Benfica Strike Twice to Sink Juventus Women in Champions League Opener

A Bratberg Lund double, including a free-kick, gave Benfica a 2-1 win over Juventus in their UEFA Women's Champions League opener at Juventus Stadium.

Juventus Women opened their UEFA Women's Champions League campaign with a 2-1 home defeat to Benfica at Juventus Stadium. Bratberg Lund scored both goals for the Portuguese visitors, first from the penalty spot and then with a free-kick, before Redondo pulled a goal back late in the game.

Juventus made the brighter start and created several first-half chances. Redondo hit the post in the 10th minute and later headed over from a Carbonell cross, while Benfica's Dorsin fired off target from distance. The turning point came in the 37th minute, when the referee reviewed a challenge between Rosucci and Csiki at the VAR monitor and awarded Benfica a penalty. Bratberg Lund converted in the 39th minute to send the visitors in 1-0 at the break.

Benfica thought they had doubled their lead early in the second half when Davidson headed home, but the goal was disallowed for a foul on Salvai. The second did arrive in the 61st minute, with Bratberg Lund curling a free-kick into the top corner to complete her brace.

Juventus kept pressing and were rewarded in the 86th minute, when Stølen Godø played in Redondo and she beat Pauels with a low right-footed finish. Ziqin nearly added a third for Benfica in stoppage time but was denied by a sliding challenge from Noordman, and the match ended 2-1.

Captain Martina Rosucci said after the match that Juventus had dominated and created plenty of chances but were punished for their mistakes, adding that the team must react as they would after a win. Coach Isaac Guerrero said set pieces decided the game and that his players kept fighting until the end.