- Torreense achievements: Torreense won the Taça da Liga, the Taça de Portugal and the Supertaça in 2025-26
- Juventus form: Juventus had a mixed but dangerous end in 2025-26 in Serie A and the Coppa Italia, scoring three goals in three of their final five competitive matches
- Head-to-head: This is the first-ever competitive match between the two clubs
Juve are the big dogs in this 1st Leg
Torreense are the underdogs in the UEFA Women's Champions League qualification for 2026-27, but they have the pedigree of an upset to make them a good live underdog on Wednesday. Gonçalo Nunes has created a cup side from an organisation that finished around fourth in Portugal's top division in the 2025–26 season.
Torreense have won the Portuguese League Cup, the Portuguese Cup and the recent Portuguese Super Cup to earn the right to face Juventus Women. Nunes has built a compact, organised and proactive cup side out of an organisation that has continuity, pressing and collective discipline. It's the ideal combination of ingredients. They are a well-drilled unit that could get through to the group stage of this competition and could certainly cause a problem in the first leg at Juventus if they can stay in the game.
Torreense should get chances in transitions
Key players and spine
Salomé Prat and Janaína Weimer will again be responsible for the big moments, but the addition of the steel and credibility of Bárbara Lopes and Carolina Correia through the spine of the team has given Torreense a bit more credibility for this kind of test.
Juventus tactics
Isaac Guerrero takes charge of Juve as the new Juventus head coach and his Barcelona-methodology approach should ensure the Old Lady control territory and share the ball much more than usual.
Counter strategy and pedigree
That said, Torreense's narrow block and vertical counters are designed to make Juventus pay for any lapses in transition and their Portuguese cup pedigree has been built on a series of dramatic late moments. They beat Sporting CP 2-1 in extra-time in the 2025-26 Taça de Portugal final, so Torreense will always get a chance in this kind of game.
Juve should control, but Torresne can get a grip
Juventus are rightful favourites at 1.14 for this game, which is far too short an odds compared to 6.5 for the draw, but there is every chance this game stays tight and scrappy until the last 10 minutes or so.
Juve should have enough to win this but they could be edged in a scrappy game.
- A home clean sheet win for Juve should be the likeliest scenario in this first-leg battle to stay in the UEFA path for 2026-27.
- Both teams to score Yes is listed at 11/4 and No at 1.55, so our preference is to push the bet on Under 2.5 goals at 3.2, which would also accommodate the 1-0 or 2-0 Juve win that seems most likely.
- Juventus have Cristiana Girelli away on loan for August, so the likes of Barbara Bonansea, Vittoria Beccari and Valentina Cambiaghi will have to come up with the goals in this contest.
