Valerenga Women to Host Juventus in UEFA Women’s Champions League Opener

The Women’s Champions League is set to commence with an intriguing clash between Valerenga Women and Juventus Women on October 9, 2024, at the Vallhall Arena in Norway. Both teams are vying for a top-two finish in Group C, which also features Arsenal and Bayern Munich.

Valerenga Women have qualified for the group stage for the first time, becoming only the second Norwegian team to do so. They secured their spot after defeating Farul Constanta and achieving a commanding 5-1 aggregate victory over Anderlecht in the qualifying rounds. Recently, Valerenga continued their strong form with a 3-1 victory in the Norwegian Cup semifinal against Brann and a same score victory over Asane in the league, maintaining their 11-point lead at the top with five matches remaining.

Juventus Women arrive in Norway buoyed by their performance in eliminating Paris Saint-Germain from the competition, achieving this feat for the first time since Tyresö FF in the 2013-14 season. The Italian champions secured a 3-1 victory at home and a 2-1 win away, with key performances from their leading players. They maintain a perfect start to their domestic season, having achieved wins in all seven matches and scoring 23 goals thus far.

Valerenga will miss a key player sidelined with a long-term knee injury, and their first-choice goalkeeper remains doubtful due to an injury that has kept them out of action for several matches. However, their forward player, who has netted six goals in seven appearances, is expected to lead the attack.

Juventus coach is likely to implement strategic changes to the lineup observed during their recent league victory against Sampdoria. The expected squad includes the return of their primary goalkeeper and several key defenders and attackers, setting up a highly competitive team for the challenge.

Despite Juventus having a challenging away record in previous main draw encounters, their strong early-season form suggests they could continue their successful streak in the upcoming group stage matchup.