GIALLOROSSI YORKSHIRE BLOG
Roma secured their first home win in over a month on Sunday by beating AC Milan 2-1. Edin Dzeko broke the deadlock with a header after drifting in at the backpost from a corner, giving the Giallorossi a half-time lead. Theo Hernandez levelled things up for Milan after the break, as his shot deflected off Chris Smalling, before Nicolo Zaniolo restored the advantage moments later with a well-executed curled strike. The victory - Roma's first over Milan since October 2017 - means Paulo Fonseca's men keep pace with the top four, ahead of a week which will see them play Udinese and Napoli. Precise Pau In his 10 games as Roma goalkeeper before yesterday, Pau Lopez had yet to be truly tested. Aside from a strong display against Lazio, in which he made six saves, the summer signing was yet to fully convince the fanbase - not so much because of any errors, but because he hadn't been forced into showing what he could do. While the jury may still be out, he showed against Milan that he is a safe pair of hands. While many of the stops he made were routine for a goalkeeper of his quality, many of the efforts that came his way were struck with enough power to potentially cause problems. But Lopez dealt with everything that was thrown at him. The deflection that led to Milan's goal gave him no chance, but elsewhere, he was alert and reacted to every threat posed by the visitors. The man behind the mask If Roma had a fully fit squad, would Edin Dzeko have been playing? One has to wonder if the striker has had to rush back from his jaw injury to accommodate for the several absences in the squad, but he proved that even at 80% of his usual sharpness, he can be a leader from the front. While an argument could be raised as to whether he should have remained on the pitch after an altercation with Milan defender Mateo Musacchio, there can be no debate about the quality he showed thereafter. He was the focal point in attack that fans have become used to seeing, challenging for headers, muscling off defenders and bringing his teammates into play. The masked assassin got the goal he deserved, and adorning the captain's armband, showed what a good leader he is. Keep calm, Kolarov Another of the more experienced players in the squad, Dzeko's former Manchester City teammate Aleksandar Kolarov, endured a mixed afternoon. Towards the end of the game, he showed his bravery in defence by challenging for loose balls with his head, when opponents had raised their studs high. It served as another reminder of the kind of professionalism and commitment that the Serbian exemplifies. However, in attack, there was the sense that everything he was doing was a little rushed. Not for the first time recently, he failed to look up before firing in crosses that were too powerful for any of his teammates to connect to. For a player of his experience, it was uncharacteristic for Kolarov not to compose himself and wait for the attackers to move before making his deliveries. Given the quality he possesses from wide areas, it was a shame that he couldn't pick the right moments to unleash his ability. Veretout growing in authority One player who has really had to step up recently amid Roma's injury crisis is Jordan Veretout. The only fit natural central midfielder in the squad, the Frenchman has had to take on a great responsibility. And once again, versus a club he could have signed for instead of Roma in the summer, he showed that he is thriving in the role. The former Aston Villa man was a driving force, helping Roma retain possession with his accurate passing and determination. With defender Gianluca Mancini deployed alongside him, he was given more of a licence to push on than he may have expected in the absence of Bryan Cristante and Amadou Diawara. Veretout also assumed the responsibility of taking set pieces, and it was from one of his corners that Roma took the lead. Mancini and Chris Smalling both missed great chances from two more of Veretout's corners, blazing free headers wide after being picked out. Deliveries from corners have been an area of struggle for the club in recent seasons, but it finally looks like they have someone who can create chances from such fundamental passages of play. Solid spine Any team needs a strong structure down the middle of the park, and Roma haven't always been able to meet that requirement. Particularly with the amount of absences from midfield, it could have been expected that things could look disjointed. However, Roma took up one of their most solid spines of the whole season. Starting at the back, Federico Fazio and Smalling formed a formidable partnership in defence. Winning an impressive nine aerial duels between them, both read the play well and put their bodies on the line for the team. Further upfield, the positive showings from Veretout, Mancini and Dzeko have already been documented, while attacking midfielder Javier Pastore displayed a good work rate and caught the eye with a couple of nutmegs in the first half. With all six of the central players proving their strength, Roma could impose their dominance on the game. Player Ratings: Lopez 7; Spinazzola 6; Smalling 7; Fazio 8; Kolarov 6; Mancini 6; Veretout 8; Zaniolo 8; Pastore 7; Perotti 6; Dzeko 8 Subs: Antonucci 4; Cetin N/A; Santon N/A Coach: Fonseca 6 Man of the Match: Fazio
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Paulo Fonseca refused to comment on the speculation linking Jack Rodwell with a move to Roma at his press conference to preview the clash with Milan.
