An early mistake by Rui Patricio ultimately cost Roma, which failed to win a second straight match against an inferior opponent. Verona dominated the first half and took a 2-0 lead just before the break. Despite making several changes at halftime, Bruno Conti’s second match of the season ended as another disappointment, this time a 1-2 loss. If Roma is to improve on last season’s sixth-place finish, it must stop dropping points to mid and bottom-table clubs at once.
Rui Patricio – 4
Just 4 minutes into the match, Patricio committed a brutal error that cost his side a goal. Instead of parrying or catching a straightforward shot from Filippo Terracciano, the goalkeeper tentatively blocked it, allowing it to fall to the feet of Ondrej Duda. From close range, the midfielder easily scored, capitalizing on another in a long line of mental mistakes from the Portuguese international.
Diego Llorente – 4.5
In his second match with the club, Llorente’s early laziness cost his side a goal. After Patricio’s mishap, the defender failed to crash the net, allowing Duda a tap-in to give his side the lead. Llorente was one of three Roma players to leave at halftime, and he now has been on the pitch for four goals against in just 135 minutes.
Chris Smalling – 5
Late in the first half, a long-ball released Cyril Ngonge for a one-on-one with Smalling in the box. The Belgian humiliated the Englishman, drawing him in with a feint before taking a touch around the defender and netting a powerful strike. Without Roger Ibanez, the Roma backline has been in shambles to start the season, and the club may start switching up the defense in coming matches.
Gianluca Mancini – 7
Mancini was Roma’s lone defender who put in a decent shift. The veteran effectively neutralized Milan Duric, who, despite making a nuisance of himself, had few attacking chances.
Leandro Paredes – 6.5
In the midfield, Paredes replaced Houssem Aouar as the deep playmaker in Roma’s 3-5-2. His first 45 minutes were solid, with the Argentine creating multiple chances from long-range. However, Paredes was somewhat surprisingly removed at the break, making way for his Algerian counterpart.
Bryan Cristante – 6
From the defensive midfield, Cristante played a solid match. His short-range passes opened up space in the midfield for his onrushing teammates, but his defensive presence was slightly soft. That said, the midfielder was not at fault for either goal against.
Lorenzo Pellegrini – 8
Pellegrini’s return provided Roma’s midfield with a crucial attacking presence. Nearly every Giallorossi attack went through the captain, who was dynamic between the lines. While none of his chances, including a wonderfully hit free kick, changed the scoreline, Pellegrini’s play was a bright spot for Roma.
Nicola Zalewski – 7
During the first 30 minutes of the match, Zalewski was in-form, along with the rest of the offense. On the left wing, he put his technical skills on display, finding the forwards with incisive passing. However, his creativity waned in the latter stages of the first half, and he left shortly after halftime with an injury.
Rasmus Kristensen – 5
After a lackluster debut against Salernitana, Kristensen again contributed very little. Aside from one quality cross into the box, he did next to nothing on offense. With Roma down 0-2 at halftime, Rick Karsdorp replaced the Danish full-back, ending the disappointing display.
Paulo Dybala – 6
In his return from suspension, Dybala was excellent when operating to the right of Andrea Belotti in the first half. The Argentine dribbled through the Verona backline with ease, creating several chances inside the box. However, the 29-year-old went radio silent in the second half. Dybala’s performance was so disappointing and lifeless that Conti deemed him replaceable, removing him with 20 minutes to go and down a goal.
Andrea Belotti – 7
Though he was quiet after the opening minutes of the match, Belotti’s quintessential work rate turned the match on its head. The striker somehow beat Montipo to a ball in the air, heading it on to Houssem Aouar, who netted Roma’s only goal. With less than ten minutes remaining, Belotti later won an excellent aerial challenged and drew a red card as he broke free on goal. After two quality matches to start the season, the Italian seems to be returning to his Torino form.
Troubling start for Roma 🥴 pic.twitter.com/4c4tNQAw2h
— Italian Football TV (@IFTVofficial) August 26, 2023
Substitutes
Stephan El Shaarawy – 7
Minutes after his halftime introduction, El Shaarawy almost scored from a set piece. The forward sent a wicked first-time volley on goal, but Lorenzo Montipo, Verona’s best player, made a fantastic diving save. To the end of the match, El Shaarawy created chances on the wing, but another late goal wasn’t meant to be.
Houssem Aouar – 8
Despite not starting after a brilliant match against Salernitana, Aouar made his 45 minutes on the pitch count. He played much further forward than Paredes and got into dangerous attacking positions. After only 11 minutes, he netted a quick header to halve the deficit, and capped the bench appearance by nearly scoring an equalizer.
Leonardo Spinnazzola – 6
With Roma’s backline playing exceptionally poorly, Bruno Conti switched to a back-four in the second half. Spinazzola took over for Llorente, playing a more reserved wing-back position, and combined well with El Shaarawy.
Rick Karsdorp – 5.5
Karsdorp entered the match after Zalewski left with an injury. On the right wing, the Belgian failed to energize the offense significantly, instead attempting multiple failed dribbles.