GIALLOROSSI YORKSHIRE BLOG
Eusebio Di Francesco will face Sassuolo as a coach for the first time since leaving them to move to Roma in the summer.
The game will be played at the Stadio Olimpico tomorrow, and Di Francesco will be eager to get his side back to winning ways after last week's loss to Juventus. He has almost a full squad at his disposal, with former Sassuolo striker Gregoire Defrel absent from the matchday squad. Another player formerly employed by the visitors, Lorenzo Pellegrini, could be pushing to make his first start since the 1-0 win over Cagliari on 16th December. Someone who will definitely be starting is Patrik Schick, who missed a crucial chance to level things at the end of the Juventus game. The record signing will be hoping to prove his worth by returning to the scoresheet - he scored his first in Roma colours against Torino nine days ago. Di Francesco is expected to set up with a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-4 for the encounter, so we may see Schick and Edin Dzeko start together. In terms of the opposition, Sassuolo's fortunes have improved since the appointment of Giuseppe Iachini, who replaced Christian Bucchi in November. Since his arrival, they have won three out of four Serie A games. There has been a healthy relationship between the two clubs in recent years, with several Roma youngsters being sent to Sassuolo to develop. One such player is Matteo Politano, the winger who joined Sassuolo from Roma on an initial loan in 2015, and went on to sign there permanently. With three goals in 16 league games this season, he will be keen to make an impression. Recently talks of a possible move for Sassuolo's Domenico Berardi to Roma have resurfaced. Tomorrow will present an opportunity for fans to get a glimpse of the talented 23-year-old forward, who has made 14 starts in all competitions this season. The match kicks off at 3pm UK time, but is not televised live in the country. Can Roma find their form again, and record a fourth straight win over the Neroverdi to end 2017 on a high?
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It’s a critical match tonight as Roma travel to Turin to take on reigning champions Juventus.
With Roma struggling in front of goal recently, making difficult fixtures out of what should have been easy games, it’s arguably a make-or-break game for Roma at this stage of the season. Juventus are obviously a very strong side - but where do their main strengths lie? Form: Juventus have started to find some real form at the end of the calendar year. Currently on an unbeaten run of seven games in all competitions, Max Allegri’s unit are a force to be reckoned with. They have also recorded seven consecutive clean sheets. The Coach: Max Allegri Over his time in Turin, Allegri has shown himself to be an adept tactician. He has utilised several different formations to the benefit of his team and has been the mastermind behind their last three Scudetti. He has also guided the team to two Champions League finals, leading him to be linked with many of the biggest jobs in Europe. Key Player: Giorgio Chiellini Whilst it may be the exciting attackers such as Paulo Dybala and Gonzalo Higuain who are more often noticed, Chiellini is a really important component of Juventus’ defence, and hence the team as a whole. Once on Roma’s books, but let go without making a single appearance, Chiellini has become one of the best international defenders of his generation. The Familiar Face: Wojciech Szczesny Szczesny will start tonight, with Gianluigi Buffon unavailable. He spent the last two seasons on loan at Roma from Arsenal and achieved success in the capital, getting his career back on track. Tonight he will come up against his former side for the first time since leaving in the summer. Prediction: Tonight will be a tough match, and it will take a very good performance to win. Realistically, you would expect Juventus to win by a small margin, perhaps 2-1, due to their usual dominance at the Allianz Stadium. However, if Roma’s big players can show up, they could make things a bit more difficult for the champions and maybe get a result. Roma will appear in the Coppa Italia for the first time this season tomorrow, as Sinisa Mihajlovic's Torino visit.
The Round of 16 tie kicks off at 4:30pm UK time. Torino are having a mixed season in Serie A, but will still fancy their chances against a Roma side who have been struggling to find goals recently. At the same time, Roma remain favourites and will be looking to make their first steps towards bettering last season's achievement of reaching the semi finals. The two sides met in the league back in October with Roma winning 1-0, Aleksandar Kolarov getting the goal. Since then, Torino have had differing fortunes, winning three, drawing four, and losing two of their nine games in both the league and cup. Their last fixture was a 3-1 defeat to Napoli, which saw them drop one place to tenth in the Serie A table. They beat Carpi at the end of November to reach this stage of the Coppa Italia. They will be better balanced for this encounter with Roma, as this time they can call on their star striker Andrea Belotti, who missed the league game between the two sides through injury. Highly-rated Belotti scored his side's solitary goal against Napoli. Meanwhile, Roma will be showing how seriously they are taking the Coppa this season. Di Francesco's team selection should give some hints as to how high the competition ranks on his list of priorities. One thing we do know is that Emerson Palmieri is expected to make a first start since returning from an ACL injury. The left back was one of the standout performers of last season, but Kolarov has been impressing in his place whilst he has been recovering this term. Emerson will be keen to put in a good shift and remind everyone of his qualities as he continues his return to first-team action. One thing Roma must always be wary of against Torino is the number of former employees hoping to make an impression. The team are led by an ex-Roma player of two seasons in Mihajlovic, and their playing squad contains ex-Giallorossi forwards Adem Ljajic, Iago Falque and the on-loan Sadiq Umar. Could any of them make an impact? Roma will be looking to get the job done efficiently, with a match against another Turin side, Juventus, waiting after this one. Can Di Francesco's team get through the cup tie without expending all their energy? It will be a far from simple task, but the coach will be hoping he can find a way of doing so. Roma will look to make an improvement from last week’s performance on Saturday, as they host Sardinian side Cagliari.