Rodwell trained with Roma yesterday, along with ex-Empoli man Marcel Buchel, with a view to the standout player signing as a free agent to cover the club's midfield injury crisis, but Fonseca would not get drawn into revealing how things went for either player - instead confirming that natural defender Gianluca Mancini was likely to continue in the role. "I'll only speak about a player if he's part of the squad," Fonseca said. "If there's any news, we'll tell you about it. Right now, I'm fully focused on tomorrow's game against Milan. "Yes, it's possible [that Mancini plays in midfield], particularly as we don't have many alternatives at the moment. He played well and there's no need to make any changes in that regard." Fonseca also remained coy on the chances of Alessandro Florenzi playing as a winger to compensate for the injuries (and Justin Kluivert's one-match suspension), with Cengiz Under one game away from being fit enough to feature in the squad, Henrikh Mkhitaryan still not back in training, and Diego Perotti not ready for 90 minutes. "At the moment I'm considering all options, given the reduced size of the squad. I'm not ruling anything out in that position. "Perotti has been training with us for a while. He's ready to play, but I don't know if he'll last the 90 minutes. "As for [Javier] Pastore, with the games coming thick and fast at the moment, it's not been possible to do much rotation. It's true that he's played more than he normally would, but we can't afford to make too many changes. "Miki hasn't resumed training with us yet. Cengiz will join up with the group today. He won't be ready for tomorrow, but will be available for the following game." Roma will be hosting a Milan side who have endured a poor start to the season, leading to the sacking of Marco Giampaolo - once linked with taking over the Giallorossi before Fonseca got the job. The Rossoneri have installed Stefano Pioli as their new boss, the former Lazio manager who was sacked by Roma's rivals on the same day that Florenzi scored his first Derby Della Capitale goal in a 4-1 win in 2016. Pioli's first game saw Milan surrender a lead to draw 2-2 with promoted side Lecce, so this could have been one of Roma's best chances to record an emphatic win against a historically strong club. However, with the injuries piling up, it won't be that easy. Star striker Krzysztof Piatek came off the bench to score his first goal from open play this season against Lecce, and if given a starting berth, he will be a dangerous opponent for Roma's defence, which has found a new resolution since Chris Smalling came into the side. The English defender is already being suggested as a target for Roma to sign on a permanent basis after his bright start, but this could be his toughest test yet. The game kicks off at 5pm UK time and will be shown live on Premier Sports 1. Giallorossi Yorkshire editor Samuel Bannister spoke on the SempreMilan podcast this week to preview the game in more detail. Make sure to listen to it here. Riccardo Calafiori has been called up to the senior Roma squad for the first time, just a year after a serious injury threatened his career.
The 17-year-old defender suffered a devastating knee injury in the UEFA Youth League last October, but after making a scoring return to action for the Under-19s recently, Calafiori has now been brought into the first team fold by Paulo Fonseca, as several members of the squad look to overcome injury issues of their own. With the squad further depleted by the absences of Bryan Cristante (ruled out until 2020), Nikola Kalinic (out for around two months) and Davide Santon (battling flu), Fonseca has had to turn to the youth sector to complete a 19-man squad for Thursday's Europa League tie with Borussia Monchengladbach, with promising midfielder Alessio Riccardi also included. There is a chance that the 18-year-old, who made his senior debut in a Coppa Italia game in January, could play some part in the match, given that the midfield options are very limited. Jordan Veretout is the only fit natural central midfielder, while Javier Pastore played there for most of the game against Sampdoria at the weekend - although his ability to play three games in a week is questionable. Nevertheless, it is Pastore who is expected to start alongside Veretout on Thursday. Roma have one win and one draw from their Europa League campaign so far, most recently being frustrated in Austria by Wolfsberger. Monchengladbach, meanwhile, have just one point after drawing with Istanbul Basaksehir - although they currently lead the way in the Bundesliga, with one point more than Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund or RB Leipzig. The game gets underway at 5:55pm UK time, and will be available to watch via the BT Sport red button service. Manuela Giugliano, Federica Di Criscio and Angelica Soffia could come up against their former side tomorrow as Roma Women travel to face Verona.
