Vignola Fires Everton Women To Hamburg Victory

Ornella Vignola’s second-half strike got Everton’s pre-season campaign off to a winning start in their historic clash against Hamburg Frauen at Volksparkstadion.

The first part of a double header with the two clubs’ men’s side following later in the day in northern Germany, Scott Phelan’s Blues triumphed 1-0 in front of an impressive crowd, with a host of new additions impressing in their maiden outings.

Ahead of the Women’s second campaign with Goodison Park as their home, summer signings Hannah Blundell, Jutta Rantala and Noemie Mouchon started from the off against Hamburg, with Naomi Layzell, Holly McNamara and Zara Kramzar named amongst the substitutes.

Club captain Megan Finnigan returned to the matchday squad for the first time since sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament injury in January 2025.

It was the Toffees who started on the front foot, Mouchon creeping behind the Hamburg backline on three occasions. The France youth international almost found fellow new recruit Rantala with a low cross, before curling two strikes wide of the mark.

Blundell then threatened Kinga Szemik’s goal, her strike deflecting off Magou Docoure and whistling wide.

Mouchon came close again on the half-hour mark, her arrowed strike almost catching the alert Szemik out at the near post.

The forward was in the thick of the action once more three minutes shy of the interval – her curling strike narrowly missing the target after she cut in on to her favoured foot.

A rotated XI emerged from the tunnel for the second-half, as Hikaru Kitagawa, Layzell, Rosa van Gool, Ellie Jones, Honoka Hayashi and McNamara replaced Blundell, Rion Ishikawa, Clare Wheeler, Yuka Momiki, Rantala and Mouchon.

The hosts squandered a golden opportunity to open the scoring only two minutes after the break – Camilla Linberg firing wide after dispossessing Kitagawa inside the Blues’ box.

The winning goal came soon after, Vignola’s rifled effort evading the reach of Szemik and nestling in to the bottom right corner on 52 minutes. After finding space 30 yards from goal, the forward raced forward before powering the ball in to the back of the net.

McNamara nearly marked her first appearance as a Blue with a goal, but the Aussie’s curling effort sailed a yard over the upright.

Layzell was forced off in the 70th minute, with Phelan’s side playing with 10 for the remainder of the fixture.

But they were able to hold out to seal a win on a memorable day which saw Everton’s Women’s and Men’s teams feature in a pre-season double-header for the first time.

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