Tonight’s Europa League match against Nice was a night of firsts for Roma and Gian Piero Gasperini. Not only did the Giallorossi sport their third kits for the first time in a competitive match—temporarily
rebranding themselves as the Biancoverdi—but for the first time in Gasp’s brief tenure in the capital, Roma scored more than one goal in a match!
After a Lorenzo Pellegrini-inspired win over Lazio in last weekend’s Derby della Capitale, which will be remembered more for the emotional significance of that moment rather than an attacking masterclass, Roma’s celebration was brief. With a midweek away fixture against OGC Nice in the Europa League opener, Gasperini’s group quickly shifted its focus to continental matters, leaving the early-season pursuit of the top four on the back burner for the afternoon.
This being Gasperini’s first European match in charge of Roma and with the club struggling for goals and still missing star forward Paulo Dybala and Brazilian wing-back Wesley, the capital club traveled to Nice under less than ideal circumstances. However, just as he did against Lazio, Gasperini showed no hesitation juggling his lineup, inserting Stephan El Shaarawy, Neil El Aynaoui, Kostas Tsimikas, and Artem Dovbyk into the starting lineup.
Although they didn’t have 30 minutes for their first attempt on goal today, Roma was nonetheless held in check by their French counterparts in the first half. Luckily, the second half was far kinder to the capital club. Unfortunately, neither of Roma’s high-priced strikers found the back of the net, a trend we lamented yesterday. However, thanks to second-half goals from defenders Evan Ndicka and Gianluca Mancini, Gasperini’s club walked away with three well-earned points.
In case you missed any of the action, be sure to check out the extended highlights below.