With Betty Bavagnoli's side looking to rack up a third win in a row, it will be an emotional afternoon for three of the key members of the squad as they return to their former stomping ground. Creative midfielder Giugliano enjoyed the highest-scoring season of her career so far at Verona, when she found the net 17 times in 26 games in the 2016-17 campaign. During her sole year there, she was teammates with defensive lynchpin Di Criscio, who won the Scudetto with the club in 2014-15, and young right-back Soffia, who graduated the academy there to become a regular before earning her move to the newly-founded Roma in 2018. The current Verona side are unbeaten this season, with one win and two draws from their opening three games placing them one position behind Roma in the table. That sole victory came on their home turf, so they will be hoping to double it on Saturday - just as Roma are looking to double up a 100% away record. Roma retain the tag of favourites, though, with the new signings starting to gel on the pitch. Giugliano has been one of the more obvious new names to impress, while Kaja Erzen is keeping Soffia out of the side thanks to her performances at full-back and Tecla Pettenuzzo is beginning to settle into the defence. Bavagnoli has shown that she is not afraid to rotate her lineup, though, so no player can afford to take their place in the team for granted. One player to return to the squad after being unavailable in the win over Empoli last weekend is goalkeeper Rosalia Pipitone, although successive clean sheets from Camelia Ceaser will give Bavagnoli some serious thinking to do. Maria Zecca has also shaken off her injury, but Heden Corrado remains out. The game gets underway at 2pm UK time and will be broadcast live on the club's Facebook and Twitter pages. As Roma's men continue their international break, the women's team return from theirs, looking to pick up a first home win of the season.
With the season still just two games old, Roma find themselves having won once - in their most recent fixture, against Fiorentina - and lost once (in the opener against Milan). The win in Florence showed that progress is being made by the squad, who had not beaten La Viola in four previous attempts. Now, all eyes will be on Stadio Tre Fontane again as Roma return home. The visitors will be a side who were promoted from Serie B last term, Empoli. Coach Betty Bavagnoli is cautious not to take them too lightly, though, telling the club website: "I have asked my girls not to make the error of underestimating Empoli, because we come up against a team with zero points in the table. That for me is a false table because Empoli is a team that plays well and we will face them with the right attitude to go and impose our game." Early team news indicates that Camelia Ceaser - who saved a penalty on her debut against Fiorentina - will retain her place in goal, with Rosalia Pipitone out injured. Maria Zecca and Heden Corrado are also ruled out, but Manuela Giugliano - who was a doubt after picking up a knock in an Italy game - has been passed fit to make the squad. She is likely to be joined in midfield by Giada Greggi, who made her senior Italy debut during the latest round of international fixtures. Buoyed by that unforgettable experience, the Rome-born teenager will be hoping for a happy homecoming as the team returns to play in front of their home crowd. Saturday's match kicks off at 2pm UK time, and will be shown live via the club's Facebook and Twitter accounts. 11th October marks the 58th anniversary of Roma's triumph in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, which remains to this day their only ever European trophy. After drawing 2-2 with Birmingham City in the first leg, having taken a two-goal lead through a Pedro Manfredini brace, Roma won the return leg 2-0 at Stadio Olimpico to lift the trophy, as an own goal was followed up by Paolo Pestrin's last-minute goal. With Roma having lost in their only ever appearances in both the European Cup final - against Liverpool, 35 years ago - and the UEFA Cup, against Inter over two legs in 1991, the heroes of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup take up a special place in the club's