Roma maintain pressure with Verona rout as Fiorentina woes continue to mount: Serie A Femminile Week 19 Round Up
Patrizia Panico’s Fiorentina slumped to their 11th defeat of the season which left them three points off relegation with three matches to go
Roma kept the pressure on champions Juventus with a 7-1 demolition of bottom-placed Hellas Verona at home on Sunday.
Serbian striker Milica Mijatović opened the scoring with a brace in the 10thand 24th minutes and the match would go to the break with Alessandro Spugna’s side in the lead.
Brazilian midfielder Andressa Alves found the back of the net seven minutes into the second half to make it 3-0 before Spanish forward Paloma Lázaro made it 4-0 with a strike seven minutes later.
Midfielder Giorgia Arrigoni pulled one back for the visitors with a 71st minute strike but it would only be consolation.
71stminute substitute striker Valeria Pirone found the back of the net for the hosts five minutes after coming on to make it 5-1 before fellow forward Benedetta Glionna made it 6-1 two minutes later. Former LSK Kvinner striker Sophie Román Haug, who was a 65th minute substitute, scored her first goal for Roma since transferring in January, making it 7-1 with a strike five minutes before time.
Le Giallorosse remain second on the standings having amassed 45 points from 14 wins and three draws in 19 matches whilst Verona remain bottom with a paltry four points from one win and one draw in the same number of outings.
Elsewhere, defending champions Juventus edged Sampdoria 3-1 at home to keep hopes alive in their quest to defend the title.
Forward Cristiana Girelli opened the scoring for Juventus with a header on 28 minutes before Barbara Bonansea doubled the lead with a strike three minutes later. Midfielder Arianna Caruso tripled the lead from the penalty spot in the 73rdminute.
Forward Caterina Bargi pulled one back for Sampdoria with a strike seven minutes from time.
Juventus remain at the apex of the log with 50 points from 16 wins and two draws in 19 contests whilst Sampdoria remain sixth with 28 points from nine wins and one draw in the same number of outings.
AC Milan maintained pressure for champions league football next season with a 3-0 victory over Empoli away in Tuscany on Sunday.
Forward Valentina Bergamaschi opened the scoring with a strike just four minutes into the first half before French forward Lindsey Thomas doubled the lead with a 17th minute strike. Thomas completed her brace 10 minutes into the second when she made it 3-0 for Maurizio Ganz’s side. The 26-year-old is now joint-third top scorer in the current Serie A Femminile campaign with nine goals.
AC Milan remain third on the standings, five points away from champions league spots. The Rossonere have registered 40 points from 12 wins and four draws in 19 outings whilst Empoli remain seventh with 20 points from five wins and five draws in the same number of encounters.
US Sassuolo sustained their faint champions league hopes with a 3-0 win over Pomigliano away on Saturday.
Forward Michela Cambiaghi opened the scoring for Sassuolo just three minutes into the first half before completing her brace on 14 minutes to make it 2-0.
The hosts had an opportunity to pull one back on 26 minutes when they were awarded a penalty but forward Deborah Salvatori missed the spot kick.
Forward Lana Clelland made it 3-0 with a 52ndminute strike and took her goal tally of the season to 11. The 29-year-old Scottish international is now joint-top scorer in the current Serie A Femminile campaign.
Sassuolo remain fourth on the standings, six points away from champions league spots with three matches to go. Gianpiero Piovani’s side have recorded 39 points from 12 wins and three draws in 19 encounters whilst Pomigliano, who have a game in hand against Lazio, also remain eighth with 19 points from six wins and one draw in 18 matches.
Fiorentina’s woes continued mounting as they recorded a 2-0 defeat to Inter Milan away which left them three points from relegation on Saturday.
A Marta Pandini brace in the fifth and 20thminutes was all Rita Guarino’s side needed to secure their 11thvictory of the season.
Le Nerazzurre remain fifth despite the win having registered 35 points from 11 wins and two draws in 19 matches whilst Fiorentina remain ninth with 18 points from five wins and three draws in the same number of contests.
A Giulia Ferrandi 30th minute penalty was enough for relegation bound Lazio to beat fellow strugglers Napoli 1-0 away on Saturday.
Lazio, who have a game in hand against Pomigliano, remain 11thon the standings despite the win having recorded 11 points from three wins and two draws in 18 matches whilst Napoli also remain 10th with 15 points from four wins and three draws in 19 matches.
RESULTS (Saturday): ASD Pomigliano 0 – 3 US Sassuolo; Internazionale 2 – 0 Fiorentina; Napoli 0 – 1 Lazio
RESULTS (Sunday): AS Roma 7 – 1 Hellas Verona; Empoli 0 – 3 AC Milan; Juventus 3 – 1 Sampdoria