Italy have qualified for the last 16 of the Women’s World Cup, courtesy of a record-equalling 5-0 victory over Jamaica.
Italy just needed a win to make sure of their place in the next round after Brazil’s 3-2 defeat to Australia on Thursday.
They went on to blow Jamaica away as Juventus striker Cristiana Girelli netted a hat-trick and substitute Aurora Galli bagged a second-half brace.
Fortune did favour the Azzurre for their first goal as Girelli was allowed to retake her penalty, Jamaica goalkeeper Sydney Schneider having encroached.
Italy have qualified for the last 16 of the Women’s World Cup, courtesy of a record-equalling 5-0 victory over Jamaica.
Italy just needed a win to make sure of their place in the next round after Brazil’s 3-2 defeat to Australia on Thursday.
They went on to blow Jamaica away as Juventus striker Cristiana Girelli netted a hat-trick and substitute Aurora Galli bagged a second-half brace.
Fortune did favour the Azzurre for their first goal as Girelli was allowed to retake her penalty, Jamaica goalkeeper Sydney Schneider having encroached.
While Girelli became the third player to score a treble in France, her Juve teammate Galli stole the show with two well-taken goals, blasting in from distance before timing a run perfectly to round Schneider from an angled through ball.
The result not only matched Italy’s biggest-ever World Cup win, but it also saw them through to the knockouts for the first time since 1991.
Jamaica 0-5 Italy
Girelli 12, 25, 46, Galli 71, 81
Jamaica: Schneider; Campbell, A Swaby, Plummer, Blackwood; Adamolekun (Silver 76), Solaun, C Swaby (Sweatman 46), Asher; Grey (Brown 66), Shaw
Italy: Giuliani; Guagni (Boattin 57), Gama, Linari, Bartoli; Bergamaschi (Galli 65), Giugliano, Cernoia; Girelli (Giacinti 72); Sabatino, Bonansea
Referee: Keighley (AUS)