Bitter defeat against Juventus

Austria’s women’s team suffered a defeat against Juventus in their UWCL clash in front of a home crowd. Following a hard-fought first half that saw them go into the break trailing 0–1, the "Violets" fought their way back into the match after the interval. Lotta Cordes offered a glimmer of hope with her goal, but the Italian side responded by extending their lead, ultimately securing a 4–1 victory.

Juventus began the match with great intensity, putting the "Veilchen'" defense under pressure right from the start. Within the first five minutes, the Italian side created several dangerous opportunities in front of the Austria goal, but the hosts held firm—successfully neutralizing, among other things, two corner kicks. In the 13th minute, the hosts managed to make their first attacking foray: Modesta Uka took a shot, but it was blocked by an opposing defender, taking the sting out of the attempt and allowing the Juventus goalkeeper to collect the ball with ease.

Juventus exerts more pressure in the opening phase

Austria remained under pressure defensively as well. Following an error in the "Veilchen'" build-up play in the 15th minute, a Juventus attacker managed to get a shot off, but Jasmin Pal was there to make a secure save. For their part, the "Veilchen" looked to create some attacking momentum; a corner kick in the 16th minute came to nothing, and a free kick shortly thereafter failed to find a teammate. Nevertheless, the Viennese side kept pushing: a cross from Carina Wenninger created a dangerous moment, but it was ultimately cleared by the opposition's defense.

Juventus remained a threat with their forays forward, but Lotta Cordes, in particular, was consistently on hand at the back to defuse tense situations. Pal also demonstrated her alertness on several occasions. In the 37th minute, following a repelled attack, the "Veilchen" found an opportunity to counter. Valentina Pötzl took a shot, but her attempt was also blocked, causing it to lose momentum. Two minutes later, the Italians struck: after an attacker got past the "Veilchen'" defense, she fired a shot into the far corner to give Juventus a 1–0 lead. The teams headed into the break with this scoreline.

Cordes brings back hope

The "Veilchen" began the second half with a corner kick, but were unable to capitalize on it. Shortly thereafter, the hosts were once again called upon to defend; Wenninger and Yvonne Weilharter used determined efforts to thwart several dangerous attacks from the Italian side. At the other end, Austria sought to find success through set-pieces. In the 58th minute, Uka delivered a free kick into the penalty area; the ball was initially cleared but eventually fell to Wenninger, whose shot sailed over the crossbar.

Moments later, things became precarious in front of the "Veilchen'" goal. Following a dangerous move by Juventus, a player went down. After a VAR review, the referee awarded a penalty, which the Italians converted in the 63rd minute to make it 2–0. Clear-cut scoring opportunities remained scarce for a time, until the "Veilchen" made their presence felt again in the 78th minute: after a free kick, the Viennese side earned a corner. Almedina Šišić delivered a dangerous ball into the box, which Cordes headed into the net to narrow the deficit to 1–2.

However, hopes for an exciting final stretch were short-lived. In the 82nd minute, Pal failed to secure a free kick from the visitors; a Juventus player was well-positioned to push the ball over the line, making it 3–1. Undeterred, the "Veilchen" kept pushing and nearly scored again following an 84th-minute corner. The ball was flicked on, but the opposing goalkeeper managed to tip it just over the crossbar. Even in stoppage time, Austria continued to press forward—Weilharter tested the Juventus goalkeeper with a shot, but it was saved. In the 92nd minute, Juventus finally sealed the result, scoring to make it 4–1. A further corner kick for the "Veilchen" in the 96th minute also failed to yield a goal. Ultimately, despite a spirited performance and a goal that had narrowed the deficit, the Viennese side had to concede defeat to their Italian opponents.

Austria Wien – Juventus 1–4 (0–1)

Austria: Pal – Weiss, Wenninger, Kirchberger-Prohaska – Weilharter, Cordes, Hanshaw (Schorn 86') – Pfanner (Šišić 70'), Pfattner (Orkić 86'), Pötzl (Pichler 90+5') – Uka (Jakobsen 86')

Goals: Pavan (39'), Redondo (63' pen.), Cordes (78'), Sylla (92')

Yellow cards (Austria): Pal (63'), Kirchberger-Prohaska (80')

Franz-Horr-Stadion, 4,630 fans, referee Ewa Augustyn