The match will be an opportunity for Roma to put right the wrongs of last week’s 0-0 draw with Chievo. Eusebio Di Francesco could pick both Edin Dzeko and Patrik Schick to start, having alluded to Schick’s adaptation to playing on the wing in his pre-match press conference this week. Di Francesco is keen to ensure his players remain focused on the task at hand, with both Torino (Coppa Italia) and Juventus (Serie A) looming next. He has given no indication of fielding a weakened side, and he will be demanding a top performance from all his players. Cagliari are also looking to bounce back from some disappointments. They were knocked out of the Coppa Italia in the Fourth Round in November, by Pordenone - the team that took Inter all the way to an unlikely penalty shoot out earlier this week. Since then Cagliari have recorded successive league draws against Bologna and Sampdoria. At present, Cagliari are 14th in Serie A, with five wins, two draws and nine losses. They have often used a back three, and their key players include striker Leonardo Pavoletti and midfielder Simone Padoin, formerly of Napoli and Juventus respectively. With a five-man midfield ahead of their defence, they could be another tough unit for Roma to break down. Creativity will be needed once again, so perhaps Diego Perotti will be restored to the starting lineup. Roma will be hoping that luck is a little kinder to them tomorrow night, knowing that a win would provide good momentum heading into the crunch matches next week. For now though, the team are fully focused on overcoming the obstacle that Cagliari present. Six months ago, Eusebio Di Francesco was appointed as Roma’s new head coach.
The reception to his appointment was mixed, and whilst he still has some doubters in the Roman fanbase, he has managed to win over many of the club’s supporters. Di Francesco worked his way up through the ranks to be able to return as a coach to the club he once played for. After achieving success in Italy’s lower leagues, it was time for him to step up, and Sassuolo came calling. He took the club to unprecedented heights, not only winning promotion out of Serie B, but then guiding them to unlikely Europa League qualification. Under his guidance, players like Nicola Sansone, Domenico Berardi, and current Roma midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini blossomed. When Luciano Spalletti left Roma in the summer, the opportunity presented itself for Di Francesco to lead one of Italy’s biggest clubs, as many thought he deserved to. Roma negotiated a deal to bring their former midfielder back to the club. The first few weeks of his tenure were a little shaky. Pre-season was rough, with mixed results. Players seemed to be struggling to grasp his ideas, having to adjust to a new shape, and, for some, new roles. However, one thing that Di Francesco has always brought with him to any managerial post is a positive mentality. Unperturbed by the disappointing pre-season – also overshadowed by the departures of Mohamed Salah and Antonio Rudiger, as well as the failure to bring in Riyad Mahrez – EDF set up his Roma side to start the season against Atalanta with a win. Deploying his favoured 4-3-3 formation, as he mainly has done this season, his team withheld pressure from the Bergamo side to come away with a 1-0 win. Roma had won without playing particularly well – but the spirit and fortitude shown were a sign of good things to come. Three weeks later, in his first bow in the Champions League as a coach, a similar pattern ensued. Atletico Madrid kept pushing to find a winning goal, but some resilient defending, an Alisson masterclass, and an astute tactical switch to a back three late on, meant Roma secured a 0-0 draw. It certainly wasn’t the last impressive result in Europe for the club this season. Roma would go on to record a 3-3 draw away at Premier League champions Chelsea – a game they should have won – before deservedly getting the better of the London side at home with a 3-0 victory. Di Francesco was relishing the big occasions, and by this point, his Roma team finally looked like a force to be reckoned with once more. Naturally, some doubts still lingered. Roma had sacrificed a 1-0 lead to Inter early in the season, to lose 3-1 in a game in which they had been the better side for an hour. And against Napoli, EDF opted to shut out the opponents rather than attack them. The gameplan worked, except for an individual error from Daniele De Rossi, which gave Napoli the win. Domestically, Roma's Scudetto rivals were coming out on top. Despite this, Di Francesco was ensuring his players were doing their job against smaller teams. A hat trick of 1-0 wins over Torino, Crotone and Bologna showed that EDF’s Roma were becoming an efficient outfit. These results were followed by the 3-0 triumph over Chelsea, meaning the team had kept four clean sheets in the space of ten days. Indeed, Roma had earned a defensive resilience under their new head coach. Whilst last season Spalletti’s Roma broke the club record for number of goals scored, EDF’s side are more noted for their ability at the other end of the pitch. Considering the loss of Rudiger to Chelsea, as well as the