GIALLOROSSI YORKSHIRE BLOG
Francesco Totti has scored more goals for Roma than any other player in Serie A, the Champions League and the Europa League. He's had an impact on every stage he has graced, every competition he has played in. The only competitions he's played in without becoming Roma's top scorer in are the Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa Italiana. He scored 18 goals in Italy's main domestic competition, falling two shy of the 20 Roberto Pruzzo notched in the tournament while playing for the club. Meanwhile, he only scored once in the Supercoppa. Everything else, and Totti is without comparison. Every journey begins somewhere though, and he was keen to make statements of intent from a young age. Here are the first goals he scored in every competition he played in for Roma. Serie A: 4/9/1994 v Foggia Totti's record-breaking goalscoring journey began at the age of 17, when he netted his first Roma goal against Foggia. The opponents that day were managed by a future Roma coach in Zdenek Zeman, who Totti would later score 38 goals under. However, before all that, Totti had to get off the mark, and did so with a poacher's finish. He arrived at the ball from a knock down, firing past the keeper with his left foot. It was perhaps symbolic that his first ever senior goal was scored with his weaker foot, as he would later go on to score many of his most famous strikes with the same boot. This goal was shot straight, like an arrow, and was the first of a record-breaking 250 goals for one club in Serie A. Coppa Italia: 22/9/94 v Fiorenzuola It didn't take long for Totti to add to his tally, as he scored his second goal for Roma just a couple of weeks later. This time, it was the Coppa Italia in which he left his mark. By the time Totti scored, over an hour into the second leg, Roma already had one foot in the next round, but that didn't stop Totti's hunger for goals. He made sure to leave an impression on the game with a goal that highlighted his forward thinking and nimble dribbling ability. Totti received the ball in an inside forward position on the left, quickly turning to beat his marker. Facing goal, he then had one more defender to beat before he could shoot. He effortlessly stepped inside, leaving the defender in a heap on the floor. It was then a calm sidefooted finish to beat the keeper at his near post. UEFA Cup: 17/10/95 v Eendracht Aalst The following season, Totti scored his first ever goal in European football, just over 15 minutes after coming on as a substitute in a 4-0 win over Belgians Eendracht Aalst. Once again, while still a teenager, he showed his genius at creating an opportunity. Totti used trickery to beat defenders, opening up new spaces and taking three opponents out of the game with his understanding of the area. It was a crowded box but Totti knew his way through it, and was able to pick out the bottom corner. Supercoppa Italiana: 19/8/01 v Fiorentina Months after lifting the Serie A trophy for the first and only time in his career, Totti made his debut in the Supercoppa, where Roma faced off against 2001 Coppa Italia winners Fiorentina. Roma won the match 3-0, with Totti putting the icing on the cake with the final goal. Vincent Candela had broken forward from the back, playing a neat one-two with Totti. The French wing-back drove down the centre of the pitch, unleashing a powerful shot from distance. Fiorentina goalkeeper Giuseppe Taglialatela could only parry the ball, and Totti was alert for the follow up. The number 10 was too quick for the keeper as he latched onto the loose ball and chipped it delicately over him and into the net. Scroll to 15:25 of the video below to see the goal. Champions League: 11/9/01 v Real Madrid By the time Totti made his Champions League debut in 2001, he had already amassed 70 goals for Roma. When the chance came to represent his club on the biggest European stage, he grasped it with both hands, scoring against the previous season's semi-finalists, Real Madrid. Totti was not fazed by playing against one of the biggest clubs in the world, and although his second half penalty turned out to be just a consolation in a 2-1 loss, it showed he had the technical and psychological strength to perform at the very top level. When Roma won a penalty over midway through the second half, it was Totti who stepped up to take responsibility. Totti's effort from 12 yards left Iker Casillas dazed in the middle of the goal, as the Spanish goalkeeper didn't even move. Totti struck the ball powerfully into the bottom corner, rendering it practically impossible for Casillas to save. The goal can be seen from 3:00 of the following video. Europa League: 30/7/09 v Gent It took Totti just 55 minutes of his first game since the UEFA Cup rebranded as the Europa League in 2009 to net his first goal under the competition's new banner. In a third qualifying round tie against Gent, 32-year-old Totti scored a goal that would become typical of his later career. Roma won a free kick on the edge of the box, with Totti lining up a powerful shot. The ball was rolled to him by David Pizarro, and he hit it first time. The shot stayed low, rocketing under the keeper's body to give Roma an equaliser. The goal can be seen from 0:36 of the video below, and is proof that even in his later years, Totti was intent on breaking new ground.
