GIALLOROSSI YORKSHIRE BLOG
Roma bowed out of the Champions League at the semi final stage last night, bringing an end to a remarkable campaign in Europe.
Eusebio Di Francesco's side needed to win by three clear goals to reach the final, and put in a great performance. Sadly, they fell just short, winning 4-2 on the night. Three second half goals - after a James Milner own goal in the first half - weren't quite enough to see Roma through, although they were greeted with rapturous applause upon the final whistle. Roma's mentality shines through Conceding the first goal early on could have been a hammer blow for Roma, who were already up against it. Sadio Mane's opener came against the run of play, and left Roma with four goals to get. However, the Giallorossi didn't shy away from the challenge, and continued to believe in themselves for most of the game. It was a resilient performance, bouncing back to derail the Premier League side and hand them their first defeat of the Champions League campaign. Controversial refereeing decisions It was a game of 'what ifs' for Roma, and several of those revolved around pivotal refereeing decisions. Roma should have had two more penalties in the match, with Edin Dzeko incorrectly being ruled offside before being brought down by Loris Karius, and Trent Alexander-Arnold stopping the ball with his hand. Neither were awarded, adding a flavour of frustration to fans' reflections on the match. Return to back four worked well Di Francesco returned to a 4-3-3 for this leg, after the 3-4-3 used at Anfield was exploited ruthlessly by Liverpool. The change in system was beneficial, as Liverpool created fewer chances than in the first leg, and Roma looked dangerous going forward. EDF was right to go 3-4-3 against Barcelona, but the lesson to be learnt is adaptability to opponents. 4-3-3 was a much better shape to use against Liverpool. A campaign full of pride Roma may have missed out on the final, but still managed to beat their best ever record in the Champions League era. Fans have been delighted at the club's performances across the continent this season, and will have high expectations of what this team can achieve in the future. Di Francesco deserves great credit for instilling a positive mentality on the players, where previous Roma sides would have crumbled. Remember, he had never coached in the Champions League before this season. And his side made it to the last four. What a journey this has been.
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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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