Roma failed to retain their Supercoppa Italiana title upon their return from the winter break after falling to a 2-1 defeat to last season’s Serie A and Coppa Italia champions Juventus.
While Juventus were the team who earned the right to be in the Supercoppa by winning both trophies, Roma were considered worthy opponents given their current lead in this season’s title race and the fact it was their trophy to lose from this time last year.
Things started positively for Roma when Manuela Giugliano gave them the lead, but Juventus equalised through Amalie Vangsgaard before half time.
Their strength in depth ultimately paid off as Cristiana Girelli – one of Roma’s most familiar foes – came off the bench to score the winner with a backheel flick.
It was a fairly entertaining game, with neither defence at their best, but Juventus edged it. These are the kind of direct battles Roma have fallen short in before, but this was arguably a more spirited effort than some of the previous ones.
Still, being clinical counts and that’s what Juventus were, more so than Luca Rossettini’s side.
But how did each individual player fare?
Rachele Baldi – 5.5
Baldi has been the better of Roma’s two goalkeepers this season, but fumbled at the ball a couple of times, including for Juventus’ equaliser. Her distribution was well-intentioned but often wayward, though she did regain some confidence in the second half to make some interventions.
Valentina Bergamaschi – 5
Playing on the outside of a back four isn’t necessarily the best use of Bergamaschi, but it’s something she’ll have to get more used to after the departure of Lucia Di Guglielmo. Her positioning sometimes let her down, reducing her reactivity in the box.
Oihane Valdezate – 6
In possession, Valdezate played with her head up, looking to carry the ball out from defence. But in the defensive phase, she wasn’t always alert to the danger that she needed to perceive.
Shukurat Oladipo – 6.5
Of the two centre-backs, Oladipo was the more combative, sometimes treading a fine line with how close she got to opponents in the box but generally being a disruptive influence to Juventus. In contrast to her centre-back partner, her passing radar was a bit off.
Katrine Veje – 5.5
Veje lost her footing a bit in the first half as the players battled some damp conditions. Going forward, she showed some threat via crossing, but that faded as the game went on.
Annalena Rieke – 6
Rieke is a sturdy player in defensive midfield: not particularly fast over the ground and sometimes a bit flat-footed, but hard to get the ball off. She put pressure on her opponents but began to commit a couple of fouls as the game stretched.
Giada Greggi – 6
Greggi was bright when carrying the ball forward, but sometimes attempted passes that were out of reach. The shorter game suits her better than being too expansive, while she also vacated some space on the left-hand side of midfield that Juventus exploited.
Manuela Giugliano – 7
In the first half, Giugliano was impressive. Regardless of her goal, she was threading through balls to her teammates and regularly picking out the perfect space. On occasion, she was over-ambitious and things went astray, but she could be forgiven. However, she did fade towards the end.
Giulia Dragoni – 6.5
Starting on the right flank, Dragoni was pivotal to Roma’s goal, an example of her dribbling the ball up the pitch and being able to create a chance. There were some other instances of her carrying the ball well, but never again with quite the same end product.
Evelyne Viens – 6
Viens was responsible for the most mixed display of Roma’s starters. Positives included her assist for Giugliano’s goal – even if Dragoni had done most of the work up to that point – and her play with her back to goal. However, a couple of spurned chances – including a clear one-on-one – can’t be overlooked, especially in a game where fine margins make the difference.
Rinsola Babajide – 4.5
Taken off at half time, Babajide was off the pace. The left winger struggled to do much with the ball, sometimes over-running it and losing possession without Juventus having to do too much.
Alayah Pilgrim – 5
Babajide’s replacement, Pilgrim took over on the left wing and made her way into the box a couple of times, but – as is often the case – lacked a clear focus and took too many touches. She switched with Dragoni onto the opposite wing towards the end and had a bit more success with her dribbling, but her final decision still frustrates.