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Roma will look to put an end to their wretched run of form when Frosinone visit on Wednesday night.
The Lupi are without a win since the opening day of the season, having dropped points to the likes of Chievo and Bologna in recent weeks. It's a spell that made Eusebio Di Francesco take his players for an emergency training camp at the start of the week in the hope of addressing the side's current problems. On paper, tonight's opponents should be an ideal side to get back to winning ways against, but at present, any team look like a potential banana skin for Roma. Frosinone have just one point from five games having returned to Serie A this season. However, their squad contains some decent players, such as striker and captain Daniel Ciofani, summer signing Joel Campbell, and Icelandic World Cup midfielder Emil Halfredsson. In goal, they have acquired Marco Sportiello, formerly of Fiorentina and Atalanta. It's a squad that, if they find their form, could have a chance of Serie A survival. Roma need to make sure the beginning of Frosinone's form doesn't start with an upset tonight. The Giallorossi are just five places above the side from the Lazio region, who play just over an hour's drive away from tonight's setting, the Olimpico. If anything can help Roma through this dire patch, it's the support of a passionate home crowd, but expect whistles if the result doesn't go Roma's way. Roma's squad tonight is almost full strength. Diego Perotti, who started in the loss to Bologna at the weekend, misses out with a muscle injury, and is expected to be absent for a couple of weeks. Consequently, Stephan El Shaarawy may return to the starting lineup, opposing the side he made his Roma debut against. Di Francesco hinted in his press conference that Edin Dzeko might be rested for the game, with a view to Saturday's derby against Lazio. Patrik Schick could take his place in the lineup, and will have a point to prove. Schick started pre-season sharply, but hasn't transferred that form across to the bigger games, and remains without a goal this season. It would be beneficial for both his and the team's confidence if he got off the mark tonight. The game kicks off at 8:00pm UK time. Possible Roma lineup: Olsen, Florenzi, Manolas, Fazio, Kolarov, De Rossi, Nzonzi, Under, Pastore, El Shaarawy, Schick Roma were embarrassed by lowly Bologna on Sunday afternoon, as Filippo Inzaghi's side won 2-0, with their first goals of the Serie A season. The Giallorossi remain stuck in the bottom half of the table, having picked up just five points from five games. Bologna are now just one point behind, indicative of Roma's dire start to the new campaign. Eusebio Di Francesco brought Ivan Marcano in at left-back for the game, with Aleksandar Kolarov dropped to the bench. Federico Fazio kept his place at centre-half despite some questionable performances recently. Despite these decisions, the defence still showed their weaknesses, as highlighted by the two goals conceded. Goal one: Federico Mattiello (1-0) Bologna took a first half lead through Federico Mattiello, who joined the club in the summer on loan from Atalanta. Mattiello has some bad memories of previous games with Roma - he broke his leg after a tackle from Radja Nainggolan while playing for Chievo in 2015 - and he had never scored a senior goal before, so this will have been a special moment for him. Not so much for those with a persuasion towards Roma, though. A cross came in from the left-hand side, which Robin Olsen tried to claim. However, the ball went deep, so the Swedish shotstopper recovered to his goalline. As the ball came to the ground, stand-in full-back Marcano tried to close Mattiello down. However, the former Juventus player got the better of him with a quick turn inside, before firing across goal into the far corner. Diego Perotti had tracked back to attempt to disrupt the attack, but Mattiello's shot went through him and past Olsen, who was trying to cover his nearpost. Goal two: Federico Santander (2-0) Bologna's second goal also came from a man scoring for the first time in Serie A. Summer signing Santander - a teammate of Olsen's at Copenhagen for the past two-and-a-half years - doubled the home side's advantage around the hour mark. He finished from the centre of the box with a left sidefoot against his old clubmate. The move came from a quick counter attack after Lorenzo Pellegrini had lost possession. It was not a good afternoon for Pellegrini, who had earlier volleyed over an open goal. As soon as he lost the ball here, giant spaces seemed to open up for the counter. The midfield was absent, and as play progressed up the pitch, it became clear that the Roma players had not recovered their positions quickly enough. Consequently, Bologna were left with a three-on-two situation, and they made the most of it. Kostas Manolas and Marcano were the ones tasked with stopping the counter, but Bologna passed through them too easily. One ball inside from Diego Falcinelli took Manolas out of the game, and Santander was unmarked. Olsen then didn't come off his line quickly enough to make things difficult for Santander, who had a lot of space to aim at in the goal. Olsen should have closed the space down to limit the angle for his opponent, but it was too easy in the end, and it summed up another bad day at the office for Di Francesco's men. Highlights from Serie A YouTube
Roma will be looking to bounce back from recent disappointments as they travel to Bologna on Sunday afternoon.
