goal came at just the right moment. This World Cup is making people sit up and notice when it comes to women’s football when in reality you would only need to go and watch a league match. I hope and believe that this attention will last.”

After wishing the best of luck to the Italy basketball team for their European Championship adventure, Valentina recalled her time in the United States where she won the Washington state league with Seattle: “I wanted to experience something new and I discovered that women’s football there was very different to Italy. I met an American family and they’ve since followed me everywhere. They’ve been here in France for a month and they view me as a daughter.”

Ultimately, it is Giacinti’s eternal optimism that has helped her reach where she is today: “I’ve been through many difficult moments in life but I’ve always reacted with a smile. And football has helped me a huge amount.”