A.S Roma 2 Bologna 3FT
Following a really embarrassing performance, last weekend against Sassuolo Roma look for a rebound performing this time at home at the Stadio Olimpico on a Friday night. Roma has not played well and failed to get points as this team is lacking consistency. Roma was hoping to get everything back on track with the results on a red-hot bologna team that seems to be in the hunt for European football. The reverse fixture ended with edin Dzeko scoring a 90th-minute goal to beat Bologna earlier this season. Roma would be looking for a clean sweep of Bologna while the visitors would try to stay hot as they are picking up momentum at exactly the right time. Things did not start very well for Roma as bologna seemed to be the better team from the jump. Following a defensive mistake from Roma Riccardo Orsolini gives bologna a 1-0 lead. Just a couple minutes later Roma managed to get back into the game on a Counterattack orchestrated play in the box that ended up with bologna putting the ball in the back of their own net to equalize for Roma. Roma had such a bad start to the game but they were back into it but not for very long. Just a couple minutes later Musa Barlow scored an outrageous strike that made the difference as bologna we’re in front yet again. They took their lead in the second half before extending it once again as Musa Barlow cut through on a beautiful counter-attack putting the ball into the back of the net to give bologna a 3-1 lead. For the second consecutive week, Roma found themselves in a big hole they had to try to claw their way back out of it. Bologna was in control for the first half and dominated During certain points in the second half. Things started to change when Carles Perez enters the game for Roma. He made the difference as Roma ended up getting back into the game with Bruno Perez found Mikatarian in the Box as his header brought Roma back in the game. With enough time to score and equalizer stealing a point was plausible. However, Bryan cristante ends up getting a straight red card something that Roma certainly does not need. Roma came close with several late chances from edin Dzeko but it was too little too late as Roma dig themselves in a hole and for the second consecutive week they fight back but it was too insurmountable to get out of it. Roma plays Atalanta next week as they are trying to get momentum back. Atalanta is the League’s most dangerous attack this is not what Roma needed right now. They dropped their third game out of the last four as Roma have all sorts of problems this showed in another underwhelming display leaves the Stadio Olimpico in disbelief.
Roma as always came out of the 4-2-3-1 formation. Paulo Fonseca made several changes ahead of what seemed like a must-win match. In goal as always would be the Spaniard Pau Lopez. Roma would make one change to the backline. At left-back would be ALEKS Kolarov, beside him would be the center-back partnership of Gianluca Mancini and Chris Smalling then patrolling right-back would be Davie Santon. There would be no change in Roma’s defensive Midfield as we see the duo of Jordan veretout and Bryan cristante. In the attacking Midfield patrolling the central Position will be Hendrick Mkhitaryan who comes in for suspended Lorenzo Pellegrini. On the left-wing returning to the starting lineup would be Diego Perotti. Then the opposite side on the right-wing would be the Turkish star Cengiz Under. Upfront at the main Striker for Roma the leader the Bosnian edin Dzeko who just surpassed 100 goals for as he looks to expand on that in a very tough match.
After preparations and predictions, the match was just about to get underway in Rome at the Stadio Olimpico. As Roma and bologna Throwdown on a Friday night in the Eternal City. Going into the game Roma knew that bologna was going to be a challenge given what they can do coming forward with Riccardo orsolini & Palacio. In the first half of this match, bologna had control and even though Roma had their moments we saw certain energy bologna. Musa Barrow tried to put bologna in front striking from distance in the opening minutes of the match. Roma tried to reply as Cengiz had a shot on goal but did not put enough power into the strike as it just fell into the goalkeeper’s hands. Just two minutes later the game broke open as bologna put themselves in front earning a shocking lead. Following a defensive Mistake by Chris Smalling, Riccardo Orsolini came into the box scoring from close range to give bologna a 1-0 lead. Romi tried to fight back immediately as edin Dzeko misfired on two different occasions trying to put Roma back into the game. In the 22nd minute after Alex Kolarov tried to cross it into the box edin Dzeko missed time is kick but luckily Bologna put the ball into the back of their own net to equalize for Roma. It didn’t last very long though 4 minutes later in the 26th minute Musa Barlow Struck from distance taking a slight deflection as the ball hit the back of the net perfectly sliding the strike into the top corner. Pau Lopez did everything he could to stop it but there was nothing he could do as bologna took a 2-1 lead. They were out playing Roma consistently and got out on the counter tank early and often. Roma had a lot to do to pick up points in this game. Roma came relatively close near the end of half as edin Dzeko saw his shot saved by the goalkeeper. Palacio tried to extend the lead for bologna but Pau Lopez made a really great save in a crucial moment as the half came to a close with bologna in front thanks to Riccardo orsolini and Musa Barlow as bologna had a 2-1 lead going into the second half.