Eusebio Di Francesco's side have only won one game this season, most recently being outclassed by Real Madrid on Wednesday. Now it's time to return to domestic action, and to try and find a way to kickstart the season. Di Francesco confirmed in his pre-match press conference that Justin Kluivert will start the game. The young Dutch attacker sat out the loss to Real Madrid, but has shown glimpses of quality when coming on, so he will be hoping to take the opportunity in his stride. It will be his first start in a Roma shirt, and he will be aiming to show his coach what he can bring to the side in a bid to gain more starts further down the line. Returning to the squad is Javier Pastore, who also missed the match with Real. The attacking midfielder may not start the game, but knows he has some critics to prove wrong if called upon. For his age, he has a large transfer price to justify, and his recent comments that PSG will remain the best club he has ever played for will not have gone down well with sections of the Roma crowd. He needs to get back on track with some strong performances in upcoming weeks. Rick Karsdorp and Ante Coric are missing from the squad to face Bologna, with the latter still awaiting his Roma debut. The reasons for Coric's continued absence are unclear, with the midfielder not appearing to be suffering from injury. He may soon start to grow anxious over his lack of playing time following his summer move from Dinamo Zagreb. Bologna have not started the season well, and are without a win - or even a goal - so far. They have lost to SPAL, Inter and Genoa, while drawing 0-0 with Frosinone. However, they had more luck in their Coppa Italia third round tie versus Padova, which they won 2-0. Managed by Filippo Inzaghi, who has taken his first Serie A job since leaving AC Milan in 2015, their squad includes former Roma players Lukasz Skorupski, who featured in a swap deal with Antonio Mirante this summer, and Mattia Destro, the striker who now serves as vice-captain for the club, and is playing under Inzaghi again after their brief stint together at Milan in 2015. Former Roma youth player Arturo Calabresi also joined the club in the summer, but has only featured in the Coppa win over Padova so far. The game kicks off at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara at 2pm UK time today. Roma's Champions League campaign began in defeat on Wednesday night, as Real Madrid earned a 3-0 victory at the Bernabeu. In a tough match for the Giallorossi, chances were few and far between, while Robin Olsen had to make some important saves to keep the score down. Unfortunately, his net was breached three times. Here's a look at all three goals. Goal one: Isco (1-0) Roma had nearly reached half time while preserving their clean sheet, when Isco found the back of the net from a free kick. From just outside the box, he chipped it over the wall and into the bottom corner, leaving Olsen stranded. The free kick was conceded needlessly by Daniele De Rossi, who tugged Isco's shirt as the attacking midfielder was about to receive the ball on the edge of the box. De Rossi had played well until that point, but didn't need to commit the foul. Kostas Manolas and Federico Fazio were behind the ball, so could have been able to block it, while Olsen could have made a save. Roma's captain picked up a yellow card for his troubles, and Roma went behind. In terms of the goal, perhaps Olsen was stationed slightly too far to the left, leaving a big space for Isco to aim at. Before the kick was taken, he could be seen yelling at his wall to move right, but they seemed well-positioned in the end. Nonetheless, it was a great piece of technique from the Spaniard, which gave Real a deserved lead. Goal two: Gareth Bale (2-0) In the second half, Real doubled their advantage with a pacy counter attack. In the move, they showed just how effective they are as a unit, with each individual member contributing their high skill levels to the goal. Roma lost possession on the left wing, and Los Blancos made an effective break forward. Luka Modric