While the Serie A season is still young enough that we have to couch any conclusions we draw about performance or long-terms goals, things have looked quite good for the Giallorossi through the first five
matches of the season across all competitions. Excepting one loss to Torino, they are undefeated, and although the goal-happy offense that Gian Piero Gasperini is known for hasn’t arrive just yet, there are enough encouraging signs from the key elements of that offense in the fullbacks, the midfield and the attack that anyone overly worried about where the 3-0 and 4-0 wins are should probably take a chill pill. Add in the fact that Roma got the job done in their Europa League midweek match against Nice—when clubs like Celtic, Feyenoord, Bologna, and Rangers did not—and I’d say the overall sentiment among Romanisti should be somewhere close to cautious optimism.
As we all know, though, that can change in an instant. One more embarrassing or even just confusing loss might change the tenor of the conversation around Roma, even if it will be completely normal for the Giallorossi to lose again at some point this season. Still, tomorrow’s match against Verona should not be that match. The club from the hometown of Romeo and Juliet has drawn three and lost one to start the season, and that loss was a doozy, resulting in the Veneto side sporting a gruesome -4 goal differential.
Match Details
Date: September 28
Kickoff: 15:00 CET/9:00 EDT
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Roma
Referee: Ermanno Feliciani
They can certainly hang their hat on the 1-1 draw they handed Juventus last match day, but there’s certainly the potential for Roma to walk into this match and get the three points cleanly and efficiently. Let’s just hope that they can do so without their talisman Paulo Dybala, who is now confirmed to be out until after the next international break.
What To Watch For
The Lorenzo Pellegrini Redemption Tour
Don’t look now, but Lorenzo Pellegrini is quickly reasserting himself as a key part of Roma’s squad. He was nearly left for dead by both Gian Piero Gasperini and Frederic Massara, with Massara going as far as confirming that the Giallorossi would not be extending his contract. The past two match days have completely changed that tune. Pellegrini’s goal was the difference-maker in the Derby della Capitale—confirming him once again as a true beast in that particular matchup—and his contribution of a pitch-perfect corner kick and assist to Evan Ndicka against Nice confirmed that form is temporary but class is forever.
While that remarkable resurgence in play has already massively shifted Massara’s tune—Roma’s DS has already stated that anything is now possible regarding Pellegrini’s long-term future at the club—don’t expect Pellegrini to rest on his laurels. Corriere Dello Sport chief editor Ivan Zazzaroni released some messages he exchanged with Roma’s former captain showcased the Roman’s determination to succeed and prove his doubters wrong, even back in August when the world seemed against him:
“It’s all written. It’s going to be a great year. I’m going to kick everyone’s ass. I just want to feel good and make myself available to the coach. I’m working really hard. I’m fired up.
A slap hurts when you least expect it. This is called the truth, and the coach did well to tell it… the truth.“
Pellegrini certainly looks like he’s been proven right in his preseason assessment that he was going to kick everyone’s ass, Roma management included. While nobody expects him to provide a goal contribution every match day, another strong performance against Verona will only help cement him once again as a key cog in Roma’s midfield. Let’s just hope that Lolo’s redemption arc doesn’t sputter out just as it’s starting to take hold.
Will Evan Ferguson Finally Score?
Further up Roma’s starting eleven, Evan Ferguson has no need for redemption, but he does have a need to break his duck with the club. The Irish international was one of Roma’s most high-profile signings of the summer, and he’s settled into Gasperini’s attack-heavy system with an ease that belies both his age and the challenge of Serie A. He already has an assist to his name and, more importantly, he’s shown himself to be truly indispensable as the link between midfield runners and the wide forwards. Simply put: Roma look far better as a team when Ferguson is on the pitch.
But for all the positives Ferguson has provided already in his short time in Rome, his first goal for the club still hasn’t arrived. The numbers suggest that goal is coming: Ferguson has put seven shots on the board in just over 250 minutes of league play, generating a healthy 0.50 expected goals along the way. He’s also creating chances for others, with an xA that puts him among Roma’s most effective assist men early in the season. The finishing touch is all that’s missing, and you get the sense that once one goes in, the floodgates will open. Verona’s back line has been stubborn in some cases, but also showed quite the glass jaw in the first match day of the season against Lazio, and this feels like as good a chance as any for Ferguson to finally get off the mark.
When that first goal comes, it won’t just be about the scoreboard. For Ferguson, it would be the kind of confidence boost every young striker needs. For Gasperini, it will be proof that his system has a new long-term centerpiece (sorry, Artem Dovbyk). For the fans, it will be validation that Roma’s €40 million option to buy might just turn into highway robbery. Ferguson has already given Roma plenty to get excited about. A goal tomorrow night would give them something to celebrate.
