Roma continued their upturn in form under new manager Daniele De Rossi with a dramatic 3-2 home victory against Torino on Monday. Though initial expectations were low goal-wise, this encounter at the Stadio Olimpico delivered an incredible contest.
After Rasmus Kristensen wasted a glorious chance early on, it looked like the first half would end scoreless. However, Paulo Dybala scored from the spot in the 42nd minute to give Roma the lead. The home side’s celebrations didn’t last long, as Duvan Zapata restored parity moments later.
Nothing suggested the high-scoring trend would resume after the break, yet Dybala had other plans. The diminutive forward recovered Roma’s advantage in the 57th minute and made it 3-1 12 minutes later after an assist from second-half substitute Romelu Lukaku.
Dean Huijsen’s unfortunate own goal in the 89th minute reignited Torino’s hopes of a comeback, but it proved too little too late for Ivan Juric’s side. A fifth victory in six Serie A matches under De Rossi fired Roma within four points of fourth-placed Bologna.
Perhaps more importantly, Roma proved they can perform in various formations as De Rossi deserted from his preferred 4-3-3 tonight, deploying a 3-4-2-1 instead. Without further ado, let’s look at our player ratings.
Roma (3-4-2-1)
Mile Svilar – 6
Though there’s an argument he could’ve done better for Zapata’s goal, De Rossi’s new #1 made several decent saves on either side of halftime to cement his place in the starting XI.
Gianluca Mancini – 6.5
Back to the right side of Roma’s defense for the first time since Jose Mourinho’s exit, the Italian star looked somewhat shaky and nervous, especially when asked to deal with Zapata one-on-one.
Chris Smalling – 7
Roma’s by far the best defender today! After a lengthy spell on the sidelines, the Englishman showcased his class in his first Serie A start in over a year.
Evan Ndicka – 6
Caught off guard several times as he tried to push forward in high press, the Ivorian never looked comfortable, whether when defending or called to help his side build from the back.
Rasmus Kristensen – 6
There’s no justification for any player featuring in Europe’s top-five leagues when they miss something like he did tonight. Despite having an empty net at his mercy, he struck the post.
Bryan Cristante – 6.5
Following a relatively quiet first half, the holding midfielder burst into life after halftime and even picked up an assist for his effort.
Leandro Paredes – 6
If it’s not for his tremendous commitment at the back, the Argentine would’ve probably been sitting on the bench. Nowhere to be seen in attack!
Angelino – 6
Another unconvincing performance from the winter arrival! Maybe it’s time for De Rossi to consider reintegrating Leonardo Spinazzola into his starting lineup.
Lorenzo Pellegrini – 6
Expectations soared for the Roma captain following his form resurgence under the new manager, but he failed to live up to the billing tonight.
Paulo Dybala – 8
An absolute masterclass! What more can you ask from a forward than a hat-trick against one of Serie A’s best defensive teams in under 70 minutes no less?
Sardar Azmoun – 7.5
Only Kristensen’s unfathomable miss separated him from an early assist. But he didn’t late that faze him, as he drew a penalty for Dybala to open the scoring.
Substitutes
Leonardo Spinazzola – 6.5
Edoardo Bove – 6
Romelu Lukaku – 6.5
Dean Huijsen – 4
Renato Sanches – N/A
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