Roma finally claimed their first ever win at the Juventus Stadium to wrap up the Serie A season on a high note.
It has been a season of ups and downs in Paulo Fonseca’s first year in charge, but Roma have ended the season strongly. And that momentum continued with a 3-1 win in Turin, to ensure they end the league season on an eight-game unbeaten run.
As well as being Roma’s first win away to Juventus since they moved into their new stadium back in 2011, it is also the first time the Giallorossi have won four games in a row under Fonseca.
The coach was under pressure just over a month ago, but he has really turned things around. Roma have found their form just at the right time, and should be proud of where they have finished.
For such a traditionally big game, it had a strange atmosphere. Both teams rotated players, given their more important European commitments on the horizon.
That meant Roma debuts for Riccardo Calafiori and Daniel Fuzato. They both did quite well. Calafiori – the first player born in the 21st Century to ever play for Roma – was unlucky to see an excellent volley ruled out, denying him what would have been a spectacular debut goal.
While the wing-back will have been frustrated to see it chalked off (the ball was judged to be out of play from the corner the chance resulted from), it should be a big boost to his confidence. Even though he couldn’t last the whole game, he has shown what he can do at this level.
Fuzato too took his chance to impress, two years after joining the club. Juventus only had four shots on target, so there was nothing spectacular about Fuzato’s performance, but he was steady and alert. The Brazilian looks like a safe pair of hands.
Embed from Getty ImagesThey were just two examples of how Fonseca took the opportunity to give different players a chance. With a crucial Europa League game against Sevilla next week, it was important for him to rest key players.
But that said, Roma would have been disappointed if they had lost their unbeaten record. No doubt Juventus will be aggrieved at missing out on going the whole season undefeated at home. The fact that Roma were the ones to deny them makes it even sweeter.
Now, Roma go into their European duties still in buoyant mood. Even if it was a different group of players getting the result, the facts don’t lie. Roma are eight games unbeaten. And with it being not just the usual suspects playing their part, there should be a sense of positivity running through the whole squad.
Players like Nikola Kalinic and Davide Zappacosta have had to be patient for opportunities this season, for example. But both were very good against Juventus – the former getting Roma’s first goal with a clever header, and the latter surging forward at every opportunity.
Fonseca also completed the re-integration of Nicolo Zaniolo back into the team after his injury earlier this year. The Italian wonderkid has impressed from the bench since his return, and this was a good chance for him to make his first start since that injury – suffered, of course, against the same opponents.
Embed from Getty ImagesZaniolo was in the thick of the action, showing positive dribbling as always. The way he carries the ball forwards with strength and the intelligence to find small spaces is one of his best attributes.
It was wise to bring Zaniolo off early in the second half. There was clearly an understanding between coach and player of how much work it was realistic to expect from him. Those were important minutes to get under his belt, and ones that show Fonseca knows how to manage his resources.
The other attacking midfielder, and captain for the day, was Diego Perotti. The Argentine winger is approaching the twilight of his Roma career, but has always been a top professional. He led by example and showed he can still contribute – scoring a penalty and then his first goal from open play of the season.
Indeed, it was a night of firsts. After coming so close to doing so against Inter recently, Fonseca finally managed to beat one of the top four. It may not have been their full-strength side, but it wasn’t Roma’s either. There was still a job to do – and they did it really effectively.
Hence, Roma have shown once again that they have a bright future. Regardless of what happens in Europe, they should be pleased with how they have reacted this season. It has been a job well done – and it finished in the best way possible.
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