Giacinti strikes twice to steer Roma to crucial win as Juventus beat Milan: Serie A Femminile Play-Offs Week 1 Round-Up

· Juventus maintained pressure on Roma with a crucial 2-0 win at home to AC Milan in their quest to defend the title

· Sassuolo dismissed troubled Sampdoria 3-0 at home in a relegation play-off on Saturday as they continue to turn around their disastrous season

CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND

A Valentina Giacinti brace inspired AS Roma to a 5-1 thumping of Fiorentina at the Stadio Piero Torrini in Florence on Friday evening as Serie A play-offs kicked off.

Giacinti opened the scoring for Roma just 11 minutes into the first half with a right footed shot from the left side of the box into the bottom left corner with an assist from midfielder Giada Greggi before midfielder Manuela Giugliano doubled the visitors’ lead 10 minutes later with a right footed shot from very close range to the centre of the goal.

Giacinti returned to complete her brace seven minutes later, making it 3-0 with a header from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner, assisted by defender Carina Wenninger with a cross and Le Giallorosse would take their lead into the break.

Giacinti’s brace took her season’s tally to 11 goals, consolidating her position as third top scorer in the current Serie A campaign and keeping pressure on Inter Milan’s Tabitha Chawinga and Juventus’ Cristiana Girelli who are top and second respectively.

Wenninger herself went on the scoresheet just a minute into the second half, making it 4-0 with a right footed shot from very close range into the top left corner before Icelandic midfielder Alexandra Jóhannsdóttir pulled one back for Fiorentina just four minutes later with a right footed shot from the centre of the box into the bottom left corner, assisted by former AC Milan defender Linda Tucceri Cimini with a cross.

Former LSK Kvinner forward Emilie Haavi almost made it 5-1 to Roma just a minute later but her right footed shot from outside the box crashed against the upright.

63rd minute substitute forward Benedetta Glionna made it 5-1 13 minutes from time and put the match to bed with a right footed shot from the centre of the box into the bottom left corner, assisted by Spanish midfielder Vicky Losada.

Former Juventus midfielder Annahita Zamanian was shown a red card after receiving a second yellow five minutes from time and will miss Fiorentina’s trip to AC Milan next weekend.

Roma sit at the apex of the championship play-offs table on 51 points from 17 wins in 19 ties whilst Fiorentina are at the bottom on 34 points from 11 wins and two draws in 19 outings.

Watch Fiorentina vs. AS Roma highlights below:

Meanwhile, Juventus cruised to a 2-0 win over AC Milan at the Juventus Centre Vinovo on Saturday afternoon to keep pressure on log leaders Roma.

Dutch international attacker Lineth Beerensteyn opened the account for Juventus 10 minutes into the second half, sending a right footed shot into the bottom left corner from the left side of the box, assisted by Swedish forward Paulina Nyström after Milan forward Martina Piemonte had fluffed the chance to put the Rossonere in the lead when she blighted a 29th minute penalty over the bar after Juventus goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin had brought down Scottish midfielder Christy Grimshaw in the area.

Beeresteyn’s goal took her season’s tally to nine, becoming joint-third top scorer in the current Serie A campaign alongside Roma’s Andressa Alves, Inter’s Elisa Polli and Milan’s Piemonte and becoming Juventus’ second top scorer behind Girelli.

Milan skipper Valentina Bergamaschi almost levelled the scores two minutes later but her left footed shot from the centre of the box crashed against the left upright before midfielder Arianna Caruso doubled the lead for Juventus from the penalty spot in the fifth minute of second half extra-time after Polish defender Malgorzata Mesjasz had fouled Beerensteyn in the box.

Juventus remain second on the championship play-offs table on 43 points from 13 wins and four draws in 19 contests whilst Milan are fourth on 34 points from 11 wins and a draw in the same number of encounters.

Watch Juventus vs. AC Milan highlights below:

RELEGATION ROUND

Sassuolo dispatched visiting Sampdoria 3-0 at the Stadio Enzo Ricci on Saturday afternoon to top the Serie A relegation play-offs standings.

South African midfielder Refiloe Jane opened the account for Sassuolo just six minutes into the first half with a right footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal, assisted by last season’s Serie A Golden Boot Award winner Daniela Sabatino before the latter went on the scoresheet herself on 23 minutes, doubling the lead with a header from very close range into the bottom left corner from a defender Davina Philtjens’ rebound header off the crossbar.

Sampdoria defender Elisabetta Oliviero could have pulled one back for the visitors but her right footed shot from the left side of the box crashed on the bar before Sabatino missed a chance to complete her brace when her right footed shot from the centre of the box also crashed on the bar just two minutes later.

Scotland international attacker Lana Clelland made it 3-0 just three minutes into the second half, securing a crucial three points for Sassuolo with a left footed shot from outside the box into the top left corner.

The win took Sassuolo to 20 points after five wins and five draws in 19 encounters whilst Sampdoria slumped to the bottom of the relegation play-offs standings on 10 points from three wins and a draw in the same number of contests.

Elsewhere, Pomigliano ended a five-match winless streak with a 4-1 thumping of Parma at home on Sunday afternoon.

Guatemalan attacker Ana Lucía Martínez opened the account for Pomigliano in the first minute of first half extra-time with a right footed sliding shot to the centre of the goal from very close range after Veronica Battelani’s right footed free kick from outside the area had rebounded off the crossbar.

Former AS Roma forward Paloma Lázaro levelled matters just two minutes later with a right out-footed lob into the bottom right corner from a difficult angle on the left and the teams retreated for half-time.

Brazilian midfielder Taty made it 2-1 to the hostesses on 65 minutes with a right footed shot into the bottom right corner from the centre of the area, assisted by fellow midfielder Zhana Ferrario from a corner before Parma’s Portuguese defender Joana Marchão almost made it 2-2 when her 67th minute freekick struck the crossbar.

Taty returned to complete her brace just five minutes later from the penalty spot after Parma’s Finnish defender Nora Heroum had brought down Ferrario in the area before 80th minute substitute forward Alice Corelli, having struck the angle of the bar a minute earlier, made it 4-1 and put the match to bed in the fifth minute of second half extra-time with a 25-yard right footed screamer into the top left corner, assisted by French midfielder Iris Rabot.

Corelli, who was already on a yellow card, was shown a red card after receiving a second yellow for partially lifting her shirt, revealing a t-shirt inside, during her goal celebrations. She will miss Pomigliano’s trip to Sassuolo in two weeks time.

Pomigliano remain second on the relegation play-offs standings on 17 points from five wins and two draws in 19 outings whilst Parma are third on 13 points from three wins and four draws in the same number of ties.

RESULTS: Friday 17 March, 2023 (ACF Fiorentina 1 – 5 AS Roma)

RESULTS: Saturday 18 March, 2023 (US Sassuolo 3 – 0 UC Sampdoria)

RESULTS: Saturday 19 March, 2023 (Juventus 2 – 0 AC Milan)

RESULTS: Sunday 20 March, 2023 (A.S.D Pomigliano 4 – 1 Parma Calcio)