Juventus in uphill Roma task as Milan, Inter look to decrease gap: Serie A Femminile Week 16 Preview
Juventus’ three-year undefeated streak in the Serie A was ended by lowly Empoli on Sunday.
Champions Juventus will be looking to avoid their second defeat of the season when they host a formidable AS Roma at the Juventus Centre on Saturday.
The Turin side succumbed to their first defeat of the campaign at the hands of relegation threatened Empoli last weekend. The Bianconere’s form has been in decline since just after Christmas even though they have managed to win most of their matches, with coach Joe Montemurro lamenting that his outfit has not been the same since the turn of the year.
On the other hand, Roma will be relishing the prospects of going on level points with Juventus with a win away in Turin.
Alessandro Spugna’s side have been formidable and have risen to second place above Sassuolo with 37 points, three short of log leaders Juventus, and will be looking to build on an impressive eight-match winning streak when they play the champions.
Roma will be without star midfielder Claudia Ciccotti, who suffered the horrible anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury on her right knee in training on Tuesday and is understood to have gone into surgery.
Le Giallorosse will be banking on the services of forwards Paloma Lazaro and Annamaria Serturini who top the club’s goal charts with five goals apiece in the current Serie A campaign whilst Juventus will be banking on the services of midfielder Valentina Cernoia and last season’s top scorer Cristiana Girelli who have six and five goals respectively.
Elsewhere, third-placed Sassuolo travel to the capital for a date with relegation haunted Lazio on Sunday.
Sassuolo, who have registered 35 points from 11 wins and two draws in 15 matches, will be looking to bounce back from a nil-all draw with AC Milan last Saturday whilst Lazio will be looking for their second win of the season having recorded four points from one win and one draw in the same number of outings.
The visitors will be looking to put pressure on second-placed Roma to return to second place.
The Neverdewill be banking on the services of Scottish striker Lana Clelland, who is joint top scorer in the current Serie A campaign with 10 goals, forward Sofia Cantrore and Czech midfielder Kamila Dubcová who have eight and seven goals respectively.
At the Centro Sportivo Peppini Vismara on Sunday, fourth-placed AC Milan host relegation haunted Napoli as Maurizio Ganz’s outfit hunts for their 11thwin of the season.
The Rossonereare coming from a two-all draw with Sassuolo last weekend and will be looking for a crucial win against lowly Napoli as pressure mounts at the top with teams narrowing gaps with seven matches to go.
Milan will turn to the services of the in-form French forward Lindsey Thomas, who is the club’s top scorer in this campaign with five goals.
Fifth-placed Inter Milan host seventh-placed Pomigilano at the Stadio Felice Chinetti Stadium on Sunday.
Rita Guarino’s side are coming from a disappointing 2-0 defeat to AS Roma last weekend which was their fourth defeat of the campaign whilst Pomigliano are coming from a 1-0 defeat to Sampdoria last Sunday.
Inter have amassed 29 points from nine wins and two draws in 15 matches whilst the visitors are on 16 points from five wins and one draw in the same number of outings.
Le Nerazzurre will turn to the services of in-form forward Tatiana Bonetti who is joint-third top scorer in the current Serie A campaign with eight goals.
Sixth-placed Sampdoria host eighth-placed Fiorentina on Saturday.
Sampdoria will be looking to build on a 1-0 win away to Pomigliano last Sunday whilst Fiorentina will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2-2 draw with relegation haunted Lazio last Saturday.
The hosts are on 22 points from seven wins and one draw in 15 outings whilst the visitors are on 15 points from four wins and three draws in the same number of outings.
The hosts will be banking on the services of in-form forward Stefania Tarenzi who has scored six goals in the current campaign and Colombian midfielder Yoreli Rincón who tops the Serie A assists chart with eight.
Fiorentina, on the other hand, will be banking on the services of forward Daniela Sabatino, who is joint-top scorer in the current Serie A campaign with 10 goals, and striker Valentina Giacinti, who is joint-third top scorer with eight goals.
12thplaced Hellas Verona host ninth-placed Empoli on Saturday.
The hosts will be looking to bounce back from a 2-1 defeat away to fellow strugglers Napoli last Saturday whilst Empoli will be buoyed by an epic 2-1 win over champions Juventus last Sunday.
Verona have not won a match in the current Serie A campaign and have recorded one point from one draw in 15 matches and a defeat to Empoli on Saturday will be their 15th of the season.
Empoli, on the other hand, have recorded 15 points from four wins and three draws in 15 matches and are not safe from relegation.
FIXTURES (Saturday):Sampdoria vs Fiorentina (12:30hrs); Hellas Verona vs. Empoli (14:30hrs); Juventus vs. AS Roma (14:30hrs)
FIXTURES (Sunday): Lazio vs. Sassuolo (12:30hrs); Inter Milan vs. Pomigliano (14:30hrs); AC Milan vs. Napoli (14:30hrs)
All times are Central European Time (CET)