TEAM OF THE WEEK - AS ROMA
"Roma has been freed by De Rossi". This was said by Rafaelle Palladino, coach of Monza defeated Saturday afternoon 1-4 by the Giallorossi. If even the opponents say so, perhaps there is some truth in it.
Since Daniele De Rossi's arrival on the Giallorossi bench, Lorenzo Pellegrini and his teammates have begun to fly: 6 wins out of 7 in the league, the only loss against Simone Inzaghi's Inter, which at the moment seems invincible, plus the Europa League play-off won against Feyenoord.
On Saturday Roma won 1-4 at home to Monza, deserving the victory and winning like a great team, taking advantage of the chances created and showing themselves capable of suffering in difficult moments. The first goal was scored by captain Pellegrini, his team's most in-form player, who in the last 9 games has scored five goals and made three assists: a beautiful goal, first a right-footed touch, then a precise shot with his left foot, impossible for Michele Di Gregorio to get there.
Then Romelu Lukaku's goal from Paulo Dybala's assist, with La Joya scoring a masterpiece goal in the second half by hitting a practically perfect free kick. The fourth goal was scored via a penalty kick by Leandro Paredes, another of the players reborn under the De Rossi cure.
Roma are flying and with the 18 points won in the last seven games has made an important leap in the standings, putting them back in the middle of the Champions zone. Roma's new coach is proving that he is anything but inexperienced: his team switches from a three-man defense to a four-man defense depending on the moments of the match, in the league he has scored at least two goals per game (including against Inter), but most importantly the players are back to having fun on the pitch and the effects are showing.
TEAM PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK - BOLOGNA
Sixth win in a row, this time at home to Gian Piero Gasperini's Atalanta in a real clash for a Champions League spot. In August no one, not even the most passionate Bologna supporter, would have believed anything like this. The credit is solely and exclusively due to Thiago Motta, the creator of something legendary, which will be talked about for many years.
It is inevitable to repeat oneself and talk about this team, but the level of its performance is truly unreal. Josh Zirkzee and his boys are playing at incredible levels, but no one could have expected a victory at home to Atalanta, a comeback victory, with a performance full of quality and intensity, showing that they wanted to win more than their opponents, sending Gasperini and his players, who are generally difficult for anyone to deal with, into crisis.
Motta, however, found the right key to win this game as well. Solitary fourth place for Bologna, a victory that puts Atalanta in trouble and confirms the Rossobl in the role of surprise of the season. There is so much to be congratulated to Thiago Motta and to Giovanni Sartori, the manager who managed to build a top-level roster by spending small amounts of money, betting at the right time on the right talents, starting with Zirkzee.
TALKING POINT - LAZIO vs AC MILAN
Lazio is in great difficulty. The troubling moment of Maurizio Sarri's Biancocelesti continues and now, in addition to the performance, results are also lacking. Another defeat in the league, this time at home against Milan, although there was no lack of controversy.
Lazio finished the match with 8 players on the field, causing Sarri and President Claudio Lotito's to explode, who at the end of the match even promised consequences for what happened on the field. Three red cards aside, however, Lazio's condition is worrying and the standings are decidedly deficient. The relationship between Lotito and Sarri is now soured: the coach is not satisfied with the signings, while the president demands better results and asks Sarri not to make excuses or alibis.
The moment is delicate and the next league fixture without three important players like Adam Marusic, Luca Pellegrini and Matteo Guendouzi promises huge tension. Sarri needs to take advantage of this nightmare night to recompose the group and to finish the season in the best possible way, because Lazio's squad may not be perfect, and we all agree, but this is too little and not acceptable.