SERVETTE FCCF – AS ROMA (1-4) 2-7: END OF THE EUROPEAN DREAM

Servette FCCF suffered a heavy defeat at the Stade de Genève in the second leg of the Champions League play-offs.

The Genevans believed in the feat, hoping to defy the odds to taste the passion of football in the biggest European competition. The players, as well as the more than 6,000 supporters present at the Stade de Genève, had come with the hope of seeing the Servettiennes accomplish a feat. Unfortunately, this hope would not last long. AS Roma quickly dampened the atmosphere: after only 14 minutes of play, the visitors were already leading 2-0. Haavi and Dragoni took advantage of the spaces in the defense to shake the net.

However, José Barcala’s players did not give up and stood up to the Romans. While the final score may seem harsh, in the game, the gap was much smaller than the scoreboard indicated. This was also reflected in the reduction of the score in the 23rd minute! Perfectly served by Laura Tufo, Imane Saoud outpaced the Italian defense and won her duel against the goalkeeper. The Moroccan international did not tremble and gave her teammates a breath of hope.

This breath of hope lasted about twenty minutes before the Genevans were crucified just before the break. They conceded two more goals in quick succession. Giugliano (42nd) then Kumagai (46th) allowed AS Roma to breathe a little deeper. The score was 4-1 at the start of the second half. Full of good will, the Servettiennes returned to the field with better intentions, but their hopes were shattered by Dragoni, who scored his second goal of the evening, definitively ending the hopes of the Grenat.

Even if Joana Marchão reduced the score thanks to a sublime free kick in the 59th minute, the die was cast. The Transalpines scored two more goals to seal their victory (Giacinti 62nd and 90th). AS Roma will play in the Champions League, not Servette FCCF. It is the tragic end of these play-off matches, but the Servettiennes come out of this confrontation stronger. They now know what they are missing to reach this level. Now, the objective is to try their luck again next year. But before thinking about next year, we will have to think about the next one for the Servettiennes who will host their rivals FC Zurich at the Trois-Chêne, this Sunday at 1:30 p.m.!