After the disappointment of the derby, Roma returned to victory in the Conference League with three goals against Zorya in Ukraine, a panacea after the post-Lazio controversy. The defeat in the derby left a lot of bitterness in the mouth for how it arrived, condemned by the episodes but also the feeling that the team made the same mistakes as the last derby last year.
I was hoping that Mourinho had taken notes and warned the team, but instead of the Special One and Sarri, the ghosts of Inzaghi and Fonseca were seen again. Pellegrini’s absence weighed heavily, and it shows. In Ukraine Lorenzo got the team back and despite the turnover there was another attitude. Pellegrini will never be Totti but in this team he makes the difference, and in my opinion the departure of Edin Dzeko has freed him mentally also for the captain’s armband and the leadership. Smalling also met in Ukraine, scoring with Tammy Abraham, two English players, with El Shaarawy.
Well Darboe, minus those who had been excluded and replaced as Villar and Mayoral, now clearly not very motivated and on the sideline with Diawara, with Cristante instead once again on the field. A game of ordinary administration against a very modest team, but which brings three points to for head the group. So a test that is not very reliable, against Empoli it will be another match.
It will take a good test to get back in the race, as Mourinho says there will be other tumbles during the season but absolutely we must not repeat the match in Verona, much less that of the derby. You need humility and compactness but also the awareness that you can’t always line up the same ones, the team has the obligation to try to finish fourth and they all serve to hit the target. Daje Roma.