fact that two of the club’s main centre halves, Federico Fazio and Juan Jesus, were considered incapable of playing in Di Francesco’s back four, this is testament to the coach’s good work. He has added an impressive defensive rigidity to Roma. By November, this Roma side looked, perhaps for the first time, to truly match their coach’s identity. His ideas were working, and the team felt like they were his. And, by now, he had also earned a sense of belonging from many of the fans who had initially questioned his appointment. Buoyed by his team’s good form, EDF led the side into his first Derby Della Capitale as Roma boss. It was a game that would show his side’s newfound resolve and mentality more than any other – and he came out on top. A 2-1 win resulted, and EDF could bask in the admiration of the supporters. Roma also completed their Champions League group stage success with a win over Qarabag, consequently topping their group for only the second time in history. With the draw for the Round of 16 pitting Roma against Shakhtar, there is a decent chance of progressing to match the club record of reaching the quarter finals. All this in his first campaign in the Champions League; Di Francesco has certainly taken the challenge in his stride and shown he deserves to be where he is. Roma’s latest result, a 0-0 draw with Chievo, may have been disappointing, but can be more accurately attributed to luck rather than anything negative on the coach’s part. Indeed, this has been the case for many of the club’s poorer results under him this season – it has been luck, not tactics, that have denied Roma. Di Francesco is doing his job just fine, and has set the groundworks for a successful season, with only three defeats in all competitions to date. Just five points off top, and with a game in hand, Di Francesco has put Roma in a really good position to be able to fight for the Scudetto. Not many believed he could, but six months into his reign as Roma boss, he has transformed the team into a tough, effective unit, able to compete at any level. Roma return to league action after their Champions League heroics with a trip to Verona to face Chievo.
The game kicks off at the Stadio Marc’Antonio Bentegodi at 12:30pm CET on Sunday. Roma’s opponents are coming off the back of two straight defeats (one via penalty shootout, as they exited the Coppa Italia at the hands of their cross-city rivals Hellas Verona). This season they have often struggled against the bigger teams, being thrashed 5-0 by Inter in their most recent fixture, and also losing to Juventus and Milan. However, they did manage to pull off a win against Fiorentina, and held Napoli to a 0-0 draw. They have quite an ageing squad, with players like Sorrentino (38), Tomovic (30), Birsa (31), Hetemaj (30) and Pellissier (38). Roma’s exciting attack will surely look to get at their backline, which in their last game had an average age of 35.5. The encounter between the two sides at the end of last season saw plenty of goals, as Roma came out on top 5-3. Having seen what Inter did against Chievo last weekend, the Giallorossi will be hoping they can produce another high scoring contest. Last night, Roma recorded a remarkable achievement by finishing first in their Champions League group for only the second time in history.
A 1-0 win over Qarabag, courtesy of a goal from the terrific Diego Perotti, coupled with Atletico Madrid and Chelsea playing out a 1-1 draw, ensured Roma topped a group that few had given them a chance to get out of. Now Eusebio Di Francesco, who is already having a successful debut Champions League campaign as a coach, and his team can look forward to the Round of 16. After finishing first, La Magica can be drawn against any second-placed side, apart from fellow Italians Juventus, or Chelsea from their own group. The draw will be made on Monday, so who could Roma face? Basel The Swiss outfit were runners up to Manchester United in Group A. Bayern Munich This is one that Roma will surely want to avoid. Bayern came second, behind PSG, in Group B, and will be a dangerous opponent for whoever faces them. They are five-time European Cup winners, having last lifted the Champions League trophy in 2013, under current boss Jupp Heynckes. Sevilla The former home of Diego Perotti, Federico Fazio and Monchi; could the trio return to their old employers and advance if drawn together? Shakhtar Donetsk The Ukrainians beat Napoli to second place in Group F. They recorded a 2-1 victory over group winners Manchester City tonight. Porto Roma would be looking to avenge last season’s play off defeat should they be pitted against the Portuguese side again. Porto secured second place with a 5-2 win against Monaco tonight. Real Madrid Another of the more challenging fixtures that Roma could get. Real Madrid were the opponents last time Roma made it to the Last 16, in 2015/16, and advanced after 2-0 wins in each leg. Ronaldo and co will fancy their chances against any opposition, having won the European Cup more times than any other side. So, six possible opponents... who would you rather face? In just a few hours’ time, Roma could have qualified for the Champions League knockout stages.
