Fresh off an epic collapse against their bitter rivals Juventus, where Roma lost a two-goal lead with 12 minutes remaining, and facing club legend Daniele De Rossi, whom they unceremoniously removed from the manager’s bench last fall, and facing Genoa on the road (where Roma hasn’t won since 2021), the Roma Happened meter was already in the red zone before kickoff. To make things worse, a short bench due to numerous injuries meant calcio karma wasn’t on Roma’s side this afternoon.
All those factors
conspired to doom Gian Piero Gasperini in a disappointing but not surprising 2-1 loss at the Marassi on Sunday. And considering how painfully dull the first half was (six combined shots that required only one save from either goalkeeper), it was a miracle this match didn’t end in a scoreless draw. With all that in mind, we’ll keep the recap focused on the second half.
After a dreary first 45 minutes, both Gasperini and De Rossi desperately searched for solutions to their attacking problems. However, as is often the case in these kinds of matches, the table tilted thanks to a dodgy call.
The camera angle in this replay would have you believe that Pellegrini took out Mikael Ellertson with the fury of a Cobra Kai leg sweep, but in reality, Pellegrini hit Ellertson with the force of a yellow lab gently nudging you to pet it. Still, Andrea Colombo pointed to the spot without hesitation, setting the stage for Junior Messias to snatch the lead, which proved to be short-lived.
Roma equalized three minutes later after a brief head tennis match in the box: First came Gianluca Mancini, who flicked a Pellegrini corner toward the near post, only to see Messias head the ball back into the box, where Evan Ndicka somehow managed to play a looping header toward the opposite post, where it gently fell into the goal to tie the match at one goal apiece.
While Roma played with more life following Ndicka’s third goal in as many matches, De Rossi’s side matched them stride for stride, equalizing the Giallorossi’s attacking effort over the next 25 minutes despite only having 31% of the ball. Considering their struggles at the Marassi over the past several years, Wesley’s suspension, and the numerous injuries on the frontline, a 1-1 draw would have been a fair result for Roma; disappointing but just.
Then the other shoe dropped in the 80th minute when Patrizio Masini and Vitinha combined to catch Roma off guard, sealing all three points with a simple square ball across the face of goal. But should Genoa have even had the ball to start with?
If you wanted to dive into the replay with the vigor of a JFK conspiracy theorist, you can question whether or not the ball went off Mancini’s head or Vitinha’s back prior to the throw-in that led to his match-winner moments later.
Final Thoughts
Whether you attribute it to injuries, fatigue, or the soft penalty call against Pellegrini and this blink-and-you ’d-miss-it throw-in decision, Roma simply wasn’t up to par today and, at no point, seemed confident in victory. Thanks to today’s defeat, the Giallorossi slide back into 5th place, though they are tied on points (51) with Como, who they face next weekend. However, with a mid-week Europa League match against Bologna on Thursday, Roma’s depth and endurance will be taxed even further.
But make no mistake: their Champions League life is on the line next week.
Up Next
Roma travels to Bologna on Thursday for the first leg of the Europa League Round of 16.
