2-1 at Spezia and qualification in the Europa League

This time a Joya arrives, at her last breath, when another disappointment was at the door. Mark Dybala, from a penalty, and Roma can play again in the Europa League without having to wait for the UEFA decision on Juventus (which passes Udine with a goal from Chiesa). Penalties sometimes take away, like in Budapest, sometimes they give. Paulo scores from the penalty spot, because he plays this game all while the final of Europa League no, and who knows how it would have gone with the Argentine on the pitch for the whole match against Sevilla? But this is now history, a moment of Rome to forget. The Olimpico consoles themselves with the victory against Spezia, who will play for their stay in Serie A against Verona in the play-off, and thinks about next season, perhaps again with Mou, always acclaimed by the stadium and by the whole city.

The match

The match against Spezia had immediately gotten ugly, just after six minutes Semplici’s team took the lead with a header from Nocolaou, left alone on the post to the right of Svilar. Roma don’t lack the desire, but only the strength, dropped on the field of the Puskas Arena. In the first half, there were few dangers towards Zoet’s goal: ElSha chipped the crossbar and little else happened before Zalewski’s goal, who punched the Spezia goal with a cross shot, which Bove tried to correct on the net but failed. There was no need, the ball enters making fun of the Spezia goalkeeper. Dybala gives his best in the second half, when with the exit of Belotti and then Abraham, who gets hurt immediately (and the sensations are not good, he went out on a stretcher), he goes to play closer to goal. La Joya came close to scoring on a couple of occasions and then scored the overtaking goal from a penalty, her 18th this season.

At the end of the match, the moment of thanksgiving: the team under the South to exchange an ideal hug with the fans and Mou who appears on the pitch (during the match he was not on the bench, due to the disqualification) to applaud. And see you next season.

Mourinho to the fans: I’m staying here

Mourinho told the team after the cursed penalties in Budapest and reiterated it to the fans: “I’m staying here”. The gesture is striking, just finished the round of the field to greet the Olimpico on the occasion of the last act of the championship and after having collected the “thanks” for having reached the Europa League final. Rome-Spezia in the end becomes a party and not only for the winning goal scored by Dybala in the final minutes (Zalewski had equalized Nikolaou’s opening goal) but above all because the Special promised himself to Rome. Again, for the third year, respecting – barring surprises – the existing contract. Josè will have to talk to the Friedkins, to understand the margins of movement on the transfer market, but that “I’m staying here”, indicating the terrain of the Olimpico, launched on his fans is already more than a signature. Rome, by beating Spezia, also accesses the Europa League next year. Mou wants to win this time. Even if the team, as he says, deserves more.

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