It was a really uninspiring first half of Roma so far it did not appear there were any improvements from the abysmal display play last weekend. Once again Roma had dug themselves into a hole that they were going to have a difficult digging themselves out of it. It went from bad to worse just minutes into the second half Barlow on the counter-attack showed to be decisive. Barlow got on a break from the middle of the pitch cutting into the box before orchestrating a well-timed attack that ended with him sliding the ball into the bottom corner to give Bologna 3-1 lead. For the second consecutive week, we’re in big trouble early. They have got to get this together or else they were going to lose this game and put themselves in a difficult situation over the next few weeks. Cengiz found an opportunity to get back in the game but he puts too much power on his strike from close-range blasting the ball over the goal. Roma would go to their bench as they desperately needed a change as they were having difficulties pressurizing bologna Roma’s new signing Carles Perez came in for under to try to give Roma some energy Off the Bench. Over the next several minutes Roma came close on a couple of opportunities and we’re starting to look like a much better team. Kolarov struck from the side of the box but ultimately was denied by the goalkeeper. Even though he failed to score Roma was starting to feel some momentum they needed a heroic performance throughout the rest of the game to even have a chance to get a point. A few minutes later Carlos Perez showed his quality cutting through Inside the Box before striking the ball directly at the goalkeeper. It really well hit strike from Roma’s newest player. Roma continues to go forward to try to pry their way back into the game. Eventually, Roma broke through in the 72nd minute. Edin Dzeko Supplied a pass to Bruno Peres the ball was on the verge of going out of bounds before the Brazilian Defender Supplied a cross into the box where he found Hendrick Mkhitaryan as the Armenian midfielder connected on the header in a beautifully orchestrated move as the ball ripped through the top of the net minimize the deficit to just one goal. As bad as they had a chance to earn a point that they most certainly did not deserve. Over the closing several minutes of the game, Roma continues to try to break through and equalize. Just a few minutes later Chris Smalling misfired. Edin Dzeko saw his shot save everything was going well for Roma until Bryan cristante was given a red card ending practically any chance of a comeback. Nonetheless, edin Dzeko showed his effort and courage as a leader coming close twice in stoppage time but in the end, it was too little too late despite Roma’s ability to get back into the game late the damage had already been done as Roma full short at the Olimpico.
Roma had a match of deja vu as they live their own a nightmare at the Stadio Olimpico on Friday night. Last week Roma one of the League’s best road teams went to sassuolo and got absolutely manhandled especially on the counter-attack as Francesco Caputo ripped Roma’s defense apart. Tonight in Rome at home at the Stadio Olimpico we saw a similar story. This time it was Musa Barlow who had to help after helping against Roma. Roma improved slightly but that’s not saying much. Bologna who is one of the most in-form teams in Italy caught fire and continues to build at momentum even against a team like Roma. They went to the Stadio Olimpico and completely outplayed Roma especially in that first half. Roma had very limited opportunities and the only reason they got back in the game at Halftime was because of a mistake by their opponents. Much like the match last week Roma got down by multiple goals and had to try to dig their way out. Last weekend they were unable to do that and today on a Friday night with everybody watching they came up short. There’s not much positive that I can really take from this game there’s no real getting around that I can’t dress this game up to something it wasn’t. Just because Roma ended up getting back in the game late with opportunities to get a point does not mean they played well. It was a horrendous performance and yet again Roma loses this is their 4th League loss since the start of the New Year. I’m going to say this again the winter break killed them they were one of the best teams in the league coming out and then they just hit a wall. This seemed is not prepared for what will lie ahead of them next weekend against an Atalanta team that beats everyone and make people pay they are the best-attacking team in the league and Roma the last few weeks defensively can’t get it right. The defense this week once again really black something to be desired. Up until Carles Perez enters the game Roma wasn’t even pushing the ball forward and even remotely challenging the bologna defense. When Carles Perez came on the game things started to change they started getting forward much more quickly and he made a big difference in the game he is my man of the match tonight even though I’m not too sure anyone deserves recognition after that appointment. Roma has to get things together. I have backed Paulo Fonseca the entire season I’m starting to have doubts about his future in Rome. I think it’s way too early to be talking about sacking him but if he doesn’t get something together quickly we could have a problem. Roma is comfortable in 5th right now with a six-point difference from 6 place but if Atalanta wins this weekend and then beat Roma next weekend it’s going to be very hard for this team to get into the Champions League. You can blame this on the referees all you want with the two penalties that he potentially missed out on you can also claim this game on injuries whatever you want to say but Roma has consistently been inconsistent since the start of 2020. There were individual performances tonight from Roma players that I thought did well with edin Dzeko Carles Perez Hendrick Mkhitaryan and Diego Perotti throughout the match show their qualities. There were times where there was chemistry between the teams within the match but they have not been to work together as consistently as you would like. I don’t think you can blame the players for that Edin Dzeko did a great job of getting everyone else involved but tonight they just didn’t have it it wasn’t his best game but I think he has proven to be a big leader for this club. Roma did come back to reduce it to just one go at the end with a puncher’s chance to win the game however even with that said this is an incredibly poor performance yet again Roma need to start winning because this is not a confident team right now and they need victories and that momentum that can take them back to the way they were playing before. bologna was the better team and earned all three points they were antagonizing especially coming forward they deserve a lot of credit for the way they performed but simply put Roma have to be better.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Edin Dzeko (5)
Everything Roma 