Roma entered yesterday’s match against AC Milan at the San Siro with hopes of a two-point lead at the top of the table. After Cesc Fabregas’s Como side held Napoli to a draw on Saturday, Roma had the chance to claim sole possession of the top spot on the Serie A ladder after 10 games. It wouldn’t have meant much in the grand scheme of things, not with 28 matches remaining, but it still would have been a nice feather in Gian Piero Gasperini’s cap as he continues shaping and molding the capital club
in his image.
Despite coming out aggressive against Milan with 10 attempts in the first 30 minutes alone, Roma failed to find the back of the net, or even genuinely trouble Mike Maignan and the Rossoneri defense yesterday. As typically happens when the club piles up chances but can’t convert, their opponents score a back-breaking goal, deflating Roma’s sails and leaving the club desperately chasing a late equalizer.
Yesterday, Alexis Saelemaekers, Rafael Leao, and Strahinja Pavlovic tore Roma’s hearts out with a quick and decisive 39th-minute counterattack. Still, despite all their struggles in the final third, the Giallorossi were given a late glimmer of hope when Paulo Dybala stepped up to the penalty spot in the 82nd minute. However, rather than slotting it home and putting a point in Roma’s back pocket, La Joya was denied by Maignan, ending a streak in which he had converted 18 straight penalties for the Giallorossi.
So you can guess where we’re beginning today’s Sinners & Saints
The Sinners
Paulo Dybala
From the pomp and circumstance of his unveiling at the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana to any of the 44 goals and 22 assists he’s accumulated since then, Dybala has given Roma fans immeasurable joy over the past three-and-a-half years. But yesterday was one of the rare clunkers from Dybala, who was well off the mark against Milan, missing two shots in the run of play before failing to convert on the penalty.
And to make matters worse, he may have gotten hurt on that attempt, as he grabbed at his hamstring immediately after Maignan made the save. Joy.
Alright, let’s move on to the few bright spots from yesterday’s match.
The Saints
Mile Svilar
While Pavlovic’s match-winner wasn’t necessarily unstoppable by Svilar’s lofty standards, Milan caught Roma in transition and outran and overextended the Roma defense, so blame should be shared. Apart from that, Svilar did his absolute best to give Roma a lifeline, making six saves, including five in the box, while making one high claim.
Bryan Cristante
Don’t look now, but everyone’s favorite scapegoat is on a bit of a heater. Going the full 90, Cristante was everywhere he needed to be last night, providing three key passes, taking two shots, delivering 13 balls into the final third, winning half of his duels while recovering nine balls, and covering a game-high 12.4 km.
The inevitable downswing will surely come, but Cristante is in a groove and looks rejuvenated under his former manager.
Gianluca Mancini
Despite almost losing his cool down the stretch (multiple times), Mancini was effective in all phases against Milan: 10 duels won (16 attempts), four interceptions, four tackles, one block, two clearances, 10 recoveries, one key pass and a match-high 57 passes completed.
Stuck In Between
Some good, some bad, but these fellas warranted a quick mention.
Mario Hermoso
While he’s not quite up to par with Mancini or Evan Ndicka, much like Cristante, Hermoso has settled into a nice groove over the past few weeks, it wasn’t a flawless performance. Still, Hermoso completed 90% of his passes and cleared four balls, including sweeping/blocking a would-be goal off the line. Of course, his poor clearance led to that chance, but he reacted quickly to prevent Milan from doubling their tally.
Matías Soule
Count me among those excited to see Soulé and Dybala leading Gasperini’s 3-4-1-2 formation against Milan. What the Argentine playmakers lacked in heft, they made up for with craft and creativity. While Soulé provided two key passes, completed two out of two long balls, and forced Maignan into a save in the 29th minute, he failed to really make a significant impact against Milan.
Evan Ndicka
It was another steady turn at the back for Ndicka with nine defensive actions, 93% passing, including five of six long attempts, but he missed on three headers, including a 10th-minute chance that was among Roma’s few genuine scoring opportunities against Milan.
That’s it for this edition of S&S, but check back after Thursday’s match against Rangers when we’ll hopefully have better news to report.
