AS Roma were one of a few teams to get a very important win in Serie A Femminile on Matchday 4 but the hierarchy at the club will be particularly happy with how the three points were won.
The Giallorosse got back to winning ways by beating in-form Fiorentina 2-1 at the Stadio Tre Fontane on Saturday afternoon and the winning goal came courtesy of Valentina Giacinti.
She joined the club in the summer after what was a difficult spell in her career and she has started to repay the faith shown in her already.
Giacinti nets AS Roma the winner
AS Roma were in need of a win against La Viola as they had recently suffered their first defeat of the season at the hands of fellow title hopefuls Juventus. A second consecutive loss would have set some alarm bells ringing for Alessandro Spugna.
The Giallrosse started the game well but they found themselves behind just before the half-hour mark when Michela Catena worked herself some space in the box and finished well past Emma Lind.
The second half started explosively with great chances for both teams in the first two minutes. The equaliser then came in the 52nd minute after a slick move that ended with Sophie Haug’s header.
The sides continued to cancel each other out and then Annamaria Serturini had a low shot cleared off the line. That period of pressure ended with Giacinti getting the all-important winner with 15 minutes left to play.
Roma did not struggle for goals last season, but the hope was that with Giacinti in the side, they would have a definitive focal point who can drag them out of trouble when they really needed it.
That is precisely what she did as she instinctively finished from seven yards after the ball fell kindly from a Serturini cross. She made it 2-1 and Roma held on to the important three points that keep them among the front runners in Serie A Femminile.
After the falling out at AC Milan with Maurizio Ganz and then the unsuccessful loan spell at Fiorentina in the second half of last season, there was something of a risk taken by Roma when they signed Giacinti, despite her undoubted talent.
She has taken to the club superbly though and now has three goals in four Serie A Femminile games. She is repaying the faith shown in her track record.
As for Roma as a whole, they seem to have put the loss against Juventus behind them by beating Sparta Prague in the first leg of their UEFA Women’s Champions League play-off and then getting all three points against Fiorentina.
The ingredients are there, along with a fiercely loyal home support that seem more prominent than any other in the league, for the Giallorosse to finally end Juventus‘ monopoly over Serie A Femminile.
Juventus drop points, Inter & AC Milan win again
Part of the reason to think Roma have what it takes to win the title is that Juventus have dropped points for the second time in four games. They could only manage a 1-1 draw against a Sassuolo side that badly needed that point and the confidence that comes with it.
The confidence is certainly flowing in Milan too as Inter and AC Milan both recorded impressive victories. The Nerazzurre ended Sampdoria’s 100% record by beating them 2-0 with goals from Tatiana Bonetti and Tabitha Chawinga.
Milan continued their resurgence by beating Parma 4-0, with Kosovare Asllani and Kamila Dubcova getting a goal each and looking very impressive in the process.
The other result this weekend was an entertaining 2-2 draw between Pomigliano and Como, two teams that really needed to get all three points.
The next Serie A Femminile fixtures
The triple-header is completed at the end of this week as there is another set of fixtures in Serie A Femminile.
Como will be hosting Inter on the Friday evening, and then Saturday will see Sassuolo travel to Fiorentina and AC Milan welcome Sampdoria to Lombardia. Juventus are at home to Pomigliano at Sunday lunchtime and the fixtures are rounded off by Roma facing Parma at the Stadio Tre Fontane.
Serie A Femminile Matchday 4 Results
| Date | Serie A Femminile Results |
| Saturday, September 24 | Sassuolo 1-1 Juventus |
| Saturday, September 24 | Parma 0-4 AC Milan |
| Saturday, September 24 | AS Roma 2-1 Fiorentina |
| Sunday, September 25 | Pomigliano 2-2 Como |
| Sunday, September 25 | Sampdoria 0-2 Inter |
Serie A Femminile table after Matchday 4
| Pos | Club | MP | Pts |
| 1 | Inter | 4 | 10 |
| 2 | AS Roma | 4 | 9 |
| 3 | Sampdoria | 4 | 9 |
| 4 | Fiorentina | 4 | 9 |
| 5 | Juventus | 4 | 8 |
| 6 | AC Milan | 4 | 6 |
| 7 | Parma | 4 | 3 |
| 8 | Como | 4 | 1 |
| 9 | Pomigliano | 4 | 1 |
| 10 | Sassuolo | 4 | 1 |
