A Battle of the Wolves Valentina Giacinti strike sees Roma survive Wolfsburg Challange #1620

A.S Roma 1 Wolfsburg 1FT

The Roma ladies continue to build momentum and having a terrific season. They currently sit on the top of the table in Italy as they appear to be the overwhelming favorites for the title. They’re good form continued with a 2-0 victory over Sampdoria last weekend. They’ve picked up two consecutive wins in the Champions League and are one of the most dangerous teams in Europe. The only issues they’ve really faced the season is a lack of a clinical touch in front of goal. Something they would certainly need as they embark on their most significant challenge of the season. You could argue the most potent obstacle they’ve ever faced in club history. They would be at home for match day three in the Champions League against European giant VFL Wolfsburg. They have won the Champions League on two occasions and made the semi-final last campaign. They are a factory of winning having dominated the Bundesliga from many years. They are one of the teams expected to be holding the trophy at the end of this competition. They certainly are the biggest threat to Roma in this group. Roma have taken their first two wins but Wolfsburg is a different level of pressure. Roma would be at home for their third match in the Champions League against the Wolves as it was expected to be a comfort, but they’re truly is no comfort going up against the wolfsburg dynasty. They are domestic giants and as I said are always a threat in the Champions League. The question was would Roma’s inexperience get in the way against one of Europe’s elites. We’re about to find out as things got underway and one of the most anticipated Champions League matchups of the season. The up-and-coming Roman side. Play some of the best football in Europe against Goliath Europe’s elites.

Although Wolfsburg present the most mammoth challenge that this Roma team has ever faced. Roma still have the tools and materials in the attacking constellation. To battle against the very best. Roma has the stingiest defense in Italy and the freest attack. As expected. Wolfsburg had a large majority of possession. Roma’s biggest weapon or asset is their attack and getting on the counter. Believe it or not, Roma did it almost immediately. In the third minute, Manuela Giuliano the hero from their victory against Sampdoria. Hit an unbelievable ball from midfield into Haavi the Norwegian star attempts a strike on goal deflecting off a Wolfsburg defender. Valentina Giacinti manages to hit it off the deflection and guided it into the bottom corner as Roma took a shocking lead just minutes into the affair. Wolfsburg was going to be their biggest challenge but the Romans got off to a firing start. It would be Valentina’s first Champions League goal in her new colors while also securing her 10th goal of the season. The season has only begun and she is already matched Roma’s highest scoring player from last season showing the true difference and impact that she has made already. Despite not having that much of the wall, Roma in the early parts of the first half did look like the better team. Wolfsburg is a monster. We all know this but Roma were out playing them Believe it or not. Not long after in the 12th minute. Manuela Giuliano delivered a dime piece into glionna one-on-one but her strike on goal was denied by Frohms. As the game continued to progress, it still was Roma feeling as the pressure was not getting to them. Wolfsburg had their chances and looked good on the ball, but it was Roma dictating the pace of the game at least initially In the 23rd minute. Alves found space to shuffle the ball to Valentina. However, a stingy wolfsburg defense manages to get it out of harm’s way. On the corner, a minute later Alves delivers into the box. Bartoli gets her head on the end of it but doesn’t really challenge the goalkeeper. Roma was the ones pressurizing the situation but all of a sudden a light turned on for a wolfsburg and they got on the attack what seemed like every couple of minutes. In the 24th minute Wolfsburg get on the break. Get into a dangerous area as Ewa Pajor. Try to find a way to sneak it past Emma Lind but the Swede got her hands on it. 3 minutes later in the 27th minute they were on the charge again Ewa Pajor on the break into the box looking for Jule Brand but it was picked off by the defense. What followed genuinely confuses me. Greggi then proceeds to do a sequence of idiotic dribbling going in a circle in what could have been very damaging. They are fortunate that she didn’t cause a goal from the opposition. Eventually it is dealt with but a dangerous play by the Romans. In the 32nd minute Wolfsburg equalizes. A delivery from Ewa Pajor sees her maneuver around the defender into the box as she connects on an absolutely perfectly hit strike into the top corner to level the playing field. In The 39th minute We saw the last big chance of the first half. Wolfsburg looked for Ewa Pajor to make the play again. She sends a hooking cross into the box Jule Brand. Tries to get on the end of it. She ends up getting a touch but Emma Lind gets in space making herself big preventing a big chance for Wolfsburg. That would more or less end the first half of play with Roma and Wolfsburg with nothing to split between them.

