GiveMeSport
·17 December 2022
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·17 December 2022
The Women’s Champions League match between Roma and St. Pölten was forced to be delayed due to torrential rain.
Despite persistent rainfall even before kick-off, the match at the Stadio Tre Fontaine, Rome, initially went ahead as planned.
Soon, however, the brutal weather conditions became too much and the pitch became waterlogged and clearly unplayable.
Though it was obvious to all players, coaches and supporters that the match would have to be halted, UEFA officials still insisted on a pitch inspection taking place.
Understandably, fans online saw the funny side of this needless rigmarole and joked that it would hardly take Sherlock Holmes to deduce that the conditions were unplayable at the time.
After DAZN Football posted a video of the weather conditions, a number of Twitter users responded to the clip.
“I love women’s football. They needed to conduct a pitch inspection to assess the suitability of the pitch as the players splash through puddles in the video,” joked one fan.
Similarly, another stressed: “Don’t think you need an inspection lads.”
A third added: “Spoiler alert: I don’t think it will pass that inspection, just a hunch.”
Sure enough, after a miraculous job by the pitch maintenance department, the game was allowed to continue and Roma took full advantage.
Annamaria Serturini put the home side ahead before half-time and the Italians ran riot after the break.
The Women’s Serie A leaders scored four goals in just 10 minutes as Benedetta Glionna and Manuela Giugliano each scored twice.
This is Romas’s first time competing in the Women’s Champions League but they are now guaranteed a spot in the quarter-finals, courtesy of the win over St. Pölten.
The Italian side have won three of their five matches in the competition, drawing one and losing another.
Currently, they sit one point behind group leaders Wolfsburg, who are yet to be defeated this year.
Wolfsburg are one of the most successful sides in the history of the Women’s Champions League, having won the trophy on two occasions.
Roma travel to Slavia Praha for the final matchday in Group B and will have to better Wolfsburg’s result against St. Pölten to stand a chance of topping the group.