Last night we saw a Roma pick up three massive points as the lads from the Eternal City have won three games on the bounce. Coming into a very tough match after victories against Brescia and Istanbul in the Europa League. This wasn’t a match that Roma necessarily needed to win but none the less it felt like a must-win with Inter Milan playing host to Roma on Friday. The Romans traveled to Verona to face Italy’s surprise package this season. Hellas Verona was promoted this past season and even though they started quite poor they picked up some momentum and find themselves in the top half of the table something that no one really saw it coming. However, that wasn’t going to help their case as they have been historically bad against Roma as it had been 23 seasons since the last time Verona beat, Roma. Nonetheless, it was a tough battle as both teams felt frustration throughout the match that seemed more evenly matched than previously expected. It was a fast start as Lorenzo Pellegrini continues to display absolute world-class abilities. Coming off two assists on Thursday he continued to show that momentum as he is starting to get the reputation as one of the best midfielders in Europe. Pellegrini supplied a touch of class connecting on a long ball from the halfway line that found Justin kluivert just outside the box. The Dutch youngster drove the ball inside before connecting on a well-hit strike that went underneath the goalkeeper as Justin kluivert gave Roma the lead converting from a really tight angle as Roma took the 1-0 lead. This would not last for long as Verona showed their qualities hitting right back immediately. Just minutes later the Verona Captain connected on an unmarked header sticking the ball into the back of the net to equalize. Unfortunately just minutes after Justin kluivert had to come out due to a problem with his thigh. It appears it is not a serious injury but he was forced to come out as Diego Perotti came in for him. It continuously became a back-and-forth battle this game showed its mental strength in a wet rainy night in Verona both teams found things rather difficult despite that Roma managed to regain the lead right before halftime. Edin Dzeko was taken down inside the box as the referee pointed to the spot. Diego Perotti stepped-up sliding the ball into the bottom corner to give Roma the to 2-1 lead before the break. The conditions made things difficult on both teams neither team was really able to grab momentum in the first half. However, Lorenzo Pellegrini was a superstar of the afternoon as he orchestrated many opportunities for himself and for his teammates. Roma had a few opportunities on the counter-attack that really could have put the game away. With the lead, Roma desperately wanted to put the final nail in the coffin and leave with three points. Roma came close on a couple of occasions as he missed from distance from Lorenzo Pellegrini and a header that nearly reached the back of the net from Chris Smalling. Verona made it very difficult on Roma and so did those conditions. In the dying moments of the game, Roma pulled away for good. Substitute Henrikh Mkhitaryan scored in stoppage time. When Lorenzo Pellegrini orchestrated a Counterattack finding Diego Perotti who then found mikatarian for the late goal as Roma would hold on to secure all three points in what was an ugly but gritty 3-1 Victory away in Verona. Roma will take momentum into Milan next week to face the best team in Italy. Roma pushes themselves back into the top four Following a battle in the rain.
Justin Kluivert is becoming a superstar
Justin kluivert was only able to play about 35 minutes before coming off due to injury. However, managed to get the opening goal with a terrific yet very difficult finish. The assist is what to remember about the goal however it still was incredibly challenging goal as well from the angle in which he had to strike it. That progression we have seen from Justin kluivert has been absolutely tremendous. I’m not sure there’s a player in Italian football that has made more progress from last season. It really has been night and day in comparison. Justin kluivert has finally adapted to his surroundings adapted to the culture in Italy. He has become one of Roma’s most important players. Last season the young Dutchman just scored two goals All Season. He did show some promise with his ability to facilitate opportunities for teammates but nonetheless, it was less than a spectacular campaign for the youngster. This season he is on another level he has the speed the Poise consistency and has developed maturity as a player. He has started practically every game this season and at the moment he is a much more dangerous asset then Turkish star Cengiz Under. That’s not to say anything bad about him because as we have seen under is a sensational player but this season Justin kluivert has just been that good that him starting is just a requirement Justin kluivert he has completely changed his work ethic and his ability to make a difference in the game. He has already scored five goals this season and is likely to hit double digits before the end of the campaign he is one of the most explosive players in all of Italian football. When he has the ball at his feet he has more speed and athleticism than any player in Italy he has thrived under Paulo Fonseca and he will only continue to do so he did pick up a minor injury in this game but it appears he will be able to come back momentarily the hope is that he can still play against Inter Milan. Even though he only played 35 minutes in this match he made all the difference justifying his place in the starting XI the Dutchman is just playing on another level this season he has quietly become one of the best youngsters in Italy he might be the most talented of all of Roma core and when he makes that jump he will be close to Unstoppable he is developing on a fast-track this season.