history. Despite the competition being held in lesser regard than the other two, the squad that achieved it for Roma managed to do something that none of their successors have done yet. Here are the stories of the players who helped Roma reach European glory. Route to the final: The Fairs Cup journey lasted more than a whole year, with the final taking place a couple of months into the new league season. It all began on 4th October 1960, when Roma drew away at Union Saint-Gilloise, a team they dispatched in the second leg with a 4-1 win. A replay was required for Roma to advance from their quarter-final clash with Koln, which ended 2-2 on aggregate. With the Giallorossi having home advantage for the replay, Manfredini's double sent them on their way to another 4-1 victory. Once again, two legs were not enough to separate Roma from their opponents in the semi-finals, where they faced Scottish side Hibernian. Drawing the away leg 2-2 courtesy of a Francisco Lojacono brace, the home leg finished 3-3 - with the away goals rule not in place. Hence, Roma took on Hibs for the third time, and now there was no doubt. Manfredini weighed in with a remarkable four-goal haul as part of a convincing 6-0 thumping in May 1961. Hence, it was onto the next season for Roma to complete their European journey. Visiting Birmingham's St Andrew's stadium for the first leg, Roma took a draw back to the Olimpico. Around 55,000 spectators descended on the venue to see their side claim European glory with a 2-0 win, allowing Giacomo Losi to lift the trophy aloft. First leg only: Luigi Giuliano - The side that won the second leg featured two changes from the first leg, with Pestrin replacing Giuliano. Joining Roma from Torino in 1954 - having luckily only been a youth player there in 1949, thus not travelling on the flight which led to the Superga air disaster - Giuliano spent eight years in the capital. The midfielder made his only appearance for Italy in that time, making more than 140 appearances for Roma, where he ended his career. Dino Da Costa - The other player to be involved in the first leg but not the second was attacker Da Costa, whose place was taken by Lojacono for the Olimpico clash. Returning from a loan at Fiorentina in the summer in between the two seasons over which the tournament took place, the Italian-Brazilian only stayed until November - but it was enough for him to play his small part in the Fairs Cup triumph, to crown his 163 appearances for the club. Second leg lineup: Fabio Cudicini - Father of former Chelsea goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini, Fabio is widely regarded as one of the greatest never-capped Italian goalkeepers of all-time. He spent the bulk of his career at Roma, having signed from Udinese in 1958. Just over a week away from his 26th birthday at the time of the Fairs Cup final, Cudicini was really starting to blossom into a reliable, experienced keeper. Following his departure from Roma in 1966, he spent a season at Brescia and five at Milan - with whom he won three more international trophies. Alfio Fontana - Perhaps an underrated player in Roma history, Fontana brought a wealth of experience with him when he joined aged 28 in 1960. In his previous years at Milan, he had won three Scudetti, but an international honour had eluded him. It took him just a year to achieve that at Roma, for whom he eventually passed a century of appearances. Giulio Corsini - After beginning his career with hometown club Atalanta, Corsini came to Roma in 1957. The defender surpassed the 130 games he had played for the Bergamo side by reaching nearly 150 in giallorosso. His final season with the club saw him add the Coppa Italia to his Fairs Cup medal. Giacomo Losi - Until Francesco Totti, no player had played more games for Roma than Losi. The versatile and loyal player began in the heart of defence for the final, which came after the first of his nine seasons as captain. Hence, he remains the only player in history to have raised a European trophy as Roma captain. Sadly, he could never add a Serie A title to his medal cabinet, but finished his career with the commendable record of having never received a yellow or red card. Paolo Pestrin - Left