received the ball in the middle and saw space in front of him to exploit. As the pacy Gareth Bale surged forward on the left wing, Modric picked him out with an inch-perfect through ball. Kostas Manolas tried to keep up, but it was to no avail, as Bale found the far corner of Olsen's goal with a perfectly-placed finish. Goal three: Mariano Diaz (3-0) Wow. What a goal. Not much could be done about Real's final goal as substitute Mariano Diaz sent a rocket into the top corner. Receiving a through ball from Marcelo, Mariano took a touch out of his feet, wrongfooting Manolas with his trickery, before sending the ball flying beyond Olsen's reach. It was a thunderbolt. Manolas couldn't even really be blamed for being turned so easily, as he was trying to show Mariano onto his weaker foot. The Spanish attacker was just too quick for the defender, and finished with a goal that had to be applauded. Video from Real Madrid YouTube
Today's dream Roma five-a-side team has been chosen by Menno, who picks a strong team with five of the best players Roma have had this century.
Name: Menno van Koppen Location: Rotterdam, The Netherlands Team: Like the force, a team needs to be in balance. For my five-a-side I therefore choose a goalkeeper, a defender, a defensive midfielder, an attacking midfielder and a striker. GK: Alisson Ramses Becker - This one is an easy pick: Alisson is by far the best goalkeeper Roma has ever had. Fantastic reflexes, great at coming off his goal line, skilled with his feet like a true Brazilian, dominant in the box and the exposure of a winner. I loved Alisson. Once following Roma you get used to seeing the best and most special players leave, but this one did particularly hurt. DF: Kostas Manolas - This was the hardest choice of the team. Roma has had so many great defenders over the years. Cafu, Aldair, Samuel, Marquinhos, Rüdiger, Castán and Mexès, a personal favourite of mine, to name only a few. Still I choose Manolas as an ode to the team that made us feel like champions for once after eliminating Barcelona last year. I had the privilege to be in the Olimpico that magical evening. That evening and my wedding were the happiest moments of my life: I was ecstatic and out of myself with joy, seeing the footage still gives me goosebumps all over my body. Grazie mille, Kostas, grazie mille. DM: Daniele De Rossi - Dani is indispensable for any Roma team. A natural born leader with a great tackle, excellent passing, fierce shot and not afraid to do the dirty work. A strong personality that reads the game excellent and guides the team. He is the skeleton in the body that is AS Roma. It makes me very sad Dani will probably end his career without a Scudetto: he deserves one. I hope he feels the World Cup title makes up for that loss. As you probably know, Dani has left his World Cup medal in the coffin of former national team kitman Pietro Lombardi to be buried with his body after he died. Let that affect you for a moment. What a beautiful personality. AM: Francesco Totti - I don’t see how anybody could afford to leave Totti out of the team: a thousand words are not enough to describe what he has meant and still means for AS Roma. For me personally he is the sole reason why I started following Roma in the first place and I am sure that accounts for a lot more people. His legacy is a part of Roma and Roma would not have been the same club today without him. The images of Totti in the stands that are shown several times every match nowadays, evoke strong feelings of melancholy and pride. SC: Gabriel Omar Batistuta - Pairing the brilliant insight and passing of Totti with an absolute world class striker was the stepping stone for our last Scudetto. What a finisher Batistuta was: a guarantee for goals. Signing Batistuta was the best answer Sensi could have given to the Scudetto Lazio won the season before, granting us the city bragging rights until this day. Want to submit your own Five-a-Side Friday team? Fill in the form on this link. It will be a historic day as Roma Women compete in Serie A for the first time on Saturday.
