Italy upset Japan to move closer to the Olympic quarter-finals

Italy defeated Japan 3–2 to strengthen its prospects of reaching the Olympic women’s hockey quarter-finals. The hosts established a two-goal lead and protected their advantage, moving into second place in group B with six points before the remaining preliminary fixtures.

Matilde Fantin scored twice and goalkeeper Gabriella Durante stopped twenty-seven of twenty-nine shots. Italy relied heavily on experienced defenders Laura Fortino and Nadia Mattivi, who played more than thirty and twenty-eight minutes respectively while managing the pressure from Japan’s attempted recovery.

Both teams had one group game left, with Italy due to face Germany and Japan scheduled against Sweden. Mattivi praised the team’s resilience after conceding late, while Japan coach Yuji Iizuka identified the early goals as a major factor in the defeat.