Roma 3, Sassuolo 0: Match Highlights

After a nearly perfect regular season in which the women of Roma ran roughshod over the competition, finishing with a 17-0-1 record with an absurd +51 goal differential, the smart money was on the Giallorosse repeating as league champions. While we're still a few months away from determining that, the Giallorosse's playoff campaign began today at the Stadio Tre Fontane with a 3-0 thumping of fourth-place Sassuolo.

Instituted last season after the league dropped down to 10 teams, the playoff round, or Scudetto Poule if you want to be fancy, is a 10-week title chase in which the top five teams from the regular season square off twice apiece. Last season, Roma ran away with the title, cinching the first Scudetto in club history with three rounds to play in the playoffs, besting second-place Juventus by a healthy eight points.

After receiving a bye last week, Roma's title defense began in earnest today at the Tre Fontane, where Alessandro Spugna's team went undefeated during the regular season, outscoring their opponents 27-4.

Needless to say, the odds were stacked in Roma's favor. While Sassuolo did well to keep the capital club in check for the first half an hour, Manuela Giugliano kicked off the 3-0 win with a beautiful left-footed chip shot in the box, delicately placing the ball inside the far post.

Giugliano added a second-half penalty kick before star striker Valentina Giacinti floated a chip shot of her own past Solene Durand at the far post in the 58th minute to cap off the three-nil victory.

Roma runs it back next week against Inter Milan on the road. If you couldn't catch today's victory, please enjoy the highlights!