Defending champions Juventus were left heartbroken after a late comeback by league leaders Roma, whilst Milan worked hard to secure a tense Derby della Madonnina win over Inter.
This round of fixtures saw Milan host Inter and Juventus travel to Roma on April 22, with the fifth Championship Round team Fiorentina being given a rest weekend.
In the Relegation Round, Sampdoria flew to an important 4-1 win over Pomigliano as Como Women edged out a tense 2-1 victory over group leaders Sassuolo, shortening the gap to just five points.
Milan 3-1 Inter: Rossonere leave it late to pounce
Whilst Roma and Juventus have looked consistent and dangerous throughout the entirety of this season, it’s been a different story in the Lombardy capital, with both Milan and Inter having far more question marks regarding their capabilities due to their more disappointing results.
For both, the Derby della Madonnina is an important test that allows one of the two to separate themselves from the bottom half of the Championship Round, as well as enjoying the usual bragging rights that come with a local derby.
Milan started the derby on the front foot and put themselves ahead after just 27 minutes with a well-worked free kick, which allowed Christy Grimshaw to head the ball into the back of the net, making it 1-0.
Inter grew into the match and worked hard to find an equaliser. Their efforts were eventually rewarded in the 61st minute, when a beautiful run and pass from Tabitha Chawinga allowed Elisa Polli to easily guide the ball into the open Milan net from a few yards out, drawing things level at 1-1.
For a period, the Nerazzurre looked the more dominant of the two sides, but they couldn’t manage to find an advantage, something that came back to haunt them in the final 10 minutes of the match.
With nine minutes of regular time remaining, Martina Piemonte muscled off her defender to control a cross, taking one touch before spinning around and launching a shot in the top right corner, restoring the Rossonere’s lead.
Milan secured their win two minutes later thanks to a well-placed shot from Valery Vigliucci from just outside the penalty area.
It was an impressive showing in a difficult match for the Rossonere, giving them a key boost in momentum ahead of their clash with Juventus.
Roma 3-2 Juventus: Giallorosse grit breaks Old Lady’s heart
At the top of the Serie A Women table sit Roma and Juventus, the two best teams in the topflight. The Bianconere have won the last five consecutive Scudetti, but have faced tougher opposition than expected from the Giallorosse this season, leaving them eight points behind the league leaders heading into their clash.
Juventus got off to a good start in the Italian capital and took the lead after 14 minutes following a tricky run from Barbara Bonansea, who darted inside the box and drilled a shot past Camelia Ceasar to give her side a 1-0 advantage.
This lead was short-lived, however, as Roma almost immediately responded through Andressa Alves, who was in the right place at the right time to latch onto the rebound of Valentina Giacinti’s saved effort, blasting it home to tie things up at 1-1.
The Bianconere were awarded a penalty in the 24th minute after Carina Wenninger clumsily brought down Lineth Beerensteyn at the edge of the box. Arianna Caruso looked confident from the penalty spot and easily placed her shot in the top corner, leaving Ceasar with no chance and restoring Juventus’ lead once again.
The second half saw Roma fight with more spring in their step and Giacinti found an equaliser just on the hour mark with a powerful shot from outside the box, putting the two teams back on level footing.
In the 85th minute of the match, the Giallorosse struck with force after Elena Linari stole the ball in the midfield and sprinted up the pitch, passing it out to a sprinting Emilie Haavi, whose floated cross was perfectly met by a leaping Sophie Roman Haug, who easily headed the ball into an almost open net.
It was an impressive win from Roma and shows why they are deserved league leaders, looking confident and determined throughout the course of the match. For Juventus, it shows why they’re second and what pitfalls need to be avoided if they want to steal back their Scudetto next season.
What’s next?
Inter will be given a rest weekend after their Derby della Madonnina defeat, allowing them to recuperate and bounce back for their tough clash with Juventus on May 6.
Roma host Fiorentina on April 29, a match that they’ll expect to win comfortably as they take one step closer to their first ever Scudetto. The match kicks off at 13:30 UK time.
Juventus will travel to Milan on April 30, giving them the chance to rediscover their footing in a tough match against a team looking to generate some momentum in the final stages of this campaign. The game takes place at 13:30 UK time.