Dzeko, Kluivert and Pau Lopez out at the last minute for fitness problems. On top of that, we lost Santon only after 15 mins of play. Then, Flaco, Cristante and Zapp, the other long term absenteees.
Yet, Roma managed quite well against the league leaders, a great display in defense by Small-dini and Mancini, with Mirante showing he’s still a reliable keeper. The Lu-La duo, Lukaku and Lautaro, were kept at bay for most of the match.
It was real pity we didn’t have Dzeko from the start. Roma gave the impression to be able to hurt the nerazzurri with a proper no. 9, but neither Zaniolo or Miki are real centreforwards. Maybe Kalinic should have played instead, keep the pair on the wings, and leave Perotti on the bench. Not an easy one.
The first half was a missed opportunity to get in front, Roma were up for it but hardly got Handanovic busy. On the other end, however, Inter had their golden chances, and only for some silly mistakes from our side.
In the end, a valuable point. Diawara was man of the match, labouring and directing the midfield, while Veretout did not have a good game this time. Spinazzola failed systematically to slot crosses in the 6-yard box, while Perotti, Zaniolo and Miki did not impress. As mentioned, Smalling and Mancini were just perfect at the back. And Mirante was decisive with 2 or 3 great saves.
On another note, the mystery of Florenzi continues, he came on as sub only with 2 mins to go. He’s obviously not in Fonseca’s top pecking order, yet we feel he could have been used much earlier to replace Santon or Perotti. His crosses are better than Spina. He runs and fight. So, why. Perhaps there isn’t a why. Just the way it is at the moment. But for how much longer will the Captain stay quiet? Next stop: Wolfsberger and SPAL. Let’s qualify first, then forward we go. Forza Roma.