out of the first leg, Pestrin ensured he wrote his name into Roma folklore by finishing the game off in the return fixture. Another player who featured in more games for Roma than any of his other clubs, the central midfielder - who had initially been a winger in his early career - fell just short of reaching 200 appearances for the club before leaving for Padova, placing him at 42nd on the club's all-time appearances chart (higher than the likes of Cafu, David Pizarro and Paulo Roberto Falcao). Alberto Orlando - An attacking midfielder, Orlando was one of two Rome-born players in the lineup against Birmingham (the other being Giampaolo Menichelli). After graduating the club's academy and earning his stripes on loan at Messina, he was recalled to the first team in 1959. He instantly became a mainstay of the lineup, with his time at Roma culminating in the 1964 Coppa Italia win in his last season. Francisco Lojacono - Deemed the man of the match by most media outlets in Britain and Italy, Lojacono left his mark on a game that was at times played in a rough fashion. Having delayed his report to international duty to play in the match, the Argentine-Italian playmaker was unfazed by the physical nature of the battle, and it was his shot that deflected off Brian Farmer to give Roma the lead. Overall, his time with Roma lasted just three years, but he managed nearly a goal every other game - certainly good going for a midfielder. Pedro Manfredini - Finishing the campaign as the Fairs Cup's top scorer with 12 goals, having scored in every round, Manfredini's place in the lineup for the decisive second leg was in doubt due to an injury concern. He battled back in time to assume his rightful place as the leading striker, having contributed two crucial goals in the first leg. Manfredini was not able to get on the scoresheet in Rome, but that will have mattered little to him when he got his hands on a winner's medal. With 104 goals from 164 games, the Argentine - who sadly died in January - remains the highest-scoring foreigner in the club's history. Antonio Valentin Angelillo - The number 10 of Argentine compatriot Luis Carniglia's side (although he represented Italy internationally), former Inter star Angelillo, like Carpanesi, joined up with the squad in the summer between the knockout rounds and the final. His four seasons with Roma rendered 150 appearances, 41 goals and two trophies, with the 1964 Coppa Italia being added to this European triumph. Giampaolo Menichelli - A winger who went on to win Serie A and the Coppa Italia with Juventus, the only trophy Menichelli gained with Roma before leaving his hometown club was the Fairs Cup. It came after his first full season back at the club following two loan spells that were crucial for his development, at Sambenedettese and Parma. The year after winning the Fairs Cup, Menichelli became an Italy international, scoring his only goal for the Azzurri in 1962 - in the summer before he departed Rome. Coach: Luis Carniglia - With Alfredo Foni having guided Roma to the final, Carniglia took over the reins before the start of the new campaign, in which the showpiece against Birmingham would be contested. Having spent most of his playing career in South America, he closed his days on the pitch in Europe with Nice and Toulon, before being appointed manager of the former. He came to Roma after spells with Real Madrid, Fiorentina and Bari - having won league titles in France and Spain. While he was not able to replicate that at Roma, the at-the-time 41-year-old completed the job that was started by Foni in clinching Fairs Cup honours. Despite coaching for nearly two whole decades after, it was the last trophy he won as a manager.
Roma had to settle for a point after a fiery clash with Cagliari on Sunday ended as a 1-1 draw - much to the anger of senior figures at the club.
Everyone from president Jim Pallotta to sporting director Gianluca Petrachi and coach Paulo Fonseca - who was sent off at full-time for arguing with the referee - has vented their anger at the officiating, with Roma going behind via a penalty conceded by a Gianluca Mancini handball, and seeing a last-minute winner chalked off for a foul by Nikola Kalinic.
