After their fantastic victory over the Netherlands, Italy Women have arrived in Finland. At 18:15 CEST tomorrow, on the artificial pitch at the Helsinki Football Stadium, the Azzurre will face the Finns, against whom they’ll be looking to maintain their perfect start to EURO 2025 qualifying in Group A1. The players are fired up and more united than ever as they look to repeat the performance they produced in Cosenza on Friday. The snowstorm that hit the Finnish capital two days ago is now over and the sky is as calm as Soncin’s girls, who, despite being the favourites to win, aren’t feeling the pressure.

“Making strides forward in terms of our mentality means approaching every match in the right way,” said Andrea Soncin. “I congratulated the girls because I saw real determination on Friday. We wanted to make a strong start and did so perfectly; we pressed our opponents and got the ball forward quickly. Tomorrow, we’ll once again have to make the most of our quality when in possession.”

The Head Coach also highlighted the willing nature of the group: “Everyone puts themselves at the disposal of the collective, and that isn’t a cliché. Every player is ready to contribute regardless of how long they play. There’s willingness and collaboration, both on and off the pitch. Together, we are working on the movements we need to make both when we have the ball and when we’re looking to win it back; this is where we can improve.”

Sitting alongside Andrea Soncin in today’s press conference was Martina Lenzini, a big presence at the back for the Azzurre: “Since September, we’ve completely changed our attitude,” she said. “Thanks to the work we carry out on a daily basis, we’re prepared for any eventuality and display courage and willingness out on the pitch, where we also play some good football.”

The Juventus defender has made 27 appearances for her country and started almost every match under Soncin, who has selected her alongside Linari in the centre of defence. Lenzini isn’t lacking in character and clear ideas: “Finland play in a different way compared to the Netherlands. We need to reset ourselves mentally, also because they want to bounce back following their defeat to Norway. We’re ready to produce another big performance.”

Fixtures, results and table: Group A1

Matchday one (5 April): ITALY 2-0 Netherlands, Norway 4-0 Finland

Table: Norway and ITALY 3, Netherlands and Finland 0

Matchday two (9 April): 18.15 CEST, Finland vs. ITALY (Helsinki); 20:45 CEST, Netherlands vs. Norway (Breda)

Matchday three (31 May, times and venues tbc): Norway vs. ITALY, Netherlands vs. Finland

Matchday four (4 June, times and venues tbc): ITALY vs. Norway, Finland vs. Netherlands

Matchday five (12 July, times and venues tbc): Netherlands vs. ITALY, Finland vs. Norway

Matchday six (16 July, times and venues tbc): ITALY vs. Finland, Norway vs. Netherlands