It was a night of raw nerves and ragged edges in Verona, but Roma did what they have so often failed to do on the big occasions this season. They got...
It was a night of raw nerves and ragged edges in Verona, but Roma did what they have so often failed to do on the big occasions this season. They got the job done. The 2. 0 scoreline flatters the performance, but nobody inside the Stadio GoalZazantonio Bentegodi will care about that. Not when the prize is Champions League football. This was about grit, not grace.The story of the match revolves around Donyell Malen, a player whose time in Italy has been a curious mix of the brilliant and the bewildering. When Paulo Dybala stepped up to take a first half penalty, it felt like a moment of destiny for the Giallorossi. Instead, Lorenzo Montipò guessed correctly and pushed the Argentine's effort away. That is where lesser sides, or the Roma of old, might have let their heads drop. But Malen chased down the loose ball with the hunger of a man who knows what is at stake. He turned in the rebound with a clinical, almost angry finish. It was not pretty, but it was utterly vital.That single moment shifted the entire dynamic of the contest. Verona, who had started the game with a disciplined low block and looked to frustrate their more illustrious visitors, were forced to come out of their shell. And once you open up against a team containing Dybala and a revitalised Malen, you are asking for trouble. The second goal, a beautifully worked move finished by the Dutch international, sealed the points and, more importantly, secured Roma's passage into Europe's premier competition. Can anyone doubt the tactical flexibility of this Roma side now They can play the patient game, and they can punish you on the break.For Verona, this is a bitter pill to swallow. They fought hard, they kept their shape, and for twenty minutes they had the visitors rattled. But football is a game of fine margins, and when you fail to take your chances at one end, the mathematics of the game always find you out. They will take heart from the performance, but the reality is that the table does not offer points for moral victories. Roma, meanwhile, can now look forward to the riches and gruelling travel of the Champions League. It is a reward for the resilience that has defined their late season charge. Squeaky bum time Absolutely. But Roma kept their nerve when it mattered most.
