Como’s Late Strike Silences Juventus in Stunning Upset at Stadio Vittorio Pozzo

There are days in football when the script is torn and rewritten in the dying minutes. Saturday afternoon at Stadio Vittorio Pozzo delivered just such a drama for Juventus Women, as a late goal from Como Women—seemingly out of nowhere—sealed a 1-0 away victory that reverberated far beyond Biella’s autumn haze.

An Unlikely Hero Breaks the Deadlock

For 84 tense minutes, Juventus probed and pressed. The Bianconere, fresh off a stirring 2-1 Champions League win over Benfica earlier in the week, looked to translate continental confidence into league ascendancy. But it was Como, arriving bottom of the table and still searching for their first points, who found the breakthrough. With the visitors weathering waves of Juventus possession, a swift counterattack led to the only goal of the match—buried with precision in the 84th minute. The name on the scoresheet may be lost to the day’s incomplete record, but the memory will linger for a Como side not accustomed to leaving these fixtures with spoils.

The Weight of Recent History

Context lent a sense of inevitability to Juventus’s pre-match optimism. Since Como’s promotion, their meetings have rarely threatened an upset: Juventus triumphed in their last four league encounters by a combined margin of 16-3, sweeping aside Como 5-0, 4-2, and 4-1 in their most recent Serie A clashes. On paper, this was a mismatch—especially given Juventus’s home form and depth in attack, with Cecilia Salvai and Barbara Bonansea among the league’s most consistent performers.

But for all their statistical advantages, Juventus struggled to unpick a disciplined Como defense. Head coach Stefano Sottili’s challenge to his players—“play with the right lightness and without fear”—proved prophetic as his team countered Juventus’s method with resilience and opportunism.

Key Moments and Missed Chances

The match’s narrative was largely shaped by Juventus’s frustration. The hosts commanded possession and carved out the game’s first clear chances, twice forcing Como’s goalkeeper into acrobatic saves midway through the first half. Salvai, dangerous from set pieces, nearly found the opener in the 33rd minute, her header skimming just wide.

Como, meanwhile, showed little in attack before halftime. But as Juventus pressed higher, gaps began to emerge. A warning came on the hour mark when Como’s left winger forced an alert stop from Juventus’s Pauline Peyraud-Magnin. The visitors grew bolder, and by the final quarter, the sense of a potential ambush built with every Juventus miscue.

When the decisive moment came—a sharp transition exploited with ruthless efficiency in the 84th minute—Stadio Vittorio Pozzo fell silent. Como’s bench erupted; Juventus players dropped to their knees, undone by a single lapse after 80 minutes of command.

The closing moments were frantic. Juventus threw numbers forward, nearly equalizing in stoppage time through substitute Sofia Cantore’s narrow-angled drive, but Como’s wall held firm.

The Standings: Shakeup in Serie A’s Early Race

The implications of this result were immediate and stark. Juventus, who began the day in sixth position with a single point from last week’s goalless draw at Sassuolo, remain tethered outside the top four—rare territory for a side accustomed to dictating the early pace of the league.

Como, conversely, jumpstart their season. Last year’s strugglers, who opened with a defeat to Lazio but showed late fight, collect a morale-boosting three points to climb off the bottom of the table and into mid-pack—a tangible reward for their resilience.

A Rivalry Recast

For Juventus, this was meant to be a routine step in a marathon familiar and often triumphant. Their head-to-head record against Como reflected not just dominance but inevitability. Instead, the upset underscores a changing landscape in Serie A Women’s early going—a reminder that even the league’s aristocrats are not immune to a well-drilled underdog playing without fear.

Looking Ahead: Redemption and Opportunity

Juventus now face a crucial response window, with a high-profile European fixture against Bayern Munich looming before league action resumes with Lazio and AC Milan. The margin for error in both competitions has tightened. Manager and squad alike will rue the points dropped, knowing ambitions domestic and continental hinge on swift recalibration.

For Como, the win is more than just three points. It is validation—a proof of concept for a team told to play with joy and lightness, and a statement that the gap to Italy’s elite is, on any given day, bridgeable. As they look to build on the momentum, a season that began in the shadows may already have found its first, unforgettable afternoon in the sun.

The scriptwriters of Serie A Women could not have penned a more timely plot twist. As the league table takes early shape, Saturday’s shock at Stadio Vittorio Pozzo serves as an enduring caution: in football, expectation is no guarantee, and the only certainty is the drama waiting on the next whistle.