Three Matches I'm Watching This Weekend
The FA cup is back for a round before the Women’s Super League kicks off again after the winter break. This is a good chance to start the year off with a bit of rotation for some of the teams, warming players up again after an extended break. Most of the games take place on Sunday, bar Brighton - Durham Women FC (which has been called off due to a frozen pitch) and reigning champions Manchester United - West Bromwich which are played on Saturday. On Sunday, ties like Fulham - London City Lionesses and Everton - Tottenham (last year’s finalists) are some of the matches that feel exciting to see the outcome of. More info here.
I really enjoyed this story in The Guardian a few months ago about the Manchester team Mancunian Unity, reminding us of the power of building grassroots communities from the ground up and the beauty of the cup, affording smaller teams the possibility to dream. In December they lost to Rugby Borough, ending their advancement in the cup, but the run will have provided a boost for their budget.Serie A Femminile is back after their winter break. For this round, the biggest clash is third-placed Roma hosting Inter in second place on Sunday evening. The two teams are on the same points, with the Milano-based side ahead only on goal difference.
Another interesting tie in the Italian top league is FC Como - Fiorentina on Saturday afternoon. The teams are fifth and fourth respectively, seven points apart, and are coming into this game with somewhat similar form, although Como has recorded two more wins in their last five games.
The last time the two sides met was back in October, when Fiorentina won 3-1. The result was somewhat misguiding for the bigger picture, where Como had most of the possession, they had more shots (15-10), more shots on target (8-5) and more corners (8-2) than Fiorentina. Now they come back well rested and have the home advantage as well. I could very well see Como grabbing this W.
I really enjoyed listening to this conversation between Chloe Morgan and former Lewes CEO Maggie Murphy about Murphy’s predictions for the 2025 football year.
Some juicy transfer rumours if true — Sharn Freier potentially joining Bundesliga-side Wolfsburg once the Australian league is finished. Sharn and her twin sister Laini have been tearing it up for Brisbane Roar and it would be exciting to see this talent on European soil.