Keys to Victory: Giallorosse deliver group stage in style

Roma Women made history on Thursday by confirming their place in the group stage of the 2022-23 Champions League.

Protecting a 2-1 advantage from the first leg of their meeting with Sparta Prague, Roma endured a physically demanding return match, but got through it with confidence and conviction.

Ultimately, a 4-1 win at Stadio Tre Fontane completed a 6-2 aggregate scoreline.

Sparta Prague’s opener was against the run of play, but Roma restored their pressure and made it pay off with goals from Carina Wenninger, Andressa Alves, Moeka Minami and Emilie Haavi.

It means they will get to brush shoulders with Europe’s very best in the group stage, for which they will find out their opponents on Monday.

And with the manner in which they went about overcoming Sparta Prague in what was an arduous affair, they have generated much enthusiasm for what is to come.

Key Moment

Across the two-legged tie, there were several moments when the drama reached a peak. In both games, for example, Haavi was the author of an exciting goal; first, in the Czech Republic, her effort in stoppage time put Roma in front, then, back in Rome, she scored arguably the best goal of the lot to round off the win.

But perhaps the goal of greatest significance to the overall flow of the tie was the one just before Haavi’s thunderbolt in the second leg. Indeed, when Minami headed home to make it 3-1, a sense of tension seemed to lift at Tre Fontane.

Now three goals to the good on aggregate and with only 20 minutes to see out, Roma found themselves in the most comfortable position they had been in the tie.

Minami’s goal saw her read the flight of the ball well in the box and arrive in ideal time to plant a header home.

Her second goal for the club and first ever in the Champions League, Minami made a useful contribution – at both ends – to helping Roma get over the line.

Once her goal had gone in, the final objective seemed much closer, allowing the last 20 minutes of the second half to pass seemingly quicker than the first 25.

Key Player

As stated, Haavi then stole the show with the standout goal of the afternoon, thus becoming the only player to score in both legs of the round.

While the jury may still be out on whether her goal in the first leg was fully intentional, nobody could deny its impact.

There were no doubts whatsoever about the conviction with which she struck her goal in the second leg, though.

Pouncing after sensing an opportunity, Haavi launched herself at the ball just inside the box to catch her opponents off guard. What followed was a rocket of a first-time strike, which flew past the goalkeeper to give the match another climactic moment.

Haavi had already been a vibrant source of Roma’s attacking endeavours, causing problems for the Sparta Prague defence with her trickery and ability to turn confidently in either direction.

But in that moment, within the final 10 minutes, she showcased her ability to genuinely make a difference with her instinct, technique and force.

Key Decision

One notable difference between how Roma set up in the first leg and the return fixture was their formation. In the Czech Republic, they lined up with a back four, but upon their return to Rome, they reverted to a back three.

It was the same defensive structure as the one that had contributed to a win over Fiorentina in Serie A Femminile in between the two Sparta Prague fixtures. In terms of the personnel, the one change from the league game was Elisa Bartoli – used as a full-back in the away Champions League leg, but a right-sided centre-back in the home leg – starting instead of Beata Kollmats.

Having a three-player defensive line perhaps gave Roma more balance – especially when they replicated the weekend’s tactic of going all-out attack in the wing-back areas.

During the first leg, the goal Roma conceded came from Manuela Giugliano losing possession in a central area close to her own goal. At that point, neither Minami nor Wenninger were in a position close enough to stop a one-on-one chance.

By deploying an extra defender centrally in the second leg, Roma gave themselves a bit more cover, which was useful when the focus was certainly attacking.

To that end, the change also allowed them to use a strike partnership of Valentina Giacinti and Paloma Lazaro, as opposed to just the former starting the week before. Although neither striker scored, they brought presence in the final third, with Giacinti in particular drawing several fouls in a battling display.

It is useful for Roma to have tactical adaptability, as they demonstrated last season to earn their place in this competition, but knowing exactly which setup will work on which occasion is what will make the difference.

Key Fact

It may have been beyond belief for some at the outset of this journey, but one thing is true – Roma are into the group stage of the Champions League.

It is a noteworthy achievement for the club in their first ever adventure into the competition. Progressing past Glasgow City, Paris FC and Sparta Prague has been a test of endurance, but they have adapted well to the bigger stage to reach the one they have been targeting all along.

Getting into the group stage at the first attempt is testament to how well Roma have sharpened up their mentality and is an achievement that should not go unnoticed. The rounds before the group stage are not easy – a club like Manchester City weren’t able to get past them this season, nor could AC Milan last term – so the Giallorosse have ensured an impressive accomplishment given their relative lack of experience.

This season’s 16-strong group stage will feature only two newcomers to the round. As well as Roma, Albanian side KFF Vllaznia Shkoder are debuting at this level, having previously only reached the round of 32 of the competition in its previous format. There are a few other contenders who haven’t been in the group stage since the format changed, but did get to the equivalent round of 16.

Yet Roma are the only team in the group stage who had no experience of the Champions League before. Undoubtedly, with the way they have applied themselves so far, they will be ready to take this fresh challenge in their stride.

Follow Samuel Bannister on Twitter: @SamBanno1