Admittedly, both decisions were probably correct - even though the free kick that was given against Roma immediately before the penalty should never have been awarded - but the referees had no control over the game in general. The club have not seen so many decisions go against them in one game, rightly or wrongly, since the second leg of the Champions League semi-final against Liverpool in 2018, when two clearcut penalties were not spotted by the referee, which if converted would have sent Roma into the final. The ramifications of the decisions may not have been so high against Cagliari, but they still cast a large shadow over what should have been an entertaining game between two decent sides, and may come back to haunt the Lupi. But it is important to take a step back from all that. This website was built to talk about Roma, not referees. And if Roma find themselves short of a target by the end of the season, it will likely not be because of the officiating in this game, but some greater theme that prevented the side from getting the results they required. So here is a dissection of the issues that the team could control. Possession play beginning to decline Roma started the season playing their most fluid possession-based football in years. Fonseca quickly implemented his style and, for the first time in a long time, Roma were playing attractive football. Recently, however, that has started to come undone. Not helped by the physical nature of the match or the early injury to Amadou Diawara - with another key component, Lorenzo Pellegrini, already on the sidelines - Roma struggled to string a series of successful passes together. Of course it is difficult when the squad is thin on the ground and has to be rotated often, but there is certainly room for improvement in this aspect of the game. Roma have shown they can do it before. Full-backs falter One area in which injuries have really hit the squad is in the full-back positions. Since the start of the season, only Aleksandar Kolarov and the infrequently-used Davide Santon have avoided time out. Against Cagliari, it was Kolarov and Leonardo Spinazzola who flanked the defence, and neither showed what they are really capable of. In many games, Kolarov's crossing has been an outlet for Roma, but on Sunday it was aimless. His balls into the box were struck without real direction or with so much power that no attacker would ever arrive on the end of them. As for Spinazzola on the opposite side, he had fewer opportunities, but even less came off well for him. Fonseca needs to be wary to keep all his options for these roles on their toes, so that the main choices avoid fatigue wherever possible. Antonucci makes an impression Playing further forward was someone who, like Santon, has not been afforded many opportunities thus far: youngster Mirko Antonucci. The winger, who had a fairly positive pre-season, came on as a substitute for the second game running, although this time he was called into action much earlier to replace the injured Diawara. Of all the attackers, Antonucci looked the most likely to make something happen. Justin Kluivert kept running into traffic, while Nicolo Zaniolo was forced to try and make the most of half-chances, and Edin Dzeko looked weary. Antonucci could consider himself unfortunate to have been taken off in the second half, but that was probably a reflection of the fact that he has not played much competitive football at this level. If he is to be truly integrated into the side, he needs to be given more regular 15 minute cameos here and there, so that he can be ready when called upon. There is something promising to work with. Cristante becoming captain material With Romans Alessandro Florenzi and Lorenzo Pellegrini out of the squad, and Federico Fazio left on the bench, there were a lack of leaders on the pitch. Edin Dzeko wore the captain's armband, but his approach has always been to lead by example rather than words - still undoubtedly valuable, but maybe not what Roma needed in the heat of the moment. The next most senior player, ex-Manchester City teammate Kolarov, fought for Roma's corner at every opportunity when things weren't going their way, but beyond that, it was unclear who the armband would have fallen to if Dzeko had been taken off. Perhaps the most likely candidate would have been Bryan Cristante, someone who is growing in confidence. The midfielder has earned his place in the lineup through his work rate rather than his quality - his passes often went astray in the opening minutes - but that can be enough for him to be a beating heart of this post-De Rossi team. Cristante was involved in the confrontation with the referee after the full-time whistle, as was Mancini. The younger Italian players are showing their passion for the cause.
Fonseca's fury a positive sign The final moments of the match, and the ones that followed the full-time whistle, were even uglier than the action that had taken place on the pitch. Fonseca showed no restraint as he confronted the referee, receiving his marching orders as a result. But, like the players who also made their voices heard, this passion is a good thing going forward. Fonseca seems well suited to dealing with the highs and lows of managing at a club with as much pressure as Roma. He thrives on the rollercoaster of emotions, some of which should maybe be kept a little more in check, but ones that show he is embodying what the fans are feeling. Can a supporter ask for much more in a coach beyond the tactical expertise which Fonseca has already largely established? They want to see a group of people displaying the same passion as them, led by a manager who encourages those kind of expressions. He has only been at Roma for a few months, but it seems that Fonseca has already got caught up in the emotions of what it means to follow this club. Player Ratings: Lopez 6; Spinazzola 4; Mancini 6; Smalling 7; Kolarov 5; Cristante 7; Diawara 7; Kluivert 6; Veretout 6; Zaniolo 6; Dzeko 6 Subs: Antonucci 7; Kalinic 4; Santon N/A Coach: Fonseca 6 Man of the Match: Smalling Bryan Cristante is in line for a change of position when Roma host Cagliari in their return to Serie A action on Sunday.
