Juventus vs Fiorentina - Coppa Italia Semifinal

Juventus Edges Fiorentina 3-2 in Coppa Italia Frecciarossa Semifinal First Leg

Juventus secured a crucial 3-2 victory over Fiorentina at Viola Park in the first leg of the Coppa Italia Frecciarossa 2024/25 semifinals. Goals from Harviken, Bonansea, and Vangsgaard powered the Bianconere to victory, while Bonfantini and Faerge found the net for Fiorentina. With this win, Juventus follows Roma’s lead, who defeated Sassuolo in the other semifinal matchup. The return leg, to be played in early March, will determine who advances to the final.

Thrilling First Half Sees Momentum Shifts

The match at Viola Park started with an early breakthrough. In the 5th minute, Harviken capitalized on a corner kick, outjumping Filangeri and heading the ball past Durante to put Juventus ahead. This marked Harviken’s first goal for the club in her fifth appearance.

Fiorentina responded quickly, equalizing in the 10th minute. Former Juventus player Bonfantini tapped in a close-range finish from a Severini assist. Just three minutes later, Fiorentina turned the game around when Severini set up Faerge, who fired a stunning free-kick past Peyraud-Magnin to give the hosts a 2-1 lead.

Juventus continued to press, and in the 35th minute, Bonansea leveled the score at 2-2. Capitalizing on a flicked assist from Cantore following a corner, Bonansea netted her 12th career goal against Fiorentina, making them her most frequent victim. With this goal, she also tied Girelli as Juventus' all-time top scorer in the Coppa Italia, both sitting at 15 goals.

Juventus nearly took the lead just before halftime. Girelli had two golden opportunities between the 39th and 40th minute—her first effort hit the crossbar, and her second was denied by a brilliant save from Durante.

Second Half Drama and Decisive Goal

The second half started with Fiorentina on the attack. Bonfantini tested Juventus’ defense twice, forcing the goalkeeper into crucial saves. However, the high tempo from the first half took its toll, and both teams slowed their pace as the match wore on.

Despite Fiorentina’s push for a winner, Juventus remained solid at the back and still looked dangerous on the counter. Krumbiegel and Brighton both came close to scoring, but Durante was alert to keep them out.

The decisive moment came in the 75th minute. Coach Canzi’s substitution proved crucial, as Vangsgaard—who had replaced Cantore in the 61st minute—pounced on a disastrous mistake from Fiorentina’s goalkeeper. Durante’s misjudged clearance fell straight to Vangsgaard, who slotted the ball home to seal the 3-2 win for Juventus.

In the final minutes, Fiorentina made attacking substitutions, bringing on Della Peruta, Bredgaard, and Pastrenge in search of an equalizer. They nearly found one in the 81st minute when Erzen unleashed a powerful long-range strike, only for Peyraud-Magnin to tip it onto the crossbar.

At the final whistle, Juventus celebrated a hard-fought victory, putting them in a strong position for the return leg. Fiorentina, last season’s finalists, will now need a big performance in the second leg, scheduled for March 3-5, to keep their title hopes alive.