On Friday 24 October, Nadeshiko Japan (Japan Women’s National Team) faced Italy in the first international friendly of their European tour at Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia in Como. Ranked 12th in the FIFA standings, Italy — semi-finalists at July’s UEFA Women’s EURO — posed a stern test for Japan, currently eighth in the world.

Japan lined up in a 4-3-3 formation, captained by HASEGAWA Yui (Manchester City), who returned to the national side for the first time in six months. The visitors began with well-organised pressing — a key focus of this training camp — while remaining composed as they assessed Italy’s approach before committing numbers forward.

Their first opening came in the 10th minute, when FUJINO Aoba (Manchester City), cutting inside from the left, linked up neatly with MORIYA Miyabi (Angel City FC), deployed at left-back. Moriya’s overlapping run earned Japan a corner, and they forced three in quick succession, though none troubled the Italian defence.

In the 16th minute, MATSUKUBO Manaka (North Carolina Courage) controlled a pass from Fujino with a sublime first touch before unleashing a strike on goal, only to be denied by the Italian goalkeeper. Japan’s best chance of the first half arrived in added time, when MIYAZAWA Hinata (Manchester United) threaded a precise through ball to SEIKE Kiko (Brighton & Hove Albion), who broke clear of the defensive line to go one-on-one with the keeper. However, her effort drifted off target, leaving Seike looking skyward in frustration.

After the interval, Japan pushed their defensive line higher and committed more players forward. Yet, in the 52nd minute, Italy took the lead. Unfazed, Japan responded in the 64th minute. “Yui-san made a perfectly timed run, so all I had to do was deliver the ball to her,” said Miyazawa afterwards.
“Hinata’s ball was absolutely perfect,” replied Hasegawa, who coolly lifted the ball over the keeper to level the score.

Japan’s substitutions brought renewed energy as they pressed for a winner, but despite dominating much of the second half, the visitors could not find a decisive goal, and the match finished 1–1.

Next up, Nadeshiko Japan will take on Norway in La Línea, Spain, on Tuesday 28 October, with kick-off scheduled for 18:00 local time.

Coach and Players' Comments

Nils NIELSEN, Head Coach of Nadeshiko Japan
A draw between two very good sides feels like a fair result. Italy, who achieved an excellent outcome at this year’s EURO, are a well-organised and impressive team, and their goal came from a move that truly reflected their strengths. We could have won the match had we taken our chances in the first half. At half-time, I told the players to push their positions higher up the pitch, and that adjustment worked well. Although we conceded, we reacted quickly to equalise. In the second half, we dominated for long periods, and the players gave everything in their pursuit of victory.

DF #2 SHIMIZU Risa (Liverpool FC/England)
I had so many thoughts running through my mind before the match and did everything I could to prepare myself once it started. Being called on much earlier than I had expected actually helped me settle and play my own game naturally. It’s been really tough since I was injured at the Paris Olympics, and there were moments when I wondered if I’d ever play again. But that spell reminded me how much I love football and how proud I am to represent my country. Coming back now, I truly feel that none of that time was wasted. I can’t yet say I’m completely back to my best, but as a member of the national team, I’ll give everything I have to help the team achieve good results.

DF #4 KUMAGAI Saki (London City Lionesses/England)
In the second half, we had more possession and were able to control the game. The next step for us is to be more threatening in front of goal. We created several 2v1 situations in the first half, but in terms of real chances, there were only a few. We need to improve our movement into the box, and that’s something we must address before the next match. As for the goal we conceded, we allowed our opponents to move the ball from side to side and ended up giving away a free opportunity. When the ball is that close to goal, anything can happen. We should have pushed them further away, so that’s on us. It’s a match we should have won, so I’m purely disappointed.

MF #14 HASEGAWA Yui (Manchester City/England)
For the goal, I saw space open up and knew it was the right moment to make a forward run. I thought that if I could receive the ball as the third runner, we might be able to create something, and Hinata (Miyazawa) played a wonderful pass. We rotated our runs well to create free players and combined effectively, but we still need to be more creative and clinical in the final third. Our next opponents, Norway, have a significant height advantage over us, so it won’t be easy to break them down with crosses. However, if we can create clear options at the near post, far post, and cut-back areas, we’ll definitely find ways to score. We hope to attack those spaces with greater intent and conviction.

International Friendly Match [10/24]

Fixture: Nadeshiko Japan vs Italy Women’s National Team
Date: Fri. 24 October 2025, 18:15 (Sat. 25 October, 1:15 Japan time)
Venue: Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia, Como, Italy
Match information

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