The Roma win 1-0 against Turin in the match valid for the 29th day of the Serie A championship. Giallorossi corsairs at the Olimpico Grande Torino against the grenades thanks to a Dybala infallible from the penalty spot (8′ pt) after the hand ball by Schuurs. In the second half Miranchuk headed in and Pellegri from the edge worried Rui Patricio, but Mou’s men resisted and brought home the success that smacks of the Champions League. For the Capitoline three points that give third place with a one point advantage over Milan.
THE MATCH
Mission accomplished for Roma, who, taking advantage of the knockout by Inter and Milan’s equalizer against Empoli, overtook both to conquer third place in the standings alone. Three important Champions League points for Mourinho’s men who find continuity after the success achieved at home against Sampdoria and approach the Rotterdam match against Feyenoord with some more certainty. Certainly not betraying Paulo Dybala, top scorer of the Giallorossi and infallible from the penalty spot this season, who takes his hand and leads them to a sweaty victory.
Juric’s Bull takes the field with the classic 3-4-2-1, with the Croatian coach who throws the very young Lithuanian Gineitis, preferred over Linetty, into the fray from 1′ and making Miranchuk find the field again after the injury. Mourinho, with a mirror form, varies a bit in view of the Europa League, but has to do without the feverish Pellegrini from the start. The Portuguese coach must therefore transform the formation with a three-man defense by trusting Llorente alongside Smalling and Mancini, who returned after his suspension, and El Shaarawy and Dybala behind Solbakken. And after the first moments of study
Rome immediately unlocked it taking advantage of a lightness of Schuurs. In the 6th minute, in fact, following a shot by Zalewski, the Dutchman blocked the yellow-red shot from 59 and after a moment’s hesitation Colombo indicated the penalty spot:
Dybala, face to face with Milinkovic-Savic, the grenade goalkeeper made no mistake and was cold, who almost intercepted Joya’s shot from eleven meters with his studs. For the Argentine it is the eighth goal in this 2023, the eleventh in the league to enrich the favorable statistics from the penalty spot. Granata who immediately try to react and respond to the sorties of a Roma galvanized by the lightning advantage, with Rodriguez scaring Rui Patricio from a distance in the development of a corner from the left. Juric’s men don’t let themselves be rushed, they phrase and try several times for a play on the left for Radonjic, but Mancini and Smalling close well on the Serbian and Sanabria, leaving no room for conclusions towards Rui Patricio’s goal. On the other hand, Vanja is forced twice in a row to come out on the trocar to close the long balls towards Solbakken, with the risk in the 23rd minute with the ball headed by the goalkeeper from the granata who remains at Roma’s disposal, with Wijnaldum who from midfield tries to play to mock the Serbian. Rhythm that intensifies and chances on both sides in the last quarter of an hour of the first half, first with Ricci who gets walled up by the Capitoline defence, then with Cristante and Zalewski looking for goal without luck. Giallorossi who manage ball possession well to put Turin’s hopes to sleep, but are too hasty in forcing the play to find a double.
Grenade who immediately returned to the field aggressively, with Rui Patricio who had to be overcome in the 4th minute to smack Miranchuk’s header for a corner, caught splendidly from Rodriguez’s cross. Roma responding in the quarter of an hour with Smalling heading high from Dybala’s corner. Juric then changes the formation by inserting Vlasic and Pellegri in place of Ricci and Sanabria in search of an equal footing, but with the yellow and red defense that does not break down. Balance, tranquility and compactness in midfield are the extra weapon for Mourinho’s men who close well on the advances of the Piedmontese. Singo bucks, but luck does not assist Toro even when Radonjic tries to surprise Rui Patricio on the rebound. With the result hanging in the balance in a match that has the possibility of changing at any moment, Toro’s ball lap fails to hurt Roma who try to exploit the smudges of Juric’s men to attempt a counterattack. With Solbakken knocked out with a shoulder injury, Mourinho relied on an extra man in midfield in Matic to help Wijnaldum and Cristante seal off the home side’s phrasing. In the 43rd minute it was Pellegri who made Rui Patricio tremble, with a shot from number 11 that ended just wide with a deflection. In the six added time it is Abraham who tries to close it on the counterattack, with the left foot going high. At the triple whistle it’s a yellow and red party, with three points that give Mourinho’s team the third place alone at +1 on Milan. For Toro, however, it is a misstep that costs them overtaking Udinese for 10th place.
