2023 will go down as a memorable year for Roma Women, since it included them winning Serie A Femminile for the first time.
There was also a first outing at Stadio Olimpico in the Champions League and a convincing start to their title defence domestically.
Here, Giallorossi Yorkshire narrows down 10 of Roma’s best games from the past 12 months.
10. Roma 3-1 Milan (March)
Roma reached the Coppa Italia final for a third consecutive season in 2023, unfortunately losing to Juventus after a 93rd minute goal by Barbara Bonansea.
It harshly denied them the domestic treble, but the work they put in to get there ought to be remembered.
Roma lost the first leg of their semi-final 1-0 to AC Milan and then conceded first in the second leg to go two down on aggregate.
Their comeback was typical of the traits that made them a force to be reckoned with throughout 2023. Goals from Andressa Alves and Valentina Giacinti levelled the tie before Vicky Losada scored the latest goal ever in a game by a Giallorosse player.
Losada’s strike in the 11th minute of stoppage time was her only for the club before leaving for Brighton, but it was significant in setting up Roma’s appearance at the final in dramatic circumstances.
9. Fiorentina 1-5 Roma (March)
The 2022-23 Serie A season heralded a change of format to the competition, which would now end with a Scudetto Pool of another set of home-and-away round-robin fixtures between the teams in the top half.
While it could have made Roma’s task of staying top harder, they started it in the best manner possible by blowing away Fiorentina.
Giacinti scored a brace either side of a Manuela Giugliano goal, before the scoreline increased further thanks to strikes by Carina Wenninger and Benedetta Glionna in the second half (Fiorentina’s consolation came in between).
It emphasised Roma’s advantageous position in the race to dethrone Juventus as Serie A champions.
8. Roma 3-0 Ajax (November)
After earning their place in the Champions League for the second season running, Roma were drawn in a tough-looking group with Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and group-stage debutants Ajax.
Their showing against Ajax at home (Stadio Tre Fontane this time after having to play elsewhere in the previous season’s group stage) was one of their most convincing results in the Champions League proper yet.
An early brace by Giacinti gave them control of the game, before Giugliano extended the lead soon into the second half.
This was Roma at their most effective and efficient.
7. Fiorentina 1-7 Roma (January)
Roma’s first league game of 2023 was a modest affair, with just the seven goals put past Fiorentina in a statement scoreline.
Late goals by Zara Kramzar, Norma Cinotti and Giugliano skewed things somewhat, but beating a top-half opponent by six goals was a strong signal of how formidable Alessandro Spugna’s side were becoming.
Getting such a result away from home only heightened the context of the domination Roma were starting to impose on the rest of the league.
6. Pomigliano 1-8 Roma (January)
Although the quality of opponent was lower than some of Roma’s other memorable results from 2023, a win by an 8-1 scoreline (just shy of the team’s all-time record) cannot be overlooked.
The knockout stage of Roma’s route to the Coppa Italia final began with a demolition of Pomigliano. Giugliano and Glionna put Spugna’s side two goals up within six minutes – and that was actually the score Roma took into half time.
The second half was astonishing, as Roma’s superiority – both technically and physically – shone through. There was a goal by Giacinti, braces for Nina Kajzba and Andressa, and Glionna completed her double too.
Needless to say, Roma didn’t have to exert themselves too much in the second leg, which was a 2-0 win via a Kramzar brace.
5. Roma 0-1 Barcelona (March)
After reaching the knockout stage of their first ever Champions League campaign, Roma marked the achievement by taking to the turf at Stadio Olimpico for the first time.
In front of more than 39,400 spectators, Roma battled against eventual champions Barcelona. Resisting 34 shots from the visitors, they only conceded once in a show of courage (and a standout performance by goalkeeper Camelia Ceasar).
Sadly, the reverse fixture was a comprehensive defeat at Camp Nou, but Roma had already done themselves proud in front of their own people.
4. Bayern 2-2 Roma (November)
Upon their return to the Champions League group phase for a second season, Roma showed the distance they were cutting between themselves and the elite.
They were 2-0 down at half time of their opener away at German champions Bayern Munich, but produced an entertaining comeback towards the end of the match.
Impactful summer signing Evelyne Viens halved the deficit before Giugliano pounced on the opportunity to equalise in stoppage time, giving Roma a valuable point against the top seed in the group.
3. Juventus 1-3 Roma (November)
Since Juventus had won five league titles in a row before Roma grappled the Scudetto away from them, some external observers may have wanted evidence that the Giallorosse’s success was no fluke.
In their first meeting with Juventus of the title-defence season, Roma emphatically proved how they had earned their place at the top.
Never before had Roma been more than one goal up against Juventus. On this occasion, they took a three-goal lead.
Giugliano, Emilie Haavi and Viens were the scorers before Juventus pulled one back, but even with half an hour left, Roma were out in the distance.
It was their most convincing effort against the side most likely to try and catch them in the 2023-24 title race, part of a perfect first half of the regular season that included wins over every opponent.
2. Roma 2-1 Fiorentina (April)
The day it had all been building up to. On 29th April, Roma beat Fiorentina by a single goal, which was ordinary enough in itself. But the implications were far wider.
This was the result that meant Roma mathematically could not be caught at the top of the Serie A Femminile table. With three games to spare, they were officially champions of Italy for the first time.
And it was fitting that their two goalscorers on the day were players who had been with the club since the start of their project – and realistically, even before.
Rome-born, Roma-supporting pair Giada Greggi and Elisa Bartoli scored either side of a reply by former teammate Milica Mijatovic to get their beloved side over the line.
The title was thoroughly deserved for the confidence with which Roma had played not just that season, but in the campaign before as well.
And on that late April day, their dreams became a reality.
1. Roma 3-2 Juventus (April)
By the time of Roma’s last fixture of the first half of the Scudetto Pool, they were inching ever closer to the title.
Closest challengers Juventus were the next obstacle in their way, and while Roma had a good enough lead for a loss to be relatively inconsequential, a win would take a whole load of pressure off.
And that was the result they dramatically attained, equalising twice before Sophie Roman Haug headed home a winner within the final five minutes of normal time to send the fanbase into raptures.
Despite beating Juventus in a Coppa Italia match before, this was Roma’s first ever league win against them.
It gave Roma an 11 point lead with just 12 points left to play for. We all know what happened next.
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