UWCL: Alba Redondo says ‘the moment is now’ as Juventus head to Häcken

UWCL: Alba Redondo says ‘the moment is now’ as Juventus head to Häcken Alba Redondo says her move to Juventus was about rediscovering ‘the Alba people hadn’t seen for a while’, with the forward already on six goals before the UEFA Women’s Champions League trip to Häcken in Sweden. Redondo joined Juventus this summer from Real Madrid after admitting that her final period in Spain had not been her best. Juventus lost their opening league-phase match to Benfica and now travel to face Häcken, last season’s UEFA Women’s Europa Cup winners. Finding herself again Redondo said the move to Juventus gave her the chance to rediscover her best form, while crediting her team-mates for her strong start. “My main objective in coming to Juve was to have another opportunity to go back to being the Alba people hadn’t seen for a while,” she said. “The goals come as a consequence of a lot of work, and not just mine, but that of all the team-mates around me.” Despite her six goals in all competitions, Redondo stressed that the season had only just begun. She said consistency, particularly at a collective level, would matter more over the months ahead. Embed from Getty Images Asked whether she had lost herself towards the end of her time at Real Madrid, Redondo rejected that description. “More than losing myself, perhaps it just wasn’t my best period,” she said. “I kept trying, but, as you know, things do not always go the way you want. The moment is now. From now on, I’m looking ahead.” Redondo described herself as an important player rather than a leader and said feeling valued at Juventus had given her confidence. “I feel important, I feel loved, which is very important. I feel very confident and happy.” She has also resisted setting herself a goals target for the season. “I don’t put a number on it, but for me that is secondary,” she said. “My biggest objective was to find myself again and, little by little, I’m achieving it.” Embed from Getty Images ‘We’re still here’ after Benfica Juventus began their Champions League campaign with defeat against Benfica, but Redondo believes the result did not reflect their performance. “The Benfica game was decided by two or three moments we didn’t make count, but we played well,” she said. “The Benfica result did not reflect the game. From my point of view, I think we had more attacking presence. “We’re working in the same way. We haven’t changed anything. This is our philosophy, this is how we play and we really believe in what the coach tells us.” Redondo also rejected the suggestion that the trip to Sweden was already decisive. “Football is a rollercoaster,” she continued. “Sometimes you’re on a high — other times you lose. But the good thing is that it gives you another opportunity to show who you are. “More than a moment to say, ‘Here we are’, it is another step in saying, ‘We’re still here’. It is not a decisive match. There is still a long way to go and many things can happen.” Embed from Getty Images Häcken offers the next test Asked what scoring against Häcken would mean personally, Redondo again put Juventus first. “For me, the most important thing is getting the three points while playing in the way we believe in and trust,” she said. “But if I get the chance to keep contributing goals to the team, I’d be delighted. I’d be super happy.” Redondo already knows what to expect from former Levante team-mate Estela Carbonell. “She knows me perfectly, and I know her,” Redondo said. “So, in that sense, we have a point in our favour.” Asked what she wanted from her first Champions League campaign with Juventus, Redondo said she wanted to go “as far as possible with this shirt” while being “Alba Redondo, the Alba Redondo everyone knows”. “My biggest objective was to find myself again,” she said. “Little by little, I’m achieving it.” Find out where to watch the UEFA Women’s Champions League at wheretowatch.uefa.com . Related articles from Her Football Hub: ÖFB-Frauen Bundesliga results: SKN St. Pölten go top as Sturm Graz falter, LASK grab deserved win Suwen Süper Ligi: Galatasaray win, Fenerbahçe triumph in Europe as Beşiktaş fixture is called off From Alex Morgan to Naomi Girma: When women’s transfer hypes failed to become reality