Grosso strike seals Juve epic comeback as Roma dismantle Inter: Serie A Play-Offs Week 4 Round-Up
· Murderous Roma destroy Inter at their Breda Milano base in Milan on Saturday with a 6-1 victory
· Como dismiss Pomigliano with a 3-1 win away on Saturday
CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND
Reigning champions Juventus came back from three goals down to win 4-3 against Fiorentina at the Juventus Centre Vinovo on Sunday afternoon.
Fiorentina opened the scoring on 18 minutes through Italian midfielder Michela Catena who sent a header into the top right corner from the centre of the box with an assist from Swedish forward Pauline Hammarlund before former Juventus midfielder Annahita Zamanian doubled the visitors’ lead in the 34th minute with a right footed shot into the bottom right corner from outside the area, assisted by veteran midfielder Veronica Bouquete.
German midfielder Stephanie Breitner made it 3-0 to the visitors four minutes from half-time with a header into the bottom left corner from the centre of the box off an assist from centre-back Laura Agard as the Viola appeared to have killed the match as a contest.
Juventus forward Cristiana Girelli pulled one back three minutes into first half extra-time with a header into the top right corner from the centre of the box after pouncing on an Arianna Caruso cross and the teams retreated for half-time.
The goal took Girelli’s season tally to 12 as she seeks to keep pressure on Inter Milan’s Tabitha Chawinga, who is now on 18, in the race for the Golden Boot Award.
Netherlands international attacker Lineth Beerensteyn made it 3-2 13 minutes into the second half with a right footed shot into the bottom left corner from the left side of the box with an assist from full-back Lisa Boattin before forward Barbara Bonansea sent a right footed shot into the bottom left corner from outside the area just five minutes later to make it 3-3 as Caruso registered another assist.
Caruso has overtaken teammate Julia Grosso as the top assist raker in the current Serie A campaign with eight assists. Grosso is now second on seven.
Girelli almost made it 4-3 to the hostesses on 67 minutes but her headed effort from the centre of the box struck the upright.
57th minute substitute forward Miriam Longo also almost made it 4-3 to Fiorentina 11 minutes from time but her right footed effort from inside the area struck the crossbar.
22-year-old Grosso completed the Bianconere’s comeback, making it 4-3 with a left footed shot to the high centre of the goal eight minutes from time as Girelli registered her second goal contribution of the day.
The crucial win saw second place Juventus move to 49 points from 15 wins and four draws in 21 outings whilst Fiorentina remain third on the championship play-offs standings on 38 points from 12 wins and two draws in 22 contests.
Watch Juventus vs. Fiorentina highlights below:
Meanwhile, a bloodthirsty AS Roma demolished Inter Milan 6-1 away at the Breda Stadium Milano on Saturday.
Former LSK Kvinner midfielder-cum-forward Emilie Haavi opened the account for the visitors 13 minutes into the first half with a header into the bottom right corner from inside the area, assisted by defender Lucia Di Guglielmo, before the 30-year-old completed her brace 11 minutes later with a right footed shot into the top right corner from inside the box with an assist from fellow attacker Valentina Giacinti.
The brace took Haavi’s goal tally of the season to eight as she puts pressure on Inter Milan’s Elisa Polli and AC Milan’s Kosovare Asllani who are on nine goals each.
Benedetta Glionna made it 3-0 to the visitors just four minutes later with a right footed shot to the centre of the goal from inside the six yard box as Giacinti completed her second goal contribution. Glionna completed her brace on 36 minutes, making it 4-0 with a right footed shot into the top left corner as Haavi completed her third goal contribution.
Giacinti made it 5-0 one minute into first half extra-time with a right footed shot into the bottom left corner from the centre of the goal with an assist from Glionna and the teams retreated for half-time.
Giacinti’s goal increased her season’s tally to 12 as she maintains pressure on second place Girelli, who is two goals away, in the race for the Golden Boot Award.
Brazilian hot-performing midfielder Andressa Alves made it 6-0 15 minutes into the second half with a left footed shot into the top left corner from inside the area before Chawinga pulled one for Inter nine minutes from time with a left footed shot into the bottom right corner from inside the area, assisted by second half substitute forward Gloria Marinelli, but the goal would only be consolation for the hostesses, who slumped to their third consecutive defeat in the play-offs.
Roma remain at the summit of the Serie A play-offs table on 57 points from 19 wins in 21 ties whilst Inter are fourth on 35 points from 10 wins and five draws in 21 encounters.
Watch Inter vs. AS Roma highlights below:
RELEGATION ROUND
Serie A novices Como handed hostesses Pomigliano their second straight defeat of the play-offs with a 3-1 result at the Stadio Communale Di Palma Campania on Saturday.
Midfileder Alma Hilaj opened the account for Como 11 minutes into the first half with a right footed shot into the bottom left corner from inside the area before defender Giulia Rizzon doubled their lead on 24 minutes with a left footed shot into the bottom right corner from inside the box.
Forward Taty pulled one back for the hostesses from the penalty spot 10 minutes later after centre-back Dyra Kravets had fouled the former inside the box and the half-time break would beckon.
Second half substitute midfielder Vivien Beil made it 3-1 to Como 16 minutes from time with a left footed shot into the bottom right corner from inside the area, assisted by forward Matilde Pavan, as Como collected a vital full set of points.
Como rose from fourth to second on the relegation play-offs table on 18 points from four wins and six draws in 21 contests whilst Pomigliano slipped from second to third on 17 points from five wins and two draws in the same number of outings.
Watch Pomigliano vs. Como highlights below:
Parma and Sampdoria shared spoils with a one-all draw at the Ennio Tardini on Sunday afternoon.
Midfielder Bianca Bardin put Parma in the lead 14 minutes into the first half with a left footed shot to the centre of the goal from inside the area off a Mia Corbin assist before Juventus on-loan forward Agnese Bonfantini levelled matters nine minutes from half-time with a left footed shot into the bottom right corner from outside the box, assisted by right-back Aurora De Rita.
Parma remain fourth on the relegation play-offs standings on 14 points from three wins and five draws in 22 encounters whilst beleaguered Sampdoria are at the bottom on 12 points from three wins and three draws in the same number of ties.
Watch Parma vs. Sampdoria highlights below:
RESULTS: Saturday 15 April, 2023 (A.S.D Pomigliano 1 – 0 FC Como)
RESULTS: Saturday 15 April, 2023 (Internazionale 1 – 6 AS Roma)
RESULTS: Saturday 16 April, 2023 (Parma Calcio 1 – 1 Sampdoria)
RESULTS: Sunday 16 April, 2023 (Juventus 4 – 3 ACF Fiorentina)