Bonfantini fired up for return to old side

Bonfantini, 20, came through the system at Inter – making her first steps in senior football with the Nerazzurri.

But, as she enters her second season with the Giallorosse, the winger is now focused solely on helping Betty Bavagnoli’s side build on last weekend’s 2-0 victory over Tavagnacco.

“Going back to Inter will be a special game for me – I grew up there, so it really will be a special match,” Bonfantini said.

“We go into it having won our last match and obviously we want to build on that. They are a very young side with a lot of promising players; it’s not going to be easy but we’ll do our best.”

She added: “The game against Tavagnacco definitely wasn’t our best performance ever.

“They made it difficult for us with their defensive line, knowing that we like to build from deep and use the flanks. The way they pressed us made it tough too.

“But the victory was important because it came after two defeats in a row. The win was good for the team’s morale, and now we head into another important game eager to do everything we can to get another win.”

That victory at Stadio Tre Fontane put Roma back within touching distance of the top two, adding to the importance of continuing the momentum in Lombardy.

“We want to continue to progress, we are two points behind AC Milan and one behind Fiorentina and we really want to keep climbing the table as much as we can,” Bonfantini noted.

“I don’t think there is one Inter player we have to worry about more than another, they are all good, young players that really have a lot of potential for the future. Alice Regazzoli is out though, perhaps she is one of their best players.”

In the summer Bonfantini was faced with a stark choice: stay with Roma, or return to her childhood club.

Having become an Italy international since moving to the Italian capital, the winger hinted that her professional development was a key consideration in her ultimate decision.

“I decided to stay at Roma because I really like the project; we are a young squad and Roma really wants to try and help players develop,” she said.

“We also are lucky to have a lot of experienced senior players who really help the younger ones to improve and progress.

“This year we have more competition in attack, some great attackers came in during the summer with quality and experience. Nevertheless, I always try and show everything I have to earn the trust of the coach.”

Sunday’s game against Inter gets underway at 12:30 local time.