Algeria W vs Italy W

Italy took control early and never let go. By half-time, they held a comfortable 13–9 lead, built on disciplined defence and efficient attacking play. The second half was even more one-sided: Italy extended their advantage with a 14–8 surge as Algeria ran out of answers.

No official scorer data has been published for this fixture, but the margin of victory — Italy's biggest in the tournament so far — reflected a complete team performance. The hosts converted their chances at a higher rate and kept Algeria's attack largely contained throughout the 60 minutes.

The win was especially significant given that this is the first edition without any of the previous three women's gold medallists (France, Spain and Serbia), leaving the field open for a new champion on 1 September.

Italy's response after the interval decided the contest. Having led by four at the break, they opened the second half with a run that pushed the gap beyond reach. Algeria, who had beaten Kosovo 35–20 on Day 1, could not find a way back into the match as Italy's defensive structure tightened and the Azzurre controlled the tempo.

With individual stats unavailable from this match, Italy's collective output told the story. The squad, coached by Dane Martin Albertsen, features experienced internationals including centre-back Ramona Manojlović (2002, Erice), veteran right wing Giada Babbo (1997, Brixen Südtirol), and goalkeeper Francesca Luchin (1991, Brixen Südtirol) — all of whom played key roles in steadying the ship after the Tunisia loss.

For Algeria, the 35–20 win over Kosovo on 22 August had raised expectations, but they struggled to replicate that form against a more organised Italian side.

Two days earlier, Italy scored 22 against Tunisia and conceded 25. Against Algeria, they improved both sides of the ball — scoring 27 while conceding just 17. That's a +5 swing in attack and a +8 improvement in defence. The half-time scores (9–13) suggest a controlled rather than explosive start; Italy did their real damage after the break (8–14).

For context, the day's other results underlined the tournament's hierarchy: Tunisia thrashed North Macedonia 43–11, while Greece beat Kosovo 40–20. Italy's 27-goal tally was the second-lowest of any winning side on the day, but their defensive discipline (17 conceded) was joint-best alongside Tunisia.

Italy (1 win, 1 loss, 2 points) climb to fourth in the six-team round-robin table, behind Tunisia (2 wins, 4 points), Greece (2 wins, 4 points) and Algeria (1 win, 1 loss, 2 points) — with Italy holding a superior goal difference over Algeria after this result.

The top two after the preliminary round (ends 30 August) advance to the gold medal match on 1 September. Italy's next fixture is against Kosovo on Wednesday 26 August (20:00 local, Fasano), followed by North Macedonia on 28 August and Greece on 30 August.

Algeria face North Macedonia on 26 August (13:00 local), Greece on 28 August and Tunisia on 30 August.

This was the response Italy needed after the opening-round setback. The 10-goal margin against a side that crushed Kosovo by 15 suggests the Azzurre are finding their rhythm at the right time. Algeria, meanwhile, will need to rediscover their Day 1 sharpness quickly with North Macedonia up next.

All times local (CEST). No official player-of-the-match award was reported.