Beerensteyn double inspires Juve win as Fiorentina, Inter record crucial wins: Serie A Femminile Week 12 Round-Up
Lineth Beerensteyn scored twice as reigning champions Juventus overcame AS Roma 4-2 away in the capital on Sunday.
The hosts opened the scoring just two minutes into the first half through midfielder-cum-forward Annamaria Serturini who put the ball into the bottom right corner with a right out-footer from the centre of the box with an assist from midfielder Manuela Giugliano before Beerensteyn levelled matters 12 minutes later with a right footed shot into the centre of the net from just inside the area with a headed assist from midfielder Sara Bjork Gunnarsdóttir.
Forward Cristiana Girelli made it 2-1 for Juventus on 38 minutes with a right footed shot into the bottom right corner from the centre of the box with an assist from midfielder Julia Grosso and the visitors went to the break in the lead.
The goal took Girelli’s season tally to eight and is now second top scorer in the current Serie A Femminile campaign behind Inter’s Tabitha Chawinga who leads the goal charts with nine goals.
Brazilian midfielder Andressa Alves equalised for the hosts just four minutes into the second half when she smashed a Valentina Giacinti off-the-post rebound into the bottom left corner with her right foot from the centre of the box before Beeresteyn returned in the 67th minute to complete her brace to make it 3-2 for the visitors with a right footed shot into the bottom right corner from the centre of the box with an assist from Grosso, who also completed a brace of assists.
Grosso now tops the Serie A Femminile assist charts with five.
Grosso made it 4-2 in the 79thminute with a right footed shot into the bottom right corner from the centre of the box with an assist from defender Linda Sembrant and killed the match as a contest as the Bianconere collected crucial maximum points.
The win took Juventus to within three points of log leaders Roma. Joe Montemurro’s side are second on the standings on 27 points from eight wins and three draws in 12 outings whilst Le Giallorosse are on 30 points from 10 wins in the same number of contests.
Meanwhile, Alexandra Jóhannsdóttir netted a brace as Fiorentina routed Parma 4-0 away on Saturday.
The former Breidablik Kópavogur midfielder opened the scoring in the 38th minute with an assist from former AC Milan forward Miriam Longo and the visitors went for the break in the lead.
Hungarian forward Zsanett Kaján doubled the visitors’ lead from the penalty spot in the 57th minute before former AC Milan midfielder Verónica Boquete tripled the lead with a strike on 70 minutes as Kaján turned assist provider.
Jóhannsdóttir completed her brace with a strike five minutes later with yet another assist from Longo as Viola collected crucial maximum points.
The win saw Fiorentina maintain a three-point gap with fourth place Inter whilst keeping pressure on the teams above. Patrizia Panico’s side are third on the standings on 25 points from eight wins and a draw from 12 encounters whilst Parma, formerly known as Empoli Ladies, are at the bottom of the log on six points from one win and three draws in the same number of ties.
A Tabitha Chawinga brace was enough for Inter to edge out Pomigliano 2-1 away on Saturday, ending a five-match winless streak for the Milan based side.
The on-loan Wuhan Jianghan University FC Malawian forward opened the scoring with a strike eight minutes into the second half with an assist from Norwegian full back Anja Sønstevold before she completed her brace with another strike on 76 minutes as Sønstevold also completed a brace of assists.
The brace saw Chawinga claim top spot on current Serie A goal charts with nine.
The hosts pulled one back through Guatemalan forward Ana Lucía Martínez who struck in the fourth minute of second half extra-time but it was too little too late for Pomigliano to stop Rita Guarino’s side from collecting the all-crucial maximum points.
The win saw Inter maintain a three-point gap with cross-town rival AC Milan below on fifth place as they keep pressure on third place Fiorentina. Le Nerrazurre are fourth on the standings on 22 points from six wins and four draws in nine contests whilst Pomigliano are ninth on 10 points from three wins and a draw in the same number of encounters.
A solitary Kosovare Asllani strike was enough for AC Milan to edge out troubled Sassuolo 1-0 away on Saturday.
The former Real Madrid striker scored just 38 seconds after kick-off from close range bundling home a Marta Mascarello pass from 25 yards out as Milan bounced back from a 2-0 defeat to log leaders Roma the previous week.
The result saw Milan maintain a healthy nine point gap with the beleaguered Sassuolo side below on sixth place as they keep pressure on Inter above them. Milan are fifth on 19 points from six wins and a draw in nine ties whilst Sassuolo have collected 10 points from two wins and four draws in the same number of outgoings.
Serie A newcomers Como condemned Sampdoria to their fourth straight defeat with a 1-0 win away on Sunday.
Swedish midfielder Julia Karlernäs struck in the 26th minute before Sampdoria Colombian midfielder Yoreli Rincón blew a chance to equalise when she missed a spot kick on 40 minutes as the visitors collected a crucial three points.
The win saw Como rise above Sampdoria and Pomigliano on eighth place and ninth place respectively. Como are now seventh, one place beneath Sassuolo on goal difference, and have collected 10 points from two wins and four draws in 12 contests whilst Sampdoria have gathered 10 points from three wins and a draw in the same number of encounters.
RESULTS: Saturday 10 December, 2022 (A.S.D Pomigliano 1 – 2 Internazionale)
RESULTS: Saturday 10 December, 2022 (US Sassuolo 0 – 1 AC Milan)
RESULTS: Saturday 10 December, 2022 (Parma Calcio 1913 0 – 0 AFC Fiorentina)
RESULTS: Sunday 11 December, 2022 (U.C Sampdoria 0 – 1 FC Como)
RESULTS: Sunday 11 December, 2022 (AS Roma 2 – 4 Juventus)