GIALLOROSSI YORKSHIRE BLOG
Looking through a purely objective lens, only a small portion of Roma fans would have entered Wednesday's Champions League clash with Chelsea expecting to get a result.
Roma had come off the back of a lacklustre performance against Serie A leaders Napoli, and whilst Chelsea too had lost their previous game, their status as Premier League champions suggested they were a force to be reckoned with. Despite doubts, striker Alvaro Morata did start for the London side, which, on paper, further complicated the evening for the Giallorossi. However, the Roma that turned up on the night looked like a completely different outfit from the side that had fallen so feebly to Napoli. Despite only making three changes to the starting line up, Eusebio Di Francesco managed to get his players performing with confidence and self-belief. The outcome was a game that was probably Roma's best performance since he took charge. Against Napoli, Roma had been happy to play without the ball, aware that excessive pressing would have created spaces for their opponents to exploit, as they have done so efficiently during the Maurizio Sarri era. However, whilst the gameplan worked to some extent (Napoli's winning goal came from an uncharacteristic individual error from Daniele De Rossi, which cannot be accounted for and is certainly not the responsibility of the coach) too many of the team's big players didn't show up for the occasion. There wasn't enough adventure, and nowhere near enough quality. Napoli deserved the win. Wednesday's outing, meanwhile, couldn't have been more different. Rather than being reserved, Roma took the game to their hosts. Dominating possession and going forward as often as possible - Diego Perotti was a particular problem for Chelsea's right hand side, but sadly couldn't get a goal to cap off his display - Roma were unlucky not to come away with the win. Emotions were high when Edin Dzeko scored his second goal to put Roma in the lead - but unfortunately they came crashing down when Eden Hazard scored an equally good header to put the scores level again. Nevertheless, Roma could come away from the UK knowing they had put in a performance they could be proud of, and that the point gained is very healthy for their standing in the group. If there is anything to be learnt from Wednesday's 3-3 draw, it is that we now know what this Roma side are capable of. The better side against the reigning Premier League champions, they will now look to carry that kind of performance over to the league. There should be no opponents in Serie A that Roma ought to fear any more; instead, they must play each and every game on the front foot, and always look to pick up maximum points. Roma's return to the domestic scene will not be easy, with Torino being Sunday's opponents. They are a good side, but Roma must try to emulate the kind of display they put on in midweek. After the disappointment suffered last time out in the league, it is important that they get back to winning ways and make a statement to their Serie A competitors. 5th is not a bad position to be in at this stage of the season, a solid foundation for the team to build on. With two home games versus Crotone and Bologna following the Torino match, it is certainly a time to start putting together a good run of form. If Roma can replicate the Chelsea performance in the biggest games in the league this season, then Di Francesco will have overcome his critics, and his side will have shown that they can in fact be Scudetto contenders.
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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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October 2019
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