Noceto, 17 September 2023 – Matchday 1 of Women’s Serie B, Sunday 17 September 2023 on Pitch 1 of the “Il Noce” Sports Centre in Noceto. Parma vs. Cesena finished 2-1.

Both teams enter the field ready to attack: in the 5th minute, Veronica Benedetti attempted a shot from a distance that was controlled by Adelaide Serafino. In the 8th minute, Chiara Grodd mislaid a pass, Caterina Ferin took advantage of the situation to pick up the ball and shoot with intention, this time giving the goalkeeper real difficulty. The Romagna team responded in the 11th minute with Sofieke Jansen who, unmarked, flew down the right wing towards the box. She fired from the edge of the area, sending it a couple of meters wide of the near post, defended by Gloria Ciccioli.

In the 13th minute, Veronica Benedetti got stuck in. Vivien Beil volleyed from outside the area, but it went well over the top of the bar. Two minutes later (15') she had another go with a great shot from outside the box that forced Adelaide Serafino to clear it for a corner. As a result of the set piece (16’), captain Caterina Ambrosi twists to get her head on the ball, hitting the crossbar.

In the 21st minute, opposition captain Elena Casadei was booked for a foul on Kelly Odette Gago in a promising build-up. In the 25th minute, Veronica Benedetti made a great run and got a shot away with her right foot. Three minutes later (28’), Kelly Odette Gago shot, but the rebound couldn’t be exploited, Anastasia Spyridonidou tried to find a shot but Chiara Groff cleared it and the chance vanished…

Just after the half-hour mark (31’) came the most clear-cut chance yet for the hosts: Gago collected the ball in the area and didn’t hesitate, but the shot just grazed the post.

A dangerous run into the middle of the pitch by Sofieke Jensen came in the 40th minute, stopped promptly by Gloria Ciccioli.

An exceptional end to the first half: chances came for the Crociate in the 41st and 42nd minutes, first with Anastasia Spyridonidou and then with Caterina Ferin. The goalkeeper Adelaide Serafino was excellent at stopping both shots but tipped the second out for a corner. In the 43rd minute, a sudden counterattack by Gaia Lonati was closed down well by captain Ambrosi. The Crociate took the lead in the first minute of injury time (46’) with a goal from Vivien Beil, who picked up an errant pass from the opposition goalkeeper and blasted it towards the goal. The first half ended 1-0 for us.

There was no hanging about at the restart, Anastasia Spyridonidou started out on the counterattack, putting on former and current teammate Gaia DiStefano, who stretched too far to pick up the ball, and opposition captain Elena Casadei made a (desperate) recovery. A minute later Kelly Odette Gago entered the opposition box from the right and beat the defender but her shot was blocked by Federica Dauria. Another minute gone: 52nd minute and Caterina Ambrosi is quick to collect a sloppy ball in the box and send it flying into the net to double the lead (2-0).

Not satisfied by the 2-0 advantage, Parma continued: in the 55th minute a crossed shot from DiStefano caused panic in the Cesena area, even if it didn’t end up in the net. In the 56th minute, Anastasia Spyridonodou was one-on-one with Adelaide Serafino: the goalkeeper came out on top after the first shot, and on the rebound, the second shot from the Greek player went just wide.

A quarter of an hour into the second half, the guests made the first change of the game: Giulia Maria Risina came off, replaced by Gaia Milan. In the 61st minute, Martina Sechi shot diagonally from outside the box. Gloria Ciccioli's deflection is decisive following the corner.

In the 67th minute came an attempt from Veronica Benedetti that ended up well over the crossbar. A minute later, two substitutions from Parma: Gaia DiStefano is replaced by Sofia Kongouli and Caterina Ferin by Giorgia Miotto. In the 72nd minute, Gaia Milan found some space down the left wing and put Sofieke Jansen through on goal, but her shot was no trouble for Gloria Ciccioli. In the 76th minute, Cesena got one back: a corner was taken from the right and Federica Dauria headed it in (2-1).

In the 77th minute, Sofieke Jansen comes off and Maria Vittoria Nano enters the pitch for the guests. In the 81st minute, another substitution for each side: Cesena replaces Chirine Lamti with Anna Catelli, and Parma Margherita Brscic comes out for Laura Perin who, as soon as she comes on (83rd minute), heads the ball away from an empty net after Gaia Lontanti looked set to score on the rebound having collected Ciccioli’s save.

At the end of the game, Colantuono brings off Anastasia Spyridonidou for Melissa Nozzi to play the 6 minutes of injury time added on by official Marco Vicardi. In the 92nd minute, Paola Cuciniello takes a free kick from the edge of the box which is deflected near the corner flag. The set-piece did not cause any danger to the Crociate who got their first win of the tournament (2-1), despite the attempts from the guests at the end.

PARMA vs. CESENA 2-1 (Matchday 1 of Women's Serie B)

Goalscorers: 46′ Beil, 7' st Ambrosi, 31' st Dauria

PARMA – 12. Gloria Ciccioli; 4. Margherita Brscic (36' st 17. Laura Perin), 7. Antoinette Jewel Williams, 9. Odette Kelly Gago, 11. Anastasia Spyridonidou (45' st 14. Melissa Nozzi), 16. Federica Rizza, 22. Vivien Beil (V. Cap.), 25. Caterina Ambrosi (Cap.), 27. Gaia DiStefano (23' st 33. Sofia Kongouli), 31. Caterina Ferin (23' st 44. Giorgia Miotto), 46. Veronica Benedetti. Coach: Salvatore Colantuono.

Unused substitutes: 39. Camilla Barbierato; 8. Matilde Fuganti, 35. Viviana Aversa, 36. Martina Randazzo, 45. Alessia Marchetti.

CESENA – 40. Adelaide Serafino; 4. Giulia Maria Risina (15' st 20. Gaia Milan), 6. Federica Dauria, 7. Elena Casadei (Cap.), 9. Gaia Lonati, 15. Chiara Groff, 19. Chirine Lamti (36' st 21. Anna Catelli), 22. Paola Cuciniello, 24. Francesca Colonna, 27. Martina Sechi, 33. Sofieke Jansen (32' st 3. Maria Vittoria Nano). Coach: Alain Conte.

Unused substitutes: 1. Lisa Jasmine Marchetti; 2. Laura Monti, 10. Sara Tamborini, 18. Anastasia Conti, 23. Nicole Costa, 45. Beatrice Calegari

Referee: Sig. Marco Vicardi from the A.I.A. Section Lovere

Assistents: Sigg. Andrea Forzan and Flavius Costel Condrut of Castelfranco Veneto

Booked: Casadei