After drawing with Austrian side Wolfsberger in the Europa League on Thursday, the focus returns to domestic action, with Paulo Fonseca being forced to name his thinnest squad of the season so far. With Davide Zappacosta adding to the long list of long-term absentees and Alessandro Florenzi out with the flu, Fonseca has been able to call up just 19 players for the Stadio Olimpico showdown. And not even all of those are at full fitness, with Javier Pastore unlikely to start after doing so in midweek. Consequently, Cristante or Jordan Veretout will be deployed as a trequartista, with the former more likely having done so occasionally at Atalanta. Admittedly, he does not have all the technical qualities required to excel in the role regularly in this system, but will be hoping to make an impact from that position with his usual determination and energy. It was a similar formula that helped Radja Nainggolan succeed in the position during his time with Roma. The Belgian midfielder will be hoping to inspire on his return to his former stomping ground, having re-signed with Cagliari after one season at Inter Milan. Nainggolan commented in the run-up to the game that he would have liked to finish his career at Roma - who will be wary not to allow him to show them what they are missing. Cagliari have won both of their away games this season, including against title challengers Napoli most recently. The Sardinian outfit have renewed optimism and will be looking to pose a threat to a Roma side that have already faltered at home against Genoa and Atalanta. Roma have not conceded a goal against Cagliari at the Olimpico since 2013 though, so will be hoping to use the opportunity tomorrow to get back to winning ways. The game kicks off at 2pm UK time and will be broadcast live on Premier Sports 2. Roma's squad is boosted by the return of Davide Zappacosta for their Europa League trip to Austria to face Wolfsberger, but Lorenzo Pellegrini and Henrikh Mkhitaryan are among the absentees.
The attacking midfield duo were both ruled out for a number of weeks after undergoing tests at Villa Stuart on Tuesday, joining the likes of Cengiz Under and Diego Perotti on the sidelines. That leaves Paulo Fonseca with very limited options for his preferred 4-2-3-1 system against Wolfsberger, with Justin Kluivert, Nicolo Zaniolo and Javier Pastore the only fit players to have played so far this season who are comfortable in the attacking midfield roles. Hence, all three are practically guaranteed to start, although there could be an outside chance for Mirko Antonucci, who was retained after a decent pre-season but is yet to play competitively under Fonseca. Meanwhile, Chelsea loanee Zappacosta is back after an injury setback of his own, and will be ready to provide competition for Alessandro Florenzi or Leonardo Spinazzola at right-back. Perhaps the latter could switch to the left flank, to afford Aleksandar Kolarov some much-needed rest. Chris Smalling - one of the few players in the squad to have won this competition before elsewhere - could make his European debut for Roma, having seriously impressed in his first two outings in Serie A. His presence in the starting lineup on Thursday is not guaranteed after successive 90 minutes, but if called upon, his experience on this stage will be a boost. Both sides began the Europa League campaign with resounding 4-0 wins - for Roma, it was a comfortable evening's work against Istanbul Basaksehir, while Wolfsberger caused a surprise by demolishing German favourites Borussia Monchengladbach. With Israeli striker Shon Weissman in red-hot form, Roma must be wary not to underestimate their opponents, despite them being the bottom seed for the group. It will be the first time Fonseca has led Roma in a competitive game outside of Italy, with the Portuguese coach hoping to continue his positive record on the road. His side are yet to taste defeat on their travels under his reign. Meanwhile, Wolfsberger remain unbeaten on their own patch since Sturm Graz beat them at the start of August, but in truth, a side of Roma's stature are yet to visit. The game kicks off at 5:55pm UK time. Roma earned their first away clean sheet by edging Lecce 1-0 on Sunday afternoon, to keep the pressure on the early pace-setters. After losing to Atalanta in midweek, Roma bounced back, with Edin Dzeko heading home his 92nd goal for the club. His former Manchester City teammate Aleksandar Kolarov missed a golden chance to double the advantage, when his penalty was saved. It wasn't as wide a margin as fans would have hoped for, but the important thing was to return to winning ways and continue Paulo Fonseca's unbeaten run on the road. Dzeko developing in the air For a player with a 6'4" frame, Edin Dzeko has never been as suited to an aerial game as many might expect. The striker has flourished with his feet at Roma, using his strength and positioning to reach the numbers he has achieved. While his height is an obvious threat, he hasn't always been able to use it to his advantage. Even at the age of 33, though, Dzeko is showing that a player can still improve. Recently, he has been brilliant in the air, with his last two goals being scored with his head - a last-gasp winner over Bologna, and another game-decider on Sunday. But it was not just in the box that Dzeko demonstrated his importance to the team. Particularly in the second half, he won a number of headers in the middle of the park from long balls forward, creating chances aplenty for the likes of Justin Kluivert and Henrikh Mkhitaryan to run on to. While he has not always been famed for this part of his game, Dzeko has shown a willingness to develop, and as a result, he dominated.