The team was set up in the summer, led by coach Betty Bavagnoli and captain Elisa Bartoli. They won their summer friendlies against Union College and Florentia comfortably, without conceding a goal. Roma will look to carry that form on when they face Sassuolo in their league opener. The game gets underway at 2pm on Saturday, with Bavagnoli’s side looking to make a winning start to their life as a team. Last season, Sassuolo came 9th out of 12 teams in the division. One of the more recognisable names in the league, it was their first time competing in Serie A. Also competing in Serie A Femminile for the first time were Juventus, who Roma will be looking to emulate this season. Juventus won the league at the first time of asking, and while there is no pressure on Roma to achieve the same, they will be hoping they can finish there or thereabouts at the end of the season. Roma have assembled a squad with varying levels of experience. There are some fully fledged internationals in the team, such as Swiss midfielder Vanessa Bernauer and Italian defenders Federica De Criscio and Bartoli. Elsewhere, there are younger players such as forwards Agnese Bonfantini and Martina Piemonte, aged 19 and 20 respectively. The latter spent last season with Sevilla and has represented the Italian women’s team at youth level. Bavagnoli will be hoping her side can carry the good form they have shown in their early matches over to competitive football. Real Madrid were a class above Roma in their 3-0 win last night, but did any of Eusebio Di Francesco's players stand out for praise?
It was a tough start to life in this year's Champions League, with the team offering little in attack and struggling in defence. However, it was always going to be difficult against the European champions. There was a mix of individual performances; some worked hard, others less so, while some didn't represent themselves in the best light. Here are Giallorossi Yorkshire's player ratings for the match. Robin Olsen - 7 Olsen made a handful of important saves to limit the damages. None of those saves were spectacular, but they still required good positioning, movement and reflexes. While some players in front of him didn't do their jobs, Olsen stayed alert to the danger. He wasn't really at fault for any of the three goals, all of which were perfectly placed as far from his reach as possible. Without him, it could have been worse. Alessandro Florenzi - 5 The right-back struggled to keep up with the skill and trickery of left winger Isco. Florenzi tried to get into advanced positions, but when he did, he didn't recover quickly enough as play broke down. In the second half especially, a lot of Real's attacks came down the left-hand side, and Florenzi was completely out of the picture. He needed to defend with a bit more nous. Kostas Manolas - 5.5 It was a difficult afternoon for the backline, as Real's front three caused all kinds of problems. Manolas put in a big effort as always, but it was just too much to ask in the end. He showed desire to get back when Real Madrid broke past the defence, but he couldn't make enough blocks or tackles to reduce scoring chances for the opponents. Federico Fazio - 5 Started the game sluggishly, but grew into it slightly later on. He was caught out by the movement of the Madrid attack, as his opponents found pockets of space. Fazio was sometimes found wrong side of his marker and in the first half looked like he couldn't keep up with the pace of the play. He wasn't as bad in the second half, but still looks like a shadow of the Comandante that Roma fans have come to know and love. Aleksandar Kolarov - 4 Like his fellow full-back Florenzi, Kolarov struggled with the threat posed by Real's wingers. The Serbia captain wasn't quick enough to track Gareth Bale, who had a lot of success throughout the 90 minutes. Kolarov still looks tired from his excessive minutes on the pitch last season. His mental sharpness was also off. For example, late in the second half, Roma won a free kick for offside, offering the chance for a breather and to set up some time on the ball. But Kolarov played the ball quickly, into a strange area, and it was intercepted, leading to yet another chance for the Real strike force. He needed to use his experience more, while Eusebio Di Francesco needs to be wary of overplaying him. Daniele De Rossi - 7 Roma's captain defended with his heart and soul, but it wasn't enough. For most of the first half, he intercepted loose balls and made vital blocks, leading by example. However, just before the break, he picked up a yellow card for a tug back on Isco. It wasn't De Rossi's smartest moment, as the player he fouled scored from the resulting free kick. Other than that mistake, De Rossi was one of the better performers on the night. Steven Nzonzi - 5 Nzonzi played in a slightly wider role than usual, and still looks like he's two or three weeks away from full match fitness. He was tasked with marking Toni Kroos, and he did