When it comes to Roma, the judgement is always VARiable.

In the first home game of the season, Di Francesco faces defense emergency and has to take remedial action lining up Juan Jesus as right-back and Fazio and Manolas as centre-backs. It must be said that this solution yields benefits for the entire match, so maybe now the detractors will stop criticizing him for his inexperience in a top team.

IN

In the first half, Giallorossi are lined up very well on the field, except in the first fifteen minutes, when Inter has two or three chances for a goal. This time the defenders are more reliable and Kolarov is the most important player among them, above all when he recovers the ball and counter-attacks, but after the penalty not allowed and Inter’s equalizer, he turns off like his teammates. Special kudos to Juan Jesus who shows his availability to put at Di Francesco’s disposal and although Defrel often helps the defense, the Brazilian player is applauded by all the supporters until the middle of the second half, when he leaves the field, exhausted.
Strootman makes a great performance, recovering many balls and starting the action. He fails also a chance to score. Nainggolan, after hitting the post and assisting many times the strikers in the first half, in the second one the opponent hem in, so he cannot be useful for Roma’s play. De Rossi is lined up to help the defense, and is always attentive, but when the team suffers a psychological break after Inter takes the lead, he makes some mistakes and turns off like his teammates. Perotti is the biggest danger for the opposing defense. In fact, most of the assists to Dzeko come from him. Like Nainggolan, also Perotti hits the post, which confirms that he should shot on goal more often. Dzeko is as usual tireless, helps the team, recovers the ball and, above all, scores the advantage of Rome.
El Shaarawy wastes a chance to equalize, but shows as usual his abilities. The other two reserves, Cengiz Under and Tumminello, enter the field too late to judge them.
Eusebio Di Francesco shows to Roma’s supporters a team that can dominate a strong opponent like Inter although without the regular defenders. Much remains to be done, but the team is on the right track.

OUT
The centre-backs are the negative thing of the match. Manolas fulfills his task neither good nor bad and a momentary distraction of Fazio causes Inter’s equalizer, then his lack of confidence infects the other defenders and the entire team. His limitations are clear, so it is necessary to buy another centre-back.
The team is mentally weak. It is unacceptable to break down in this way. Much remains to be done about this problem, above all to keep from losing other important points.
However, the first place of the negative things goes to the bad luck. In fact, Roma hits the post three times and the referee does not use the VAR to judge the foul on Perotti in the box. The pictures on TV have shown that it was penalty, so maybe the final score of the match would be different.

Chiara Trinci