“We have a dream, and we’ll fulfil it together”. Two and a half years after their last match in southern Italy, the Azzurre have arrived in Cosenza ahead of the start of their Euro qualifying campaign. From the Stadio Barbera in Palermo to the Stadio San Vito-Gigi Marulla, which will stage tomorrow’s showdown against the Netherlands at 18:15 CEST. 3500 fans will colour the stadium blue as Andrea Soncin’s side look to come away with a positive result against the League A Group A1 favourites, who are ranked eighth in the world and were recently involved in the Nations League Finals.

Upon their arrival in the city, the Azzurre were welcomed by many football school youngsters, who were delighted to admire their heroes up close: “A place like this can show the girls real warmth, which is exactly what we’re expecting to experience. This has already happened today, and I’m certain that the crowd will spur us on for the entire 90 minutes,” said Andrea Soncin in his pre-match press conference. “We want to reignite enthusiasm for the women’s game, which is growing rapidly. Therefore, it’s important to play all over the country, because this National Team belongs to everyone. We know we have a lot of responsibility on our shoulders and mustn’t hold back.”

In the past few days, Soncin has analysed the players at Coverciano, with the group having already turned the page after the last two friendly outings: “In February, we took a step back compared to our previous games. However, we were expecting this to be the case because we tried out a lot of new things and were up against top-class opponents,” he added. “We’ve analysed the mistakes we made and looked at all the details, which is the only way to create a winning mentality. We can still improve, but the girls are starting to understand that they can compete with anyone. The Netherlands are a strong and technically gifted side, but we need to make the most of our qualities and believe until the very end.” Against the Oranje, the Azzurre will need to attentive all over the pitch and clinical in front of goal. The aim is to start qualifying, which will continue with an away match against Finland on Tuesday, in the best way possible.

Manuela Giugliano, who also spoke on the eve of the game, also believes that three points are possible tomorrow. At club level, she’s enjoyed a fantastic season so far and currently leads the Serie A goalscoring charts (nine, the same as Cristiana Girelli). Vision, assists and now a killer instinct in front of goal: Giugliano continues to make strides forward. “It’s a fantastic moment in my career,” said the Roma midfielder. “We’ll approach this match with a sense of calm, as was the case in the Nations League. It’ll be exciting, and we can’t wait to take to the pitch.”

Wearing the Italy jersey brings Giugliano real joy: “I’m always happy and enthusiastic to wear this shirt, which generates different feelings to those we experience every day. We’ve grown a lot recently and will play with real courage tomorrow, as the Coach has asked of us. We want to come away with a big result.”

Squad list

Goalkeepers: Rachele Baldi (Fiorentina), Laura Giuliani (Milan), Katja Schroffenegger (Fiorentina), Margot Shore (Hellas Verona);

Defenders: Elisa Bartoli (Roma), Valentina Bergamaschi (Milan), Lisa Boattin (Juventus), Lucia Di Guglielmo (Roma), Martina Lenzini (Juventus), Elena Linari (Roma), Elisabetta Oliviero (Sampdoria), Julie Piga (Milan), Cecilia Salvai (Juventus);

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

Forwards: Chiara Beccari (Sassuolo), Barbara Bonansea (Juventus), Agnese Bonfantini (Inter), Michela Cambiaghi (Inter), Sofia Cantore (Juventus), Valentina Giacinti (Roma), Cristiana Girelli (Juventus), Martina Piemonte (Everton).