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Juventus star Daniëlle de Jong is ready for the challenge of facing VfL Wolfsburg in their blockbuster UEFA Women’s Champions League play-off clash this week.
The six-time Italian champions will make the trip to Germany on Thursday as they hope to put one foot in the quarter-finals.
De Jong has seemingly cemented herself as the first choice goalkeeper at Juventus following the departure of Pauline Peyraud-Magnin to the NWSL.
The Netherlands international has won silverware at every club she’s represented and will be looking to use that experience to help Juventus overcome Wolfsburg in the UWCL play-offs.
Having previously been the first choice keeper at Eredivisie champions FC Twente, it hasn’t taken De Jong much time to adapt herself to the same level in Italy. Juventus are in fine form currently with four wins from their last five domestically. In Europe, the side finished one point behind Real Madrid in the UWCL to qualify for the play-offs.
Daniëlle de Jong not fazed by pressure
At just 23 years old, De Jong is young for a first choice goalkeeper. Especially in one of Europe’s elite teams. The line between winning and losing a game often lies with the goalkeeper and their split-second decisions. With that being said, De Jong still oozes composure in her play and assures she doesn’t let pressure get to her.
“I’ve always been a pretty calm person, on and off the pitch. I don’t really put that pressure on myself,” the shot-stopper said. “To be honest I just love playing the game, I love being a goalkeeper. I trust my teammates, to show them that I feel good about the game, that not only am I ready, but we are ready as a unit, to show them they can trust me too. As long as I feel good and enjoy the game, that’s how I perform best.”
Juventus firing on all cylinders
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The Turin based side qualified for the UEFA Women’s Champions League comfortably. Juventus secured wins against St. Pölten, Atlético Madrid and Benfica, while also stealing points from European royalty Lyon.
“I think we’re in a really good place as a team,” De Jong said. “We’ve been playing some good games, I think the energy that we have in our squad at this moment is on a top, top level.”
However, VfL Wolfsburg will be no easy opponent for the Italian outfit.
The German side finished just a single point behind Juventus to see them qualify for the play-offs as a non-seeded team. With wins against Vålerenga, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain, they’ve made a good account of themselves. Wolfsburg have also averaged 2.17 goals per UWCL match this season. De Jong will have quite the task ahead of her between the sticks.
“We’ve been looking forward to this game. I think we have to be prepared for every player in a team like Wolfsburg,” De Jong admitted. “Of course, they have key players we know about but you have to be ready for everyone. Who knows what the starting 11 could be. We’re feeling really good, we’re ready for it.”
An honour to wear the Juventus badge
The recently capped Netherlands starlet has never been far away from a trophy win at any point in her career. De Jong has won silverware at all three of her senior clubs — PSV, Twente and now Juventus.
That being said, it’s no secret that the UWCL is regarded as the pinnacle of domestic titles.
“I would love to be able to say one say one day that I won it [the UWCL],” De Jong said. “First thing’s first, I’m honoured to play here at Juventus. I’m honoured to play in the Champions League. I think it’s the biggest and most important competition in Europe.
“Right now, my focus is on each game with Juventus and winning each and every game. We’re doing it step-by-step and game-by-game. I’d love to be able to say one day that we did it here.”
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How to watch Juventus vs Wolfsburg in the UEFA Women’s Champions League
Juventus will take on Wolfsburg in the first leg of their UWCL play-off clash on Thursday, February 12th. The two teams will then meet again in Italy on Thursday, February 19th. The winner of the two legs will progress to the quarter-finals.
Tickets for both matches can be purchased here. You can also watch every match of the UEFA Women’s Champions League, live on Disney+ as part of existing customer subscriptions.
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