Wolfsburg catch a little bit of momentum coming out of the first half. However, for large majority of the opening 45 minutes. Roma somewhat were in control and were the better team. They took advantage of very little possession and made it work for them. Roma’s inability to deliver in front of goal. This season has been their biggest issue Roma capitalized on their first chance. They had some others and kept wolfsburg at arms length even with the lack of possession. However, a fiery end by wolfsburg is likely to awoken the beast. Wolfsburg are essentially making the Champions League semi-final every season. It was a slow start but a fantastic strike by Wolfsburg saw them equalized something inevitably that they were going to build on. In the 52nd minute to 7 minutes into the second half poor defensive structure from Roma and a poor pass from the back line was picked off before Ewa Pajor. Put it into the bottom corner for her second. However, Roma were bailed out by the offside flag. It was very tight but ultimately the right decision. 10 minutes later Wolfsburg we’re on it again. Sveindís Jane Jónsdóttir with impressive dribbling before dumping it off to Ewa Pajor who then hits it into Lena Lattwein who then supplied a through ball into Svenja Huth. A perfect look on goal from inside the box but Moki came with a brilliant sliding tackle. As the Japanese international cleared out the situation that could have been very harmful for Roma. It felt like it was all Wolfsburg in the second half. Roma for the majority of the final 45 minutes had to defend an incredibly deep attack. Svenja Huth ran down to the corner flag before hitting a cross into the box. There were two wolfsburg’s attackers in the area Ewa Pajor followed through on the header but misfired. Had she left it for her teammate to her left a potentially could have been much worse as there was time and space but Ewa Pajor probably didn’t notice what was behind her. 3 minutes later in the 73rd minute Jill Roord collects the ball from outside the box. After brilliant ball movement She hits a strike on goal but was denied by Emma Lind before it was cleared out by the defense. Four minutes later in the 76th minute Roma created a rare chance in the second half, but nearly almost capitalized on it. Anna was crowded by several Wolfsburg shirts. She manages to move the ball while keeping it in her possession before shifting it towards Manuela Giuliano Roma’s dynamic midfielder goes for goal from outside the circle as it was heading into the top corner but wolfsburg’s keeper makes the importance save. Wolfsburg continued to be the more assertive team in the second half as they continue to push. They earn themselves a late corner in the 95th minute. It was crossed inside before Moki headed to clear at full time whistle Roma and Wolfsburg split the points as the pair lead their Champions League group with seven points apiece as Roma get a hard fought and historic point at matchday 3.

I happen to mention this a lot but Roma for the most part over the last year or so have dominated large majority of the matches that they have had since last season. This doesn’t necessarily mean they’re going to win every game, but they’ve been in control. That is where they are comfortable. However, that simply was not going to the case against Wolfsburg. Wolfsburg are a European Giant that have over 15 trophies in the cabinet. They are one of the best teams in the world. If not the best They go on deep Champions League runs every season. They’ve won this competition twice. And always seem to be in a semi-final. They dominate German football for the most part and have been an absolute mayhem for the teams they come up against. Wolfsburg are experienced their accomplished and they know what needs to be done on the big stage. Things that Roma or not. Roma has one of the most rising attacking teams in European football. There are those who have taken notice of the levels we have seen from them, especially in the attacking constellation. Copa Italia final in 2019 winning their first trophy. They also won the Super Cup against Juventus on penalties earlier this month. Roma is a team on the rise, A team that has the potential to put everyone on notice about how good they are. The biggest criticism surrounding them is there inability to take advantage of their chances. There was a sense of fear from a fan perspective that Wolfsburg we’re going to rip them apart. However, the Romans were up for the challenge. They cashed in on one of the first chances of the game and got themselves in front very quickly. For the opening half hour they were much more assertive and created some significant chances. Wolfsburg has a champion backline and world class goalkeeper It was never going to be simple. However, they held their own and were the ones pushing it even with not a lot of the ball for the open half hour until things started to change. Wolfsburg got an unbelievable goal due to some individual brilliance and they built on that into the second half and put Roma under pressure constantly. The Roma Defense made a few mistakes, but for the most part they were error free and managed to hold off and onslaught from Wolfsburg. Valentina getting into the space early allowed Roma to take the lead which put them in prime position to give Wolfsburg a game. They’ve done that. Not every match. They play this season in the Champions. League will feel historic. However, this one kind of seems to. Wolfsburg is one of the most dominant teams in European football and Roma were able to hold them off. Each team leaving with Roma halfway to qualifying for the quarterfinals. Against Wolfsburg in Germany will be different. That will be much more difficult to contend with. However, Roma showed their character and put everyone on notice that they can hang with the very best. Roma may not be better than Wolfsburg Bayern, Munich, PSG, Barcelona and others, but they can compete with anyone. Roma leading the charge in the league and now just gave a real fight to one of the elite teams in Europe. Roma will try to carry this momentum into Saturday before these two teams Will meet again in a couple of weeks on December 8th. One thing’s for sure though. Roma have proven their worth and a match like this to leave with a point shows exactly how good they are against the very best they came out of it alive showing what they could be if they contune to build.