Genoa v Roma talking points: Spinazzola seizes chance

January 20, 2020 Samuel Bannister Features, First Team, Opinion, Reviews 0

Roma earned their first league win of 2020 by beating Genoa 3-1 in a frantic game on Sunday.

The two sides had met at Stadio Olimpico for the first game of the season, which brought end-to-end action and six goals, and the return fixture followed a similar plot – except this time, Roma asserted their superiority.

After taking the lead through an evasive Cengiz Under cross, Roma gained a two-goal advantage when Leonardo Spinazzola’s cross was diverted into the Genoa net by their Roma-supporting defender Davide Biraschi.

The two-goal lead didn’t last long, as Goran Pandev rolled back the years to get in behind the defence and beat an onrushing Pau Lopez, and Genoa continued to press in the second half.

However, the win was wrapped up when Edin Dzeko beat Mattia Perin one-on-one to gift Roma a 3-1 win.

Dzeko’s confidence booster

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That goal marked Dzeko’s first in three games, and it was a much-needed one for the Bosnian. Against Torino and Juventus he saw little of the ball, but at Genoa, he was much more involved.

He won flick-ons from goal kicks and brought teammates into play, as fans have grown accustomed to seeing when he is at his vintage best. However, the lack of chances to score had been a monkey on his back, that he was finally able to wrestle off his shoulders.

For a time it looked as if he would go without a goal again, as he missed a good chance with a header in the first half. However, as the clock ran down late in the game, he gave Roma the cushion they needed with a sidefoot finish past Perin.

It wasn’t the cleanest of strikes, but that won’t have mattered one bit to Dzeko as the ball trickled over the line and into the net. It was the kind of goal that can restore a striker’s confidence, and the timing of it meant it was not just Dzeko breathing a sigh of relief, but all his teammates too.

Nikola Kalinic had put in a good performance in Dzeko’s absence against Parma in the Coppa Italia in midweek, and while the Bosnian’s starting position was never really in danger, it was enough to keep him on his toes and remind him that he needs to deliver. Dzeko did that, and will be looking to maintain his stranglehold on his starting berth from now on.

Spinazzola springs into action

“I am focused only on Sunday and the game against Genoa.” Those were the words of Leonardo Spinazzola when he returned to Roma after his move to Inter Milan had fallen through this week. The Nerazzurri had asked the full-back to perform extra medical tests, which led to the cancellation of his swap deal with Matteo Politano – although there are some whispers that Roma’s pursuit of their academy product is not yet over.

It was an easy comment for Spinazzola to make, but he backed it up with his performance. Starting in his preferred role of left-back for the first time in Serie A this season, he was even more of a threat than Aleksandar Kolarov has been recently.

Spinazzola showed confidence in pushing up the pitch and getting at Genoa’s defenders, bamboozling them with stepovers and completing the job by whipping in good deliveries, that his teammates were often just a fraction away from connecting with. It was a major improvement on how he has played on the opposite side of defence, when his decision-making has raised questions at times. Instead, Spinazzola was confident throughout, and added an extra bit of quality that has been lacking recently.

This was the Spinazzola that several Juventus fans were disappointed to lose; not the one that many Roma fans were indifferent to seeing leave.

Of course, the Italian had a point to prove. Desperate to show Roma they were wrong to give up on him so early, he sent a message to Paulo Fonseca about the difference playing in his preferred position can make. Kolarov will likely remain first choice, but may have a hard time reclaiming his position instantly.

Wing option still needed despite Cengiz improvement

The collapse of the Politano deal has left Roma scouring for alternatives. Adnan Januzaj’s agent has confirmed the club’s interest, while Suso and Xherdan Shaqiri are also linked. Even Politano has returned to the gossip columns, only hours after it seemed like Inter would no longer co-operate with Roma.

In the meantime, there was an opportunity for Cengiz Under to remind everyone of his capabilities. He lost his place to Nicolo Zaniolo earlier in the season due to his own injury and the Italian youngster’s form. Something about Under has not been quite right, snatching at chances and holding onto the ball too long.

Zaniolo’s absence has given Cengiz the chance to start consecutive games for the first time since the opening two matches of the season. Undeterred by the rumours that extra competition will be brought in alongside him, the Turkish winger started on the right note by opening the scoring with his first goal since the last meeting between the two sides, in the first match of the season.

It may have been intended as a cross, but was played with enough power to catch everyone off-guard. And it was just the start of Under’s redeeming performance.

There were still hints of the flaws he has developed this season – on occasion he was greedy, and his shooting was otherwise inaccurate – but overall, he displayed more fluidity and composure.

Nonetheless, it is not enough for Roma to abandon their pursuit of another winger. On the opposite flank, Justin Kluivert – his only real alternative at present – ghosted through the game. Under cannot do it all alone, and so Gianluca Petrachi should realise his good performance does not eradicate the need for more options.

Double midfield pivot reaps rewards

The Coppa clash with Parma had seen Fonseca deploy Amadou Diawara as a lone central midfielder in an innovative formation. Even for the energetic Guinean, the workload was a stretch too much. Hence, against Genoa, Roma reverted back to their usual 4-2-3-1 system.

Diawara was partnered once again with Jordan Veretout, with whom he has built up a solid working relationship this season, despite both being new to the club. Immediately, the decision paid dividends, as Diawara dominated the middle of the park as he does so often.

He makes his quality on the ball look effortless, with his range of passing arguably the best of any player in Roma’s squad. But where he did need to show his effort, like everyone, was in the defensive side of the game – and he did so by reading the play well and making crucial blocks, tackles and interceptions.

The former Napoli man has become the lynchpin for Roma, in the same way that Veretout was during his time out with injury. Diawara dictates the flow of the game, and with an equally effective partner alongside him – even if it wasn’t Veretout’s best game – he was allowed to control proceedings.

Lopez’s contrasting limbs

At the halfway stage of the season, it is still taking time to get to grips with Pau Lopez’s quality as a goalkeeper. He’s no Alisson Becker, but he’s certainly no Robin Olsen. Overall, he has been steady, although there are parts of his game that need a bit of work.

His reflexes are dynamic, and he displayed that as well as any other time against Genoa. Getting strong hands to several powerful shots, Lopez helped keep the hosts at bay.

In the second half in particular, he weathered the storm with saves from all kinds of angles. Before the break, his most notable save was to stop Pandev’s ball across reaching Stefano Sturaro for a tap-in. In the second period, he clawed away a header from Edoardo Goldaniga that looked on course for the top corner in another acrobatic display.

However, his distribution – one of the factors that brought him to the club – was not on par. His passing can be hesitant sometimes, and against Genoa it was often off-target as well. Perhaps he can be too ambitious in finding expert passes, and needs to simplify his game.

The only other criticism of the Spaniard would be that he was caught in no-man’s land for Genoa’s goal. If that had been Olsen conceding that goal, he would have been slaughtered. Lopez should have maintained a stronger position, as his reactions are good enough to give him a chance of stopping anything.

While his work with his feet left a little to be desired, though, with his hands he was sharp. In a world where no goalkeeper is perfect, it’s better that way around than vice versa.

Player Ratings:

Lopez 7; Santon 7; Mancini 8; Smalling 8; Spinazzola 8; Diawara 8; Veretout 6; Under 7; Pellegrini 7; Kluivert 5; Dzeko 7

Subs: Cristante 5; Cetin N/A; Peres N/A

Coach: Fonseca 8

Man of the Match: Diawara

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