Sassuolo (MO), 4 December 2022 – Parma drew with Sassuolo 2-2 on Matchday 11 of the Women’s Serie A, Sunday 4 December 2022, at the Enzo Ricci Municipal Stadium in Sassuolo, in front of President Kyle Krause.

It was a difficult start for Domenico Panico’s team who, for the first time under his management, found themselves chasing the match (alongside Juventus and Inter, the Crociate had always been the first to score): in the 8th minute the Neroverdi put their noses to the grindstone: Lana Clelland, taking advantage of a team-mate’s pass, found herself one on one with Alessia Capelletti and beat her to make it 1-0. Not to mention that Parma were first to threaten with Marija Banusic who, in the 2nd minute, had troubled goalkeeper Nicole Lauria with her right-footed shot. Not too bad: the deficit lasted only a little while: in the 14th minute, with a stunning goal in response, Melania Martinovic (fifth goal in the championship, sixth of the season including the Coppa Italia) found the equalizer (1-1).

The match was evenly balanced, even though Sassuolo had home-field advantage and they tried again in the 28th minute with Valeria Monterubbiano’s shot from the centre of the box, the ball swept away for a corner by the Gialloblù backline. In the 37th minute, Sara Mella moved in from the left and hit a right-footed shot that didn’t trouble Alessia Capelletti too much. A minute later (38 minutes) Refiloe Jane, who after making a move to the edge of the box, fired a shot that was blocked by Parma’s number 1, who in the 43rd minute worked a miracle on Lana Clelland in a one-on-one. Shortly before, 42nd minute, the Gialloblù had shown signs of offensive life from an Alice Benoit corner with a long shot from outside the box by Erika Santoro. After two minutes of added time the teams returned to the dressing rooms with the score 1-1.

At the start of the second half Coach Domenico Panico brought on Danielle Cox for Michela Cambiaghi: the Englishwoman, making her comeback after an injury, positioned herself in the centre of midfield with Bianca Giulia Bardin pushing forward. The pattern of the match did not change, with the hosts more active, in the offensive phase, than the visitors. In the 65th minute, Lana Clelland found space on the right, put in a good cross, with Nora Heroum’s rebounding it in the small area. Parma escaped from the siege in the 71st minute: solo brilliance by Erika Santoro on the right, whipped in for the head of Melania Martinovic, with a difficult deviation for the goalkeeper Nicole Lauria from the foot of Marija Banusic whose shot is rebounded by the defence; Niamh Farrelly intervenes and again the defence keeps it out; on the rebound the ball high, Martinovic tries another header, but this time the home team deflects it for good.

It was the biggest (avoided) danger experienced by the home team, who in the 82nd minute ended up going behind: a back pass to goalkeeper Nicole Lauria, who miscontrolled the ball, Maria Banusic was lurking nearby, and pounced on the ball, depositing it into an empty goal (1-2). At the last gasp, however, Sassuolo found the equalizer: in the 95th minute, Captain Maria Luisa Filangeri’s cross and Eleonora Goldoni’s header in the middle of the box made it 2-2.

SASSUOLO 2-2 PARMA (MATCHDAY 11 SERIE A FEMMINILE TIM)
Goalscorers: 8′ Clelland, 14′ Martinovic, 82′ st Banusic, 95′ st Goldoni

SASSUOLO (3-5-2) – 73. Nicole Lauria; 20. Benedetta Orsi, 85. Maria Luisa Filangeri (C), 4. Gram Caroline Pleidrup; 2. Davina Brigitte Philtjens, 15. Benedetta Brignoli (84′ 32. Lea Tamar Dongus), 8. Giada Pondini (VC, 10. Melissa Bellucci), 6. Refiloe Jane, 3. Sara Mella (64′ 21. Martina Tomaselli); 26. Clana Clelland (75′ 78. Manuela Sciabica), 27. Valeria Monterubbiano (64′ 9. Maria Eleonora Goldoni). Coach: Gianpiero Piovani
Unused substitutions: 1. Lia Lonni; 23. Giorgia Tudisco, 33. Julie Nowak, 77. Virag Nagy

PARMA (4-3-2-1) – 1. Alessia Capelletti (C); 27. Erika Santoro, 11. Nora Heroum, 14. Ana Jelencic, 7. Antoinette Jewel Williams; 71. Niamh Farrelly, 6. Alice Pauline Benoit (VC), 4. Bianca Giulia Bardin; 36. Michela Cambiaghi (46′ 73. Danielle Cox), 10. Marija Maredinho Banusic; 24. Melania Martinovic. Allenatore: Domenico Panico
Unused substitutions: 12. Gloria Ciccioli, 21. Rebecca Tinti; 3. Sara Caiazzo, 15. Ludovica Nicolini, 17. Arianna Acuti, 28. Giorgia Arrigoni, 77. Giovana Maia

Referee: Mr. Emanuele Ceriello della Sezione A.I.A. di Chiari

Assistants: Mr. Luca Bernasso di Milano and Mr. Leonardo Tesi di Lucca

Fourth Official: Mr. Pietro Marinoni di Lucca

Booked: Philtjens, Monterubbiano, Goldoni; Williams, Capelletti

Added Time: 2’+4’

COACH DOMENICO PANICO’S POST MATCH PRESS CONFERENCE