Keys To Victory: Piemonte holds nerve to secure three points

Roma Women got back to winning ways in the league - and wrapped up a third home win on the trot - with a well-earned 3-1 triumph over Florentia at Stadio Tre Fontane on Saturday.

The result gave Betty Bavagnoli’s side even more breathing space in fourth position, as they opened up a six-point gap over their fifth-placed opponents.

It was a competitive game in which Roma created several chances – and limited the number they allowed their opposition to have.

The Giallorosse opened the scoring in the 16th minute with a header from Allyson Swaby, before Vanessa Bernauer impressively added a second directly from a corner kick just before the hour mark. Florentia pulled one back through Isotta Nocchi, but a penalty from Martina Piemonte after Elisa Bartoli had been brought down in the box ensured Roma kept all three points.

Here, we take a look at the key factors from across the 90 minutes that helped Roma to victory.

KEY MOMENT

When Piemonte powered home her penalty kick in the 89th minute, it played a huge part in reducing the tension around the Tre Fontane.

Florentia had been lifted by Nocchi’s goal and were putting on some pressure as they searched for an equaliser. Even though Roma’s defence was staying strong, the visitors were probing enough to make it a nervous end to the game.

However, Roma’s third goal put them far enough out of reach at an important stage in the match.

Italian striker Piemonte smashed the ball down the middle of the net, giving the Florentia keeper no hope of saving it. At such a late stage in the game, Roma knew they had all-but sealed the win, and closed out the final moments strongly to ensure that was the case.

KEY PLAYER

There was a moment in the final minute of the match, after Roma had restored their two-goal cushion, when Agnese Bonfantini ran half the length of the pitch with the ball on a counter attack, eventually being stopped in the Florentia box.

It typified the hard work that the winger had put in throughout the 90 minutes. Even with the game under control, the 19-year-old was determined to put in a big effort to keep the ball as far up the pitch as possible.

Over the duration of the game, she was a constant threat down the right-hand side. Linking up well with full-back Angelica Soffia, Bonfantini caused countless problems for the visiting defence. She put in a number of excellent crosses and also showed confidence in dribbling at opponents.

By the end of the game, she was visibly exhausted from the commitment she had shown from the first whistle until the last. There were a range of players whose performances stood out, but Bonfantini’s refusal to stop working was a pivotal factor in achieving the win.

KEY DECISION

Betty Bavagnoli made three changes from the side that lost to Juventus, and her selections paid off. Among them, Heden Corrado replaced the injured Federica Di Criscio at centre-back, and she showed composure and a good reading of the game in an effective partnership with goalscorer Swaby.

Although they hadn’t previously started many games together, Corrado and Swaby worked well as a defensive pairing. They formed an effective solution to Florentia’s direct attack, putting in important challenges and keeping a solid structure to the backline.

It was Corrado’s first league appearance in over a month following a suspension, but Bavagnoli’s decision to put her back in the side was a smart one.

KEY FACT

Thanks to Swaby’s goal in the first half, Roma have now seen four of their defenders score this season. The Jamaican followed in the footsteps of fellow defenders Di Criscio, Elisa Bartoli and Emma Lipman in finding the back of the net.

Four is a league record – shared with Sassuolo – for the highest number of different defenders to score for a club in Serie A this season.

Indeed, Roma have seen players from various positions get on the scoresheet this year, with a total of 12 players contributing goals in the league.

The side’s ability to score all kinds of goals, from various sources, is proving to be really beneficial in their bid to finish the campaign in the top four.


Roma Women are back in action on Saturday, as they travel to Bergamo to face Orobica.

Follow Samuel Bannister on Twitter @SamBanno1