REPORT CARDS
Barn 5 – His game doesn’t start in the best way, with a great ingenuity that costs the penalty signed by Dybala. Held back by the yellow card received after only 6′ of play, the Dutchman didn’t put his foot where he could and forced Buongiorno into overtime on Solbakken and Dybala.
Radonjic 6.5 – Excellent performance by the Serbian attacking midfielder who often manages to put the Giallorossi defense in crisis. Another player compared to the one criticized by Juric in the post derby, a performance that however leaves a bad taste in the mouth for the negative result.
Llorente 6,5 – Mou trusts him, the Spaniard doesn’t betray him. After the excellent performance against Sampdoria, he also confirms himself with Toro managing to stem Miranchuk and shorten on Sanabria when Smalling doesn’t arrive.
Dybala 7 – Safety for the Giallorossi, infallible from the penalty spot. Eleventh hit of the season in the league, goal number 14 including cups for the Argentine who leads his team to a success that gives third place alone.
THE TABLE
TURIN-ROME 0-1
Torino (3-4-2-1): Milinkovic-Savic 6; Buongiorno 6 (34′ st Lazaro sv), Schuurs 5, Gravillon 5,5 (17′ st Djidji 6); Rodriguez 6, Gineitis 6, Ricci 5.5 (17′ st Vlasic 6), Singo 6; Radonjic 6.5 (34′ st Karamoh sv), Miranchuk 6; Sanabria 5.5 (17′ St Pellegri 6). Unavailable: Fiorenza, Gemello, Vojvoda, Bayeye, Adopo, Seck, Linetty. All.: Juric 6.
Roma (3-4-2-1): Rui Patricio 6.5; Llorente 6.5, Smalling 6.5, Mancini 6; Spinazzola 6, Wijnaldum 6.5, Cristante 6, Zalewski 6.5; El Shaarawy 6 (25′ st Pellegrini 6), Dybala 7 (38′ st Abraham sv); Solbakken 6 (29′ st Matic sv). A disp.: Boer, Svilar, Ibanez, Celik, Kumbulla, Darboe, Tahirovic, Belotti. All.: Mourinho 6,5.
Referee: Colombo
Markers: 8′ rig. Dybala (R)
Ammonite yourself: Schuurs, Gineitis, Milinkovic-Savic (T), El Shaarawy (R)
Expelled: Nobody
OPTA STATISTICS
- Paulo Dybala (11 goals, six assists) became the second Roma player in his rookie season in yellow and red to collect more than 10 goals and more than five assists in a single league after Mohamed Salah (2015/16) since the Serie A returned to 20 teams (2004/05).
- Since the date of his first penalty scored in Serie A on 9 November 2014, among the players with at least 15 penalties taken, no one has recorded a better percentage from the penalty spot than Paulo Dybala in the competition (88% – 22/25).
- Roma returned to victory away in the league after more than two months, ending a streak of four away matches without success (D1, L3).
- Roma have won back-to-back matches in Serie A for the first time since last January.
- Since the start of 2023, no team has kept Roma’s clean sheets in Serie A more times (eight, like Napoli).
- Roma have found the net in their last 12 Serie A home games against Torino: against no other team The Giallorossi boast a longer open streak of goals scored away in the competition (12 also against Atalanta).
- Torino have conceded two home knockouts in a row, remaining without goals in Serie A for the first time since May 2022 (vs Napoli and Roma) – two in that case, the first always against Napoli (0-1) and the second right with Rome (0-3).
- Torino have failed to score in two of their last three Serie A matches, as many as in their previous nine matches in the competition.
- Paulo Dybala has scored all four of his penalties in the league this season: no one has scored more goals from the penalty spot than the Argentinian in the competition (including Berardi four).
- Against Roma Nemanja Radonjic recorded his second best performance of the season in Serie A for dribbles attempted (10, only fewer than the 12 against Lazio last September) and successfully completed (six, only fewer than the seven with Sassuolo last matchday) .
- Roma have earned eight penalties in this league: no team has more (Atalanta also eight).
- Roma have just had one shot on goal against Turin: only with Napoli have they recorded fewer in this championship (zero vs Napoli on 23 October 2022).