manage to limit the German's impact, but not as much as was necessary. He needs to be quicker going into tackles and closing down opponents, which should come with more fitness. Nicolo Zaniolo - 5.5 A surprise inclusion on the teamsheet, Zaniolo made his Roma debut in one of the toughest games in world football. The 19-year-old didn't pass the test with flying colours, but he didn't fail either. He gave away possession too often, but in other patches of the game he did well enough, in part justifying his selection. He deserves more - and easier - opportunities. Cengiz Under - 5.5 Under was a positive attacking influence at times, but decision making is still an area for improvement for him. In the second half, he ran towards goal and could have played Edin Dzeko in, but took on a shot instead. He needs to use his vision more to spot players in better positions. Other than that, he was lively and wanted to have a go at Keylor Navas' goal. In a game where Roma didn't have many chances, his willingness to attack has to be applauded. Edin Dzeko - 5 It was a frustrating night for Dzeko, who saw little of the ball. He will have been disappointed not to get more touches or chances, but that's to be expected when travelling to a location as difficult as the Bernabeu. His hold up play almost came in useful a couple of times, but not enough for Roma to put Navas' clean sheet in danger. Stephan El Shaarawy - 5 El Shaarawy's impact on the game was minimal. The winger didn't get on the ball often enough, let alone breaking in behind the Madrid defence. He was brought off in the second half and there can't have been too many complaints. Like Dzeko, he'll have been disappointed with the low amount of touches he got, but he needs to impose himself on the game more. That said, he did make an effort tracking back, so he did help the team in some respects. Subs: Lorenzo Pellegrini Replacing Zaniolo, Pellegrini was the first substitute to be brought on by Di Francesco, but didn't have a major impact. He needs to start offering more on a regular basis. Diego Perotti Perotti came on for El Shaarawy, but his game followed a similar pattern to the man he replaced. He saw little of the ball on the left wing. Patrik Schick The striker replaced Nzonzi as the final substitution in a tactical change. He had one wild shot which he should have done better with. Coach: Eusebio Di Francesco - 4.5 His decision to start Zaniolo in such a tough game is the major talking point, but another should be the continuing issue of a lack of press in the midfield. This is something that can be coached, but it didn't show much sign of improvement after the break. His position as coach isn't as untenable as some people are making it out to be - it's been five games - but he knows Roma are in a rough patch. On the night, he set up his side to limit chances for their opponents, but it didn't exactly work. It will be interesting to see what approach he goes for in the return fixture, given how Roma tended to do better against Champions League opponents the second time they faced them last season. Di Francesco will have to show what lessons he has learnt from this encounter. Roma lost 3-0 to Real Madrid on their Champions League return, kicking off the 2018-19 European season in defeat.
Isco scored a free kick on the stroke of half-time to put the 13-time European champions ahead, before Gareth Bale and Mariano Diaz completed the scoring in the second period. As a result, Roma remain winless since the opening day of the season. Here are the main talking points from the match. Zaniolo's baptism of fire Nicolo Zaniolo was certainly thrown in at the deep end, given his first Roma start away at the home of the Champions League holders. There couldn't have been many tougher starts for the 19-year-old, who has never played in Serie A. Not only was he up against one of the best teams in the world, his personal battle was against the world's best midfielder, Luka Modric. Zaniolo did alright on his debut, but was nothing spectacular, and certainly didn't announce himself on the world stage as a wonderkid. He did get a decent share of the ball, but gave it away a few too many times. He needs to improve his composure if he is to play in games like these at this stage of his career. Eusebio Di Francesco's decision to give him his Roma debut in this game will be put under question; surely he should've played a Serie A game beforehand to get used to the pace of top flight football. Meanwhile, Ante Coric, who is also yet to feature in the league, was sat at home, not called up to the squad. Coric has experience of the Champions League from his time with Dinamo Zagreb, so could have been a better option. Nonetheless, Zaniolo did alright, and he certainly deserves to be given some opportunities in more games further down the line, although preferably in easier games than this. Ultimately, he was thrown into the lions' den, and while he came out relatively unscathed, the lions definitely