I don’t think it’s any stretch of the imagination to say that this was the most nerve-wracking match we’ve experienced in several years, save perhaps for Roma’s ill-fated Europa League final against Sevilla in 2023. After an up and down (and all around) season, Gian Piero Gasperini and the Giallorossi scratched and clawed their way back up the table, putting a rocky winter behind them with a torrid spring in which they won four of seven matches heading into last weekend’s derby against Lazio.
Last
Sunday, with the Stadio Olimpico packed to capacity, Roma defeated Lazio 2-0. This win not only earned Roma bragging rights in the city but also, with some assistance from other results, improved their chances in the Champions League, leading to today’s crucial match against Verona.
With Roma, Como, Juventus, and Milan all vying for Italy’s fourth and final CL spot, a quagmire that held a reported 81 different permutations, the capital club had a leg up on the competition. There was just one small hiccup in their plans: recently relegated Verona.
On the surface, facing a bottom-dwelling club with nothing on the line should have been a cakewalk for Roma, but Verona showed impressive resolve late in the season, taking points off Juventus and Inter Milan in recent weeks. Making matters worse for the Giallorossi, they entered today’s fixture without Evan Ndicka (injury), Lorenzo Pellegrini (injury) and Wesley (suspension), while midfielder Manu Koné was nursing a minor leg injury and began the match on the bench.
After a slight delay at kickoff, Roma’s Champions League dream was nearly dashed in the very first minute after Verona forward Kieron Bowie got loose in the final third, forcing Mile Svilar into an early save. Bowie would continue to pester the Roma backline in the opening 10-15 minutes, scaring the living daylights out of Giallorossi supporters everywhere.
While the backline held firm, Gasperini’s side showed a noticeable imbalance. Aside from Paulo Dybala, Roma’s attack sputtered in the first half, lacking the creative inspiration we’ve seen over the past few weeks. With only two shots on goal in the first 30 minutes, our nightmares were coming home to roost; in fact, Verona keeper Lorenzo Montipo didn’t have to make a single save in the run of play in the entire first half—Roma’s struggles were that extreme.
But the second half brought better fortunes for the capital club. Starting with Verona defender Nicolás Valentini’s 50th-minute dismissal for accumulated yellow cards, Roma’s luck began to change little by little. Several minutes after gaining that man-advantage, the club caught an even luckier break in the 56th minute when Bowie was cited for a handball in the box, leading to one of the more chaotic penalties in recent memory.
After brushing aside Dybala at the penalty spot, Malen was stone-cold denied by Montipo, who smothered the Dutchman’s attempt without batting an eye. However, in his haste, Montipo parried the ball to a wide-open Dybala, who, in the blink of an eye, squared the ball back to Malen at the opposite post. And this time, Malen didn’t miss, calmly redirecting the ball inside the left post.
Up a man with 30 minutes to play, the odds were in Roma’s favor. Still, the Giallorossi spent the bulk of the remaining time chasing an insurance goal to put the match to rest. And while it took a lot longer than expected, Roma got their storybook ending thanks to Stephan El Shaarawy, who ended his Roma career in grand fashion.
Bravo, Stephan. Bravo!
