A composed, professional clean sheet win: this has been the story of Roma’s season to date, and even though the Giallorossi managing to score multiple goals was a break from the typical bevy of 1-0 wins,
this win provides a template for the rest of the season. Gian Piero Gasperini was able to dispatch Udinese 2-0 at the Stadio Olimpico today, with goals from Lorenzo Pellegrini and Zeki Çelik securing three points that sent Roma back to the top of the Serie A table heading into the international break.
Roma controlled the tempo for much of the match, finishing with a 58% possession rate that felt closer to 70% throughout the match. Although Udinese pushed hard in phases, the Giallorossi rarely looked unsettled by Kosta Runjaić’s men. The hosts tallied 13 total shots and 4 on target compared to Udinese’s 10 shots and 4 on target—showing that while the game was balanced statistically, Roma’s quality in both boxes ultimately made the difference.
The breakthrough came late in the first half after an injury to striker Artem Dovbyk forced an early substitution, with Tommaso Baldanzi entering the fray. Minutes later, a handball in the box led referee Giuseppe Collu to the monitor, and after the VAR review, Roma were awarded a penalty. Lorenzo Pellegrini was able to send Maduka Okoye the wrong way and put Roma up 1-0 in the 42nd minute.
Unlike other matches where Roma’s first goal seemingly killed the offense, Pellegrini’s penalty seemed to only further unlock Roma’s rhythm today. The Giallorossi had already seen good chances from Bryan Cristante that rattled the post from range, and Mile Svilar continued showing himself to be a world-class keeper by defending a dangerous Kamara free kick to preserve Roma’s lead. Roma carried that sense control into the second half, playing with the assurance of a team that knew one more goal would put the game to bed.
That second goal did eventually arrive from the unlikeliest of sources: Zeki Çelik, a man who had not scored for the Giallorossi in league play since joining the side in 2022. His goal came from some excellent play by Gianluca Mancini, who overlapped into space before cutting the ball back across goal, allowing Çelik to hit a precise finish, doubling Roma’s lead with a bit less than a half hour left in the match. For Çelik, who was filling in for the still-injured Angeliño, it was a moment of reward for a tireless shift on both sides of the ball.
Despite a late push from Udinese, the Giallorossi kept their 2-0 clean sheet intact, allowing them to close out the match with the poise and discipline that has defined their season so far. Even as fatigue set in, Roma’s defensive shape never truly wavered. Roma now heads into the international break atop the Serie A table, but more importantly, this win reinforces the strong identity that Gian Piero Gasperini is establishing, even if the offense isn’t truly there yet. This is a side that defends as a unit, capitalizes on its moments, and fights to maintain control for the full ninety.
Hopefully Roma’s squad can use this international break to recuperate and recover from injury, as Roma’s attack is now dreadfully thin with both Ferguson and Dovbyk nursing injuries. Still, if you had told any Romanista that the Giallorossi would be top of Serie A in mid-November, I doubt any of them would have believed you. With that in mind, let’s savor this moment and hope that it can translate to continued success for the next two-thirds of the season. Who knows? If Roma is still top of the table by the time January or February rolls around, we may get to have some interesting conversations about just how successful this side can be.
