Como Women achieve their third consecutive win in the league

Como Women beat Napoli 3-0 in the ninth round of Serie A Women’s league, the final match of the first half of the season.

A dominant performance by Stefano Sottili’s team, which moves up to fifth place in the standings, level on points with Milan, thanks to these three points.

Among the standout players of the match was Nadine Nischler, who was named MVP for the third time this season and scored a brace, her first in the professional league: “I’m happy about my first Serie A brace, but especially for these three important points. Today, my whole family came to the stadium, so I’m even prouder because they saw me score. Six goals in Serie A? At the start of the season, I would never have expected something like this. I’m happy if I can help the team with my goals. But now we need to keep working, there’s still a lot to improve and nine more games to play.”

All the goals came in the first half, starting just 30 seconds after the whistle with a header from Nischler, following a cross from Cecotti. The Lariane tried on several occasions to double their lead, with Karlernas heading just wide in the 5th minute and Nischler coming close again in the 15th, but in the 33rd minute, Napoli had a chance to get back into the game, earning a penalty (which Banusic missed) after a mistake in the box by Cecotti, who was subsequently booked. That was the only real danger for Como Women, who made it 2-0 in the 42nd minute with Del Estal, who, with perfect timing, volleyed the ball into the net, leaving Bacic only able to touch it. The final 3-0 came a minute later, as Nischler tapped the ball into the net after a rebound off the post.

Here are the post-match comments from midfielder Ramona Petzelberger: “I’m happy with this victory in front of our fans. Now we’re thinking about Milan; we want another three points against them. We have a lot of new players, and it took some time for us to get to know each other and learn to play together, but I believe we’re on the right track, and the top five spots in the standings are absolutely within our reach.”

Joy and satisfaction also for Marcussen, who came on in the second half: “I’m so happy with the result, the team’s attitude, and our style of play. We’re fifth in the standings, and that’s what we’ve always wanted, right from the start of the season. We’re fully capable of achieving this goal. We’re working hard both on and off the field to reach it. Now, it’s all about Milan—we want to win."

Stefano Sottili’s analysis:

"The team has shown a desire to improve and grow, and I believe the performances are a reflection of that. We’ve always had solid performances, but now we’re becoming better at not letting individual moments affect us. I think this is a sign of maturity from the group. Compared to the start of the season, I now have more options, which is clear, especially at a time when we have some important players out. But those who have been called upon have always been ready. We’re still at the beginning of the season, and the important thing is that the players don’t settle and, with each training session, focus on the goal of improving."

On the clean sheet: "I was very angry in Rome after conceding the late goal against Lazio, so I’m particularly happy with the clean sheet because it’s good for the players’ self-esteem. Apart from the penalty incident, we didn’t concede anything and were never really at risk. Gilardi didn’t make any important saves, and the whole team worked well defensively. The result actually feels a bit tight; we could have scored many more goals, but it’s fine as it is."

On Petzelberger and Nischler: "They are opposites in terms of experience. Petzelberger comes from Tottenham, while Nischler came from Serie C. Despite their different backgrounds, both are making a great contribution to the team, not only from a technical perspective but also in terms of their human qualities and willingness to support their teammates."

The next match for F.C. Como Women will be against Milan in a direct clash for fifth place, on Sunday, November 17th, at 18:00 at the Vismara Sports Center.

Match Summary:

Como Women Lineup:22 Gilardi; 14 Cecotti, 24 Rizzon, 44 Bou Salas, 6 Bergersen; 16 Karlernas, 27 Petzelberger, 20 Vaitukaityte; 7 Nischler, 28 Kerr, 9 Del Estal. Coach: Stefano Sottili

Bench: 2 Marcussen, 3 Guagni, 4 Spinelli, 8 Skorvankova, 10 Bolden, 11 Conc, 15 Bianchi, 17 Sagen, 21 Picchi, 30 Ruma, 78 De Bona. 

Napoli Lineup: 42 Bacic; 67 Giordano, 5 Di Marino, 44 Pettenuzzo, 2 Skovsen; 21 Di Giammarino, 90 Langella, 13 Muth; 28 Moretti, 11 Jelcic, 10 Banusic. Coach: Salvatore Mango

Bench: 1 Beretta, 3 Sandvej, 4 Sliskovic, 7 Novellino, 8 Giai, 9 Martinovic, 12 Fracaros, 14 Nambi, 17 Adugbe, 19 Sciabica. 

Goalscorers: 1’ e 43’ Nischler; 42’ Del Estal; 

Yellow Cards: 32’ Bou Salas; 33’ Cecotti;

Red Cards : 0

Substitutions : Marcussen (Como Women); Sciabica, Adugbe e Sandvej (Napoli); 56’ Giai (Napoli); 60’ Conc e Skorvankova (Como Women); 70’ Martinovic (Napoli), 71’ Picchi (Como Women), 76’ Bolden (Como Women). 

MVP : Nadine Nischler

Referee and Assistants : Giuseppe Rispoli, Davide Fedele, Giuseppe Fanara e Denise Perenzoni.