GIALLOROSSI YORKSHIRE BLOG
A goal from Nicolo Zaniolo early in the second half helped Roma to a point against AC Milan on Sunday, making it five league games unbeaten for the Giallorossi.
With Eusebio Di Francesco switching back to a 4-3-3, Roma found themselves on the front foot again after the disappointment of the Coppa Italia loss to Sampdoria, and the decision nearly paid full dividends as the Lupi went close to snatching all three points. Here's how Giallorossi Yorkshire rated the players out of 10. Robin Olsen - 6 The goalkeeper could have done better for Milan's goal, although it wasn't entirely his fault. Olsen didn't look comfortable with the ball at his feet, but again, he can't take all the blame for this. If it's clear that he doesn't want the ball, then why are the defenders giving it to him? Overall, Olsen was definitely the worse of the two keepers in action, but did pull off a couple of decent saves. Rick Karsdorp - 8 Has he really been injured that long? Karsdorp has slotted into the team seamlessly since his long-awaited recovery. Patience is paying off, and the Dutchman was a force to be reckoned with until his substitution, teaming up well with Patrik Schick on the right-hand side and putting in some very good deliveries. His resurgence is shaping up to be one of the stories of the season.
Kostas Manolas - 6.5
Manolas was coming up against one of the most in-form strikers in world football in Krzysztof Piatek, and to some extent kept him quiet, but the Pole was allowed a few chances. Manolas has put in stronger performances before and needs to rediscover the dominance that makes him such a key component of the backline. His yellow card in the first half was foolish and meant he was walking a tightrope for the remainder of the match. Federico Fazio - 6 Primarily at fault for Milan's goal, Fazio allowed Piatek to drift in front of him and get a shot away. Such lapses in concentration can prove costly and Piatek duly punished Fazio's error. The centre-back has dropped off from his high levels of performances from the previous two seasons, but on the plus side, he was occasionally good in possession of the ball. His through ball for Karsdorp in the build up to Roma's goal was delightful. Aleksandar Kolarov - 6 It's been a difficult week for Kolarov. Despite scoring in the Coppa defeat, the Serbian was torn to shreds by Federico Chiesa in midweek, leading to vandalism from ultras near his house. Whistled at times during the game, Kolarov had to get in the right mindset, and he was still some way short of his best. Daniele De Rossi - 9 Simply magnificent. De Rossi came back into the side and dominated the midfield. Effective both in and out of possession, the captain gave Roma a fluidity that hasn't been seen in his absence. There were some doubts over whether he would be able to last 90 minutes, but he didn't just see the whole game out - he excelled right until the final whistle. Roma's clear man of the match. Nicolo Zaniolo - 7.5 It was a tale of two halves for Zaniolo. In the first period he was heavily involved, seeing a powerful shot expertly saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma. He's sometimes over-eager when defending, but at least he's putting effort in to help the team. The intelligence he showed to get into a goalscoring position for the equaliser was superb, although he did fall out of the picture a bit after that. It's understandable though - the young man has played a lot of football recently and probably ran out of steam.
Lorenzo Pellegrini - 5
Another player who was heavily involved in the midfield was Pellegrini, although more for the wrong reasons. Playing in a slightly deeper role, he wasn't as effective as he has been recently. Perhaps lucky not to be sent off, the Italian made a few poorly timed challenges and lacked a bit of quality. His looping header that hit the post would have been a lovely antidote though. Patrik Schick - 8.5 A really satisfying run out from Schick, who went about his business on the right wing with no complaints. Diving into tackles and racing into better positions, this was one of his most hard-working displays. He went close to scoring in the first half, as Donnarumma saved his header after he had drifted inside. This level of performance would have made Schick man of the match nine times out of 10, but De Rossi was just that good, that Schick misses out on the accolade. Edin Dzeko - 6 Given a place in the starting lineup despite his midweek red card, Dzeko didn't get involved as heavily as usual. He had a couple of chances in the first half, one where he cut inside and another where he was thwarted by Donnarumma on the rebound from Schick's header. Dzeko needs goals at this stage to rebuild his confidence. Alessandro Florenzi - 7 Given a rare opportunity to play as a winger, Florenzi tried his best coming in from the left, but the quality wasn't always there. One of his shots in the first half was straight at Donnarumma. He wasn't great, but perhaps was unlucky to be substituted. Di Francesco should have considered removing Pellegrini and putting Florenzi into central midfield instead. Subs: Stephan El Shaarawy - Didn't get too many opportunities, but helped change the dynamics of the game by adding more pace on the wing. Couldn't get a goal against his former employers. Justin Kluivert - Will have been disappointed not to start given the lack of options on the wings, but didn't do his credentials too many favours in his quiet, brief cameo. Davide Santon - Brought on in a strange like-for-like switch with Karsdorp, Santon didn't get long on the pitch and will be hoping for more opportunities in upcoming matches. Coach: Eusebio Di Francesco - 6
The decision to revert to a 4-3-3 paid off, but Di Francesco's substitutions weren't the smartest. Schick was one of Roma's most dangerous players yet was withdrawn with 10 minutes to go. Karsdorp and Florenzi also had arguments for staying on longer. Had those three stayed on, Roma could arguably have grabbed a winner. However, he shouldn't be criticised for everything. Di Francesco got the balance right in freshening things up and keeping some form of stability in his selections, and must have instilled a positive message to his players given the reaction they showed.