Hellas Verona has been Italy’s Surprisse Package
Hellas Verona has recently come up from Italy second-division. Somehow someway they have become one of the stories of the season. They started the campaign as you might expect to struggle in the first several weeks and we’re in the relegation zone to start the season. It did seem we were heading for disaster they were never the worst team in the league at any point but it seemed like they were going to be among the bottom. However, they had a change in fortune all of a sudden they started picking up momentum and showing their unbelievable qualities. This team does not have a star yet despite that they managed to climb all the way up into the top 10 in Serie A. Given what the expectations were about this team and the way they started the season this was something I don’t think anybody was truly expecting. They have shown the ability to come through and deliver against some of the biggest teams in Italy this team has all the capabilities to finish inside the top 10. It’s going to be tough giving the surrounded teams but nonetheless, they’re operating on a level I don’t think many thought they were capable of. Whatever they’re doing it has certainly worked. They may have lost the game yesterday but it was a tough battle they made Roma work for everything and at times it wasn’t clear whether or not Roma’s lead would be sustained. Hellas Verona came off incredibly positive after their defeat putting up a performance like that against a Counterattack that can hurt everyone was incredibly impressive. A European Place probably is too much to achieve however there’s no doubt this team is capable of climbing up the table. If certain things go their way and maybe a top-eight finish is plausible. Without a star, they are making the difference.
Lorenzo Pellagrini is the best midfielder in Serie A
Lorenzo Pellegrini continues to show that he is one of the best players in all of Italian football. When he is healthy he is the best midfielder in the entire league. He has a certain vision and intelligence not to mention his ability to make his teammates around him better. In nine games this season he has eight assists. On top of that, he put his teammates in position to make plays consistently. On several occasions this season he has orchestrated assists for his teammates as well as goals. The problem is he gets hurt far too frequently. It was another breathtaking display last night. Roma did not do particularly well but Lorenzo Pellegrini put his team in position to take the lead on multiple occasions. He’s not a player that’s going to score a lot of goals however he creates a lot of them. He is incredibly effective and it impacts the game that shows his value in the team. I’m not sure there’s another player in all of Italy that has more value in their team than Lorenzo Pellegrini. When he’s not there even though Roma have talented players but they do not function on the same level. He was absolutely Sensational this week as he continues to reach his potential. He is ascending as one of the best players in the world. He has an assist in every single game he has played since his return from injury. He already has eight assists this season he is on another level when it comes to the impact and the way he influences the game. There were so many times last night where he got into space and was incredibly dangerous the way he brought the ball forward. The assist on the opening goal of the game was truly a piece of art delivering a dime from the halfway line. There are so many ways in which he can hurt you he is truly Unstoppable every week he seems to perform which only justifies the fact that not only is he one of the best players in the world at this moment but he is the future of Roma. When Roma end their trophy drought and Lorenzo Pellegrini will be a big reason why. He has massively progressed since he return it to his boyhood club he is the best player on this team he just makes a difference in the game in a way that lot of the colleagues don’t he is just operating on a different level than everybody else.
Ugly Match Ugly Win
It was a truly ugly match in Verona last night. Neither team really played all that well it was a match of character and determination. Providing team spirit that propelled Roma to Victory. This match was played and rather on ideal conditions as it rained from the first kick of the ball all the way until the end. Roma and Verona both struggled significantly throughout the game. It was certainly an ugly Victory but sometimes in the long season, you need those. Especially going into a game on Friday against Inter Milan. Roma cannot play at their highest level and the weather certainly affected their ability to do that. None the last in a game in which they did not play very well they managed to score three goals against a team that has proven to be a tough out. Sometimes ugly matches like these are the hardest points to secure. Roma had their problems but in the end, they were able to come together as a team and collectively get the job done securing all three points. It wasn’t pretty but football isn’t always that way sometimes it’s ugly and unattractive. To get three points in a match like that will be hugely important for their Ambitions for Champions League football ugly wins are important for sustainability.
Everything Roma 