After four months out, the Women’s National Team are now ready to return to action. Tomorrow (20:15 local time, 21:15 CET - live on RaiSport Italy), the Azzurre will go up against the tournament hosts Portugal in the Algarve Cup quarter-finals, the prestigious tournament giving Italy some much-needed preparation ahead their two EURO 2021 qualifiers in April. The team have had three days of training in Vilamoura, a town which overlooks the Atlantic Ocean near Faro, as Bertolini’s girls have looked to return to their sparkling form of the summer of 2019.

Coach Milena Bertolini spoke before her team’s final training session this afternoon: “I’m very happy because the girls are giving their all. I expect a lot of motivation from them, a great desire to play in this competition. It’s a source of pride for us to have been invited and we have to show that from the very first minute that we step out onto the pitch.” The Coach, who will be without Manuela Giugliano in the first game after she picked up a minor ankle injury, knows that Portugal are a side on the up despite previous results going in the Azzurre’s favour (two wins out of two in the French World Cup qualifiers), and asks for maximum concentration from her players: “We’ve beaten them in the past, but tomorrow’s game at the Algarve Stadium will be a different story. They’re a team that are clearly improving and they’ll be sure to give their all in front of their fans. They have players who play in big leagues and I’m expecting a game at the highest level.”

Sara Gama is well aware of all this and can’t wait to kick off another year in Azzurre colours: “Facing the hosts straight away is exciting, we’ll have to be ready for the game and put everything we’re doing in training into practice on the day. This is a friendly tournament, but one where we’ll be facing teams at the highest level. We want to start 2020 on the right foot.”

Should Italy win against Portugal, they’ll then face the winners of the game between New Zealand and Belgium in the semi-final on Saturday 7 March. Germany vs. Sweden and Norway vs. Denmark are the other quarter-final match-ups tomorrow, with Norway the reigning champions of the competition.

The squad list

Goalkeepers: Laura Giuliani (Juventus), Rachele Baldi (Empoli Ladies), Katja Schroffenegger (Florentia San Gimignano);
Defenders: Sara Gama (Juventus), Cecilia Salvai (Juventus), Alia Guagni (Fiorentina Women’s), Elena Linari (Atletico Madrid), Martina Lenzini (Sassuolo), Elisa Bartoli (AS Roma), Lisa Boattin (Juventus), Alice Tortelli (Fiorentina Women’s);
Midfielders: Manuela Giugliano (AS Roma), Valentina Cernoia (Juventus), Aurora Galli (Juventus), Martina Rosucci (Juventus), Marta Mascarello (Fiorentina Women’s), Arianna Caruso (Juventus);
Forwards: Cristiana Girelli (Juventus), Daniela Sabatino (Sassuolo), Agnese Bonfantini (AS Roma), Barbara Bonansea (Juventus), Tatiana Bonetti (Fiorentina Women’s), Stefania Tarenzi (FC Inter).

Schedule

Tuesday 3 March

18.00 CET - Training

Wednesday 4 March

20.15 CET - Portugal vs. ITALY (live on RaiSport)