The 2022/23 Serie A Femminile came to a close on Saturday and the drama kept on coming right up until the final whistle. That is impressive considering there was only one important part of the table left to be decided.
The headline on the final day was that Pomigliano will be playing a relegation playoff against an impressive side in Lazio. The Campanian side had their own safety in their hands on the final day, but they failed to get over the line and it is Sampdoria who will be staying in Serie A.
At the top of the table, Juventus sent a warning shot to AS Roma ahead of the Coppa Italia final which takes place in Salerno on June 4.
Bonfantini delivers survival to Samp
The 2022/23 season started very well for Sampdoria and they actually found themselves at the top of the table after the opening three games. Things then changed, drastically. Having beaten Como on September 18, Samp did not win a league game again until April 24 when they beat Pomigliano 4-1.
It is a miracle that they have even come close to staying in the division, let alone surviving without a playoff. One player has been the clear difference maker for Samp, and that is Agnese Bonfantini who signed at the very end of January. The Juventus loanee scored four goals in the playoff phase, which is a huge amount when points have been so scarce.
Her creativity has also got more out of other attackers, especially Stefania Tarenzi. They have picked up 11 points in the playoff phase of the Survival Pool and the final three came on Saturday away at Pomigliano. Samp had to win, whilst a draw would have been enough for Pomi to be safe.
A 10-minute blitz towards the end of the first half put Sampdoria well in control. A Tarenzi double and another from Aurora De Rita meant it was 3-0 at half-time in Campania.
Not wishing to deprive the fans of final day drama, Sampdoria had conceded their second goal by the 85th minute and Pomigliano were a goal away from safety. Showing her importance to the team, though, Bonfantini grabbed the decisive goal in stoppage time. Without her, it is safe to say Sampdoria would not be in Serie A Femminile next season.
Juventus lay down a marker ahead of Coppa Italia final
All that is left to play for now in the domestic women’s game is the Coppa Italia and the final will be contested by the two, indisputably, best teams in the country. AS Roma and Juventus will face each other for the fifth and final time at the Stadio Arechi, home of Salernitana, on June 4.
When the fixture list for the playoff phase was finalised, there was much excitement at the fact that Roma and Juventus would be facing each other on the final day. As it turned out, Roma’s quality was too much and they sewed up the Serie A Femminile title in late April.
That meant the final league clash between the two was a dress rehearsal for the final in a week’s time. Juventus have not been their usual selves this season and particularly since the title was officially taken away, but they showed up at home against Roma and were, incredibly, 3-0 up at half-time.
It was 4-0 by the 54th minute, against an albeit heavily rotated Giallorosse side. It was a starting lineup made up almost entirely of rotational or fringe players. Alessandro Spugna sent on Benedetta Glionna and Annamaria Serturini at half time and Roma soon grabbed two goals back, one coming courtesy of a fine strike from Sophie Roman Haug (who spoke to Total Italian Football this month). The damage was done, though, and Sofie Junge Pedersen made it 5-2 late on.
Whilst Juventus and Joe Montemurro will be more than aware that they weren’t playing the same Roma team that has waltzed to a first-ever league title, it is a result and performance that will have put some confidence back into the likes of Cristiana Girelli, Sofia Cantore, Arianna Caruso and Cecelia Salvai.
Roma may have beaten Juventus to the title, but the Bianconere can beat anyone on their day and they will have a huge point to prove when the final comes around.
Serie A Femminile Matchday 28 results
| Date | Serie A Femminile Results |
| Sat, May 27 | Sassuolo 2-1 Como |
| Sat, May 27 | Pomigliano 2-4 Sampdoria |
| Sat, May 27 | Inter 0-1 AC Milan |
| Sat, May 27 | Juventus 5-2 AS Roma |
Serie A Femminile table
| Pos | Club | MP | Pts |
| 1 | AS Roma (C) | 26 | 67 |
| 2 | Juventus (UWCL) | 26 | 54 |
| 3 | AC Milan | 26 | 44 |
| 4 | Fiorentina | 26 | 42 |
| 5 | Inter | 26 | 39 |
| 6 | Sassuolo | 26 | 38 |
| 7 | Como | 26 | 25 |
| 8 | Sampdoria | 26 | 21 |
| 9 | Pomigliano (Relegation Playoff) | 26 | 21 |
| 10 | Parma (R) | 26 | 16 |
