Roma made it three wins out of three since returning from the international break by grinding out a 3-1 victory over Hellas Verona on Sunday night.
Taking the lead through Justin Kluivert after yet another genius Lorenzo Pellegrini assist, Roma were pegged back by Davide Faraoni shortly after.
Kluivert soon had to be taken off with a muscle injury, and his replacement Diego Perotti restored the lead on the stroke of half-time with a trademark ice cool penalty.
And after a nervous second half, another sub gave the Giallorossi breathing space in stoppage time, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan finishing off a neat move involving Pellegrini and Perotti.
Pellegrini picking his moments
The time it has taken Pellegrini to get back up to speed after nearly two months out is incredible. Already since returning, he has four assists from three games.
From attacking midfield, he is thriving, with his performance in Verona showing good footwork and passing ability – not least for the goal he set up for Kluivert. Swinging an aerial through ball over his shoulder with his weaker foot, he cut through the opponents’ defensive setup like a knife.
Running out of words to describe Lorenzo Pellegrini...
— Samuel Bannister (@SamBanno1) December 1, 2019
What. A. Pass.pic.twitter.com/mrj6Dct0tv
Pellegrini did fade out of the game at times, but when he can make such a telling impact in crucial moments, that is of little importance. He also played a key role in the last goal, sliding in Perotti with a clever through ball before his teammate picked out scorer Mkhitaryan. Tying him down to a new contract must be a priority now.
Mancini can still mature
Gianluca Mancini has established himself as one half of Roma’s rock-hard defensive duo alongside Chris Smalling since returning to his usual centre-back position, with both summer signings giving their new club a safety blanket at the back. While it wasn’t Smalling’s strongest game – he has been exceptional up to this point, so there’s no shame in that – Mancini was strong in the air and played with passion.
However, his booking late in the game was a sign that he can still improve. The 23-year-old needs to learn from Smalling in the way he times his challenges, because he is picking up unnecessary cautions that he could pay the price for.
Cengiz’s role Under threat
At the start of the season, Cengiz Under was tipped to have a huge year. The winger seems made for Paulo Fonseca’s system and got off to a good start with a goal against Genoa.
However, he soon picked up an injury, and it has set him back. Against Verona, he made his first start in exactly three months, and he struggled with the pace of the game.
Cengiz lacked the cutting edge that Nicolo Zaniolo has possessed in his absence in the same position. Of course, it takes time for players to return to their best after recovering from injury, but on current form, Zaniolo has to be first choice on the right wing now.
Careless Kluivert causes own problems
Someone else who has been competing for a place on the wing is Justin Kluivert. The Dutchman scored his second goal in two games from a tight angle after Pellegrini’s assist. However, his evening would not last much longer.
The 20-year-old had to be taken off after sprinting back half the length of the pitch to run into an opponent, causing himself a muscle injury. His work rate and effort should be applauded, but he lacked the intelligence to know how he could really win the ball. Just like in attack, he needs to improve his decision-making.
Successful switch to back three
Late in the game, Fonseca brought on Federico Fazio for Edin Dzeko – hardly a like-for-like change. The move allowed Roma to switch to a back three to ease the threat caused by Verona’s attack.
The Giallorossi were under siege for the latter portion of the second half, and Fonseca was wise to recognise the need to abandon his preferred 4-2-3-1 system for something more reserved. Perhaps the change could have been made earlier, but the final result suggested that he got the decision right – as it was Roma, rather than Verona, who scored next.
Player Ratings: Lopez 7; Santon 7; Mancini 7; Smalling 6; Kolarov 5; Diawara 7; Veretout 6; Under 5; Pellegrini 8; Kluivert 6; Dzeko 7
Subs: Perotti 6; Mkhitaryan 6; Fazio N/A
Coach: Fonseca 7
Man of the Match: Pellegrini
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