won the battle. Full-backs go missing Real Madrid had a lot of joy down either wing, with Isco and Gareth Bale causing problems for Alessandro Florenzi and Aleksandar Kolarov respectively. Too many times, the full-back duo were caught wrong side of their marker; sometimes, they were nowhere to be seen. Both offer an outlet as an attacking threat, but in a game like this, Di Francesco needed his full-backs to play a bit deeper than usual, to limit the threat from Real's stars. Unfortunately, that didn't happen, and Real reaped the benefits of using the width when Roma's full-backs were stranded high up the pitch. Midfield press still needs improvement It was a problem in Sunday's game against Chievo, and it was a problem once again last night. Roma's midfield didn't press the ball quickly enough, allowing Real Madrid to thread balls through and control possession. It's understandable why Roma might have wanted to sit deeper than they usually would, but more energy was needed when closing down the ball. When closing down an opponent, the final yard is the most important, but the midfield trio of Daniele De Rossi, Steven Nzonzi and Zaniolo didn't get there quick enough. Consequently, Real dominated the ball as expected, while Roma offered little resistance. Olsen keeps the score down A few eyebrows were raised when Roma signed Robin Olsen in the summer, and while he's no Alisson, he played his part in this game. The Sweden number one made several decent saves to keep Real at bay. The scoreline could've been much larger in Real's favour, but Olsen was always on his toes, tipping shots over the bar or around the corner. In total, he made eight saves to relieve the intense Real pressure. Travelling support was excellent Shifting the attention away from the pitch, Roma's fans were excellent throughout. The Bernabeu is one of the most intimidating stadiums in Europe, and the Real fans certainly showed they know how to make a noise last night. However, the Roma fans who had travelled to Spain were still audible for large sections of the game, their support unwavering. Sadly, it couldn't inspire the team to perform better on the pitch, but the players should appreciate the levels of support they were given by the crowd. Roma’s Champions League campaign gets underway tonight with an away tie against current holders Real Madrid.
Eusebio Di Francesco guided the Giallorossi to the semi-finals of last year’s competition, beating Real’s great rivals Barcelona along the way. Roma will be looking to stage another unlikely upset tonight, against one of the pre-tournament favourites. This year’s campaign couldn’t start with a much trickier game, as Real have won the last three editions of the competition. In terms of competitive meetings between the two sides, Los Blancos have won six out of ten, with Roma claiming three victories. Di Francesco has selected 21 players for the trip to the Spanish capital. Javier Pastore misses out through injury, while Ante Coric and Daniel Fuzato have not travelled with the squad. Opponents Real Madrid have started the season strongly despite losing main man Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus in the summer. They are unbeaten after four games in La Liga - only Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao are also yet to taste defeat in the Spanish top flight. Following Ronaldo’s departure, Gareth Bale and Marco Asensio have stepped more into the limelight, and will look to cause problems for Roma’s full-backs tonight. Bale has already contributed three goals and two assists from four La Liga games this season, and after scoring a brace in last year’s final, is certainly one to be wary of. More centrally, the danger man will be Luka Modric, who captained Croatia to the World Cup final this summer and may have just prised the Ballon D’Or away from the grasp of Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in the process. Roma need to ensure Modric doesn’t have time to dictate the play, or else it could be a long night. Realistically, Roma aren’t expected to get anything out of the game, but the same was said about the Barcelona fixture last year. However unlikely it is, Di Francesco will be certain to instil his players with the belief that they can cause an upset and take at least a draw. If that doesn’t happen though, Roma shouldn’t get too disheartened, as long as they’ve put in a hard-working performance. It’s a long campaign and there are five more group stage fixtures after this; tonight’s isn’t the game on which Roma will be judged. Fans in the UK can watch the game on TV (yes, TV!) on BT Sport/ESPN from 8pm, when the game kicks off. It’s time to return to the European stage and enjoy the drama it will bring. Whatever tonight’s outcome, Roma must do their fans proud with a big effort and show that the Champions League is where they belong. Daje Roma. |
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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