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Roma will look to continue the good form from previous weeks as they return from the international break with an away tie against Udinese.
The Giallorossi are unbeaten in their three games in November so far, with the most recent result being a 4-1 thrashing of Sampdoria. They will have to negotiate the fixture without key defender Kostas Manolas, who picked up an injury on international duty with Greece, and captain Daniele De Rossi, whose spell on the sidelines continues. Diego Perotti is also out. In his pre-match press conference, Eusebio Di Francesco confirmed that Patrik Schick will start the game, having scored for Czech Republic during the internationals. Aleksandar Kolarov is also expected to start, while Davide Santon has a chance of playing at right-back. Di Francesco may have one eye on the Champions League matchup with Real Madrid on Tuesday, meaning Edin Dzeko is likely to be rested. Udinese changed their coach during the international break and will be hoping to have found the man to revive their fortunes in Davide Nicola, who impressively steered Crotone away from relegation in the 2016-17 season. Tomorrow he will be calling upon key players such as Rolando Mandragora and Rodrigo De Paul as he looks to get his new job off to a good start. Roma need to make sure they do what’s expected and put in a solid performance to pick up from where they left off before the international break. The game kicks off at 2pm UK time tomorrow. Roma put themselves in a very healthy position in Group G of the Champions League on Wednesday night with a 2-1 win over CSKA Moscow. There was room for improvement in the performance, but all in all, it was an important marker, as Roma won away in the competition for the first time since September last year, when they beat Qarabag by the same scoreline. Goal one: Kostas Manolas (1-0) A man who continues to be one of Roma's most influential players, the Greek defender gave his side the lead in the fourth minute. Roma won a corner, which Lorenzo Pellegrini swung in. Manolas rose amid a sea of defenders, heading towards goal. Igor Akinfeev flapped at it, with the ball going over the Russian keeper and into the net. Manolas timed his jump perfectly to get a clean header away. Using an opponent for leverage, he was strong as he rose into the air. He used the side of his forehead to aim the ball at the goal, and although it wasn't his most powerful connection, Akinfeev's mistimed attempt at punching the ball away led to it dropping into the goal. Goal two: Arnor Sigurdsson (1-1) There was also an early goal in the second half, with Arnor Sigurdsson scoring his first CSKA goal. A CSKA player ran down the right wing, driving inside before passing to Sigurdsson. Davide Santon tried to put in a challenge, but he was just off balance, allowing Sigurdsson to break past him. The attacker held off further pressure from the Roma full-back to finish into the far corner, beyond the reach of Robin Olsen. Goal three: Lorenzo Pellegrini (2-1) Roma's winner came in rather fortunate circumstances. Bryan Cristante miscontrolled Aleksandar Kolarov's pass infield, and as the ball popped up in front of him, the midfielder then mistimed his attempt at a volley. However, after a deflection, it landed at the feet of Pellegrini. The Italian's touch took it behind him, but instead of reacting poorly, Pellegrini quickly recovered his footing and slotted home at the nearpost. Having beat the offside trap, Roma's number seven backed himself on his weaker foot, and his confidence played into Roma's hands, securing a result which put them in the driving seat for knockout stage qualification. |
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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