Before they can start thinking about the Round of 16 though, they need to finish the job with a win over Qarabag tonight. It’s simple: win and Roma are through. Here’s what to expect along the way. A Full Strength Line Up Even though Qarabag are the group minnows, they have shown they can be a difficult obstacle to overcome - securing two draws against Atletico Madrid. With so much riding on a Roma victory today, expect Eusebio Di Francesco to field a full-strength lineup. Radja Nainggolan and Diego Perotti - who both missed the weekend win over SPAL - have returned to the squad, and could go straight into the starting lineup. Early Roma Onslaught In the reverse fixture in Azerbaijan, Roma took control of the game early on, getting two goals within the opening fifteen minutes. A similar approach tonight will relieve some of the pressure the players may feel - if they can get goals early, they can see the rest of the game out comfortably. Knockout Stage Qualification Let’s be honest - it’s highly unlikely Qarabag will stage an upset. Roma have been solid against the group’s tougher opponents (save for the defeat to Atletico in the last matchday) and there is absolutely no reason they cannot carry this over to tonight’s game. As long as Roma win, progression to the next round is guaranteed. And even better, if Atletico beat Chelsea (which is very possible, given the Spaniards need to win to stand any chance of qualifying), Roma will emerge from Group C as champions. A professional performance from the Giallorossi tonight can help ensure this happens. After coming this far, beating all the odds, it’s time to now go and do what is expected - get the win and deal a place in the Round of 16. Roma emerged victorious from tonight’s clash with SPAL, overcoming the visitors by three goals to one.
Much of Roma’s play was joyous, fluent and attractive. There were several awe-inspiring moments of individual skill, and fantastic passages of team play. Yes, it was against a weaker opposition, and yes, that opposition were playing with ten men for eighty minutes, but that shouldn’t take away from the satisfaction in Roma’s performance. Here were three of the best players on the night. Alessandro Florenzi Playing at right back, and as captain, Florenzi had a superb game. Constantly getting high up the right channel, the Italian looked to make decisive contributions, such as shots and crosses. A breathtaking moment of double skill on the wing at the end of the game saw him win the ball and then leave two opponents helpless - it was a great reflection of his performance. Stephan El Shaarawy In the first half in particular, El Shaarawy was at the forefront of Roma’s attacking fluidity. Often involved in the team’s final third action, he was rewarded for his efforts with two assists - the second of which was a clever backheel for Kevin Strootman. Kevin Strootman The Dutch midfield engine controlled the game from the centre of the park. He made a total of 98 passes, and also got his first goal of the season. After Maxime Gonalons was replaced, he slotted into defensive midfield, and continued to dictate play from his deeper role. Honourable Mentions: Aleksandar Kolarov, Lorenzo Pellegrini All in all, a satisfying evening’s work for Roma. With plenty of positives to take from the game, the squad can now enter the Champions League match against Qarabag this Tuesday full of confidence. There are just under two hours until kick off in Roma's next league game against SPAL.
With the newly-promoted side sat 18th in the table, Eusebio Di Francesco will be fancying his team's chances in the game. However, a surprise win would see the visitors rise to 14th in the table, so they will be hungry to get a headstart on their relegation rivals this matchday. Here are three things to expect from the match. Squad Rotation With a critical Champions League game next week, Di Francesco will probably look to rest some of his key players. Radja Nainggolan has not been included in the squad, nor has Diego Perotti. Meanwhile, in his press conference yesterday, the coach confirmed that either Cengiz Under or Patrik Schick will start the game. Can either of them make an impact? Strootman as Captain? With Daniele De Rossi suspended, Nainggolan rested, and it unclear if Alessandro Florenzi will start, we could see Kevin Strootman wearing the captain's armband. This emblem will show how deep Roma's leadership runs. The Dutch midfielder last wore the armband from the start in last season's opening fixture, against Udinese, and could have another opportunity to demonstrate his leadership skills tonight. Lots of Possession Roma have enough quality in comparison to SPAL to be able to keep the ball for the majority of this game. Expect La Magica to dominate possession stats, with players like Maxime Gonalons and Lorenzo Pellegrini likely to be influential. Can Roma add to their retention of the ball with a few killer goals? That will depend on the service given to the forwards. However, Roma should be confident in their abilities to provide for their strikers and to assert their dominance over their opponents. Predicted Line Up: Alisson, Peres, Manolas, Jesus, Kolarov, Gonalons, Strootman, Pellegrini, Under, Dzeko, El Shaarawy |
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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