Wasteful wingers That said, Kluivert and Mkhitaryan did not necessarily make the most of the chances that came their way. They were among the prime culprits as Roma demonstrated more poor decision-making in the final third - perhaps epitomised when Nicolo Zaniolo failed to play an easy pass across to Kluivert towards the end of the game, which would almost definitely have led to a second goal. Had Roma been as effective in the final third as they were in the middle of the park, the scoreline could have been three or four. However, Kluivert fell back to his old tricks of being indecisive and not backing himself with his pace - with which he created danger on the odd occasion that he trusted himself - whereas Mkhitaryan's first touch was loose. Both players are capable of more and have shown their qualities on several occasions in the past, but were equally frustrating against Lecce. Diawara dictates the play One of the players who succeeded in having an impact on the game behind the attackers was Amadou Diawara. Making his first Serie A start for Roma (and only his third appearance overall), the summer signing from Napoli was always an option for his teammates in the centre of midfield. Diawara offers a very different style to the man he replaced in the starting lineup, Bryan Cristante (who seemed to commit more fouls when he came on than he managed touches of the ball in a five-minute cameo). Whereas Cristante has earned his starting berths this season through graft and energy, also playing some decent long balls, Diawara performs better in the short game. He rarely misplaced a pass as he gave fluidity to Roma's transition from defence to attack. He surely warrants more appearances in bigger games. Language no barrier for leader Smalling Another summer signing making his second start of the season was Chris Smalling, who kept his place in the side after a man of the match debut against Atalanta. This time around, he played just as well, and was able to gain the three points and clean sheet that his performance deserved. His tackling was well-timed as ever, save for the foul that earned him his first yellow card in Serie A. But aside from his playing ability, the thing that impressed most was the way he held the backline together. With the relatively inexperienced Gianluca Mancini starting alongside him rather than Federico Fazio, Smalling assumed the senior role, and despite his grasp of the Italian language only being basic so far, he appeared to have no problems instructing his teammates where to go, or remonstrating with the referee if he disagreed with a decision. Just as he wants, the Englishman has the potential to grow into a leader during his time with the club. Busy schedule catches up with Kolarov Overall, it was an afternoon of mixed performances, despite the positive result. One of the players towards the lower end of the spectrum was Kolarov - who in general has been outstanding this season. However, against Lecce, the struggles of a 33-year-old being ever-present - in a system which requires him to cover a lot of ground - were evident.
Consecutive weeks of Serie A following midweek action led to signs of fatigue from the usually dynamic full-back, whose crosses did not reach their usual level of accuracy. And while it would be unfair to over-analyse his penalty miss - he is generally excellent from 12 yards - there was something about his run up which did not look right, perhaps signalling tired legs. That said, he remains one of Roma's strongest players, and will undoubtedly be relied on again from the spot. Jordan Veretout, who often assumed the responsibility for Fiorentina last season, was the only real alternative taker on the pitch, and one miss should not move Kolarov down the hierarchy. Fortunately, Leonardo Spinazzola has returned to fitness, meaning the Serbian should be able to get the rest and recuperation he needs and deserves after a blistering start to the season. Player Ratings: Lopez 6; Florenzi 6; Mancini 5; Smalling 7; Kolarov 5; Diawara 7; Veretout 6; Kluivert 5; Pellegrini 7; Mkhitaryan 6; Dzeko 7 Subs: Zaniolo 6; Spinazzola 5; Cristante N/A Coach: Fonseca 6 Man of the Match: Diawara |
samuel bannister
Founder and editor of Giallorossi Yorkshire, who is also a columnist for Roma's official website about the women's team. Categories
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