Empoli-Roma 1-2: goals from Dybala, Bandinelli and Abraham

From our correspondent Andrea Pugliese

September 12
– EMPOLI

With a bit of effort and suffering, but in the end Roma manages to put behind them the black week born in Udine and worsened in Razgrad, returning from Empoli with three very heavy points (2-1), which allow them to return to a only length from the summit. To put the mark on the Giallorossi victory is an amazing Dybala (goals and assists for Abraham), increasingly the jewel of the house. Empoli tried, they also played a good match, intense and lively. But the greater Roma quality in the long run made the difference.

Question and answer

—

Zanetti leaves Bajrami on the bench and in front he relies on Pjaca behind Lammers and Satriano, while Mourinho in the middle of the field surprisingly confirms the pair Cristante-Matic. The result is a sparkling game, played openly, with Empoli trying to do like Udinese, taking advantage of the quadrilateral in the midfield between Marini and Pjaca as leaders and Haas and Bandinelli as midfielders. Lammers and Bandinelli immediately become dangerous, Dybala swears for the pole in the melee. In short, the emotions are not lacking: Pjaca shivers Rui Patricio on the corner scheme, while Dybala this time places a billiard shot from the outside for the Giallorossi advantage (on a defective rejected by Luperto). Then the Tuscan reaction develops on the Parisi-Satriano axis, with the first to pack assists and the second to seek the way of a draw (which is denied him by the pole). In the meantime, however, Rome has moved back the center of gravity, also to try to hurt in the spaces with the restarts. Paradoxically, however, the opportunities come from maneuvered actions, first for Pellegrini and then for Celik. And the Turk (with Mancini’s complicity) falls asleep in the 43rd minute, leaving only Bandinelli for Empoli’s draw. All in all a right 1-1, given that the Tuscans played with boldness, without fear, and Roma made the most of their interpreters’ technical figure.

Super Joya

—

The second half opens with Roma a breath away from the new advantage, but Parisi rejects Ibanez’s header on the goal line. The Giallorossi pressure is growing by the minute, even if the real problem is that Abraham finds for a long time another day so-so from his start to the season. Pellegrini, on the other hand, forces Ismajli first and then Akpa Apro, who has just entered, to yellow. Behind, moreover, Empoli risks a lot in building from below and a couple of times almost risks scoring by themselves, giving gold balls to the Giallorossi. Then Mancini misses the marking again and he is happy that Satriano devours the 2-1 goal. And then to bring out the rabbit is once again Dybala, with a magic of his and an assist to the kiss for Abraham, who this time is not wrong. Then Pellegrini finds the worst way to celebrate his 200 matches in the Giallorossi, kicking the penalty awarded for a foul by Cacace on Ibanez on the crossbar. So Mou decides to include an extra midfielder (Bove), to try to cement the victory in the nerve center of the pitch. But the emotions are endless: Akpa Akpro’s pole from the edge, who soon after is expelled for an entrataccia on Smalling. So Vicario saves first on Bove and then on Belotti, 7 minutes of recovery arrive and Bandinelli’s last desperate attempt. But there is no time for anything, Roma are back to win.