Juventus seek to consolidate place as Roma, AC Milan play easy fixtures: Serie A Femminile Week 19 Preview
Champions Juventus will look to make it 17 wins in 19 matches when they host sixth-placed Sampdoria at the Juventus Centre Vinovo on Sunday.
The Bianconere will be looking to get over their disappointing exit from the UEFA Women’s Champions League on Thursday night after a 4-3 aggregate loss to Lyon. The Turin side will, however, draw morale from their 3-1 victory over Inter Milan in the Derby d’Italia last weekend.
Sampdoria, on the other hand, will be looking to draw confidence from their 1-0 win over Napoli last weekend as they face the Italian champions for the Serie A reverse fixture.
Sampdoria lost 1-0 to Juventus in the first fixture back in November last year.
Juventus will turn to the services of in-form midfielder Valentina Cernoia who is club top scorer with six goals, and forward Cristiana Girelli who is club second top scorer with five goals.
Sampdoria will be banking on the services of forward Stafania Tarenzi who is the club top scorer with six goals.
Elsewhere, Alessandro Spugna will look to maintain pressure on champions Juventus as AS Roma host bottom-placed Hellas Verona on Sunday.
Buoyant following their 3-0 win over US Sassuolo last weekend — a victory which saw them open a comfortable UEFA Champions League gap and place them as genuine title contenders — Roma will be looking to make it 14 wins in 19 outings with an easy victory over the relegation bound side.
Verona, on the other hand, only recorded their first win of the season last weekend against Pomigliano and will be hoping to get inspiration from the result as they face an uphill task against Le Giallorosse.
The hosts will turn to the services of Spanish striker Paloma Lázaro, who is club top scorer with seven goals.
AC Milan will look to maintain pressure on champions league spots when they travel to seventh-placed Empoli on Sunday.
Milan moved to third place last weekend following Sassuolo’s defeat to Roma and a win at Empoli will increase their chances of playing continental football next season being just five points away from second-placed Roma with four matches to go.
Empoli, on the other hand, will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing nil-all draw with Lazio last weekend being just five points away from relegation.
AC Milan will be hoping that in-form forward Lindsey Thomas will produce her magic against Empoli to fire her side to their 12th win of the season.
Fourth-placed Sassuolo will be looking to bounce back from a 3-0 defeat to Roma when they travel to eighth-placed Pomigliano on Saturday.
Gianpiero Piovani’s side’s champions league hopes took a knock after the result last weekend and are now six points away from second place.
Pomigliano, on the other hand, will also be looking to bounce back from a 2-0 defeat to Hellas Verona last weekend as they look for safety being just four points away from relegation.
The Neroverdewill pin their hopes for a turnaround of fortunes on Scottish striker Lana Clelland who is second top scorer in the current Serie A campaign with 10 goals.
Fiorentina will be looking to escape to safety when they travel to fifth-placed Inter Milan on Saturday.
The Patrizia Panico coached outfit have had woes piling lately and their latest defeat to AC Milan last weekend saw them sink deeper towards relegation being just one place away from the drop zone.
Inter Milan, on the other hand, will be looking to bounce back from a 3-1 defeat to Juventus last weekend.
Despite their woes, Fiorentina have the current Serie A campaign’s tops scorer, Daniela Sabatino, and they will be hoping that the 36-year-old will work wonders and turn around their dire fortunes.
Inter Milan will be banking on striker Tatian Bonetti who is the third top scorer in the current Serie A campaign with nine goals.
Napoli still have hopes of escaping relegation when they travel to the capital for a date with Lazio on Saturday.
The Naples side will be looking to bounce back from a 1-0 defeat to Sampdoria last weekend whilst Lazio will be looking to rebound from a nil-all draw with Empoli.
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FIXTURES (Saturday): ASD Pomigliano vs US Sassuolo (12:30); Internazionale vs Fiorentina (14:30); Napoli vs. Lazio (14:30)
FIXTURES (Sunday): AS Roma vs. Hellas Verona (12:30); Empoli vs. AC Milan (14:30); Juventus vs. Sampdoria (14:30)
All times are Central European Time (CET)