Analyzing the Roots of AS Roma’s Late-Season Collapse
This is not new to us AS Roma fans, a late season wobble and collapse when the club is in a good position, and they will end up playing catch up. We have seen this story before and how it plays out.
The club is now looking in from the outside with Como, the current darling of Italian football, now in the pole position for a top four spot in the Serie A standings with fifty-seven points from thirty games. Both Juventus and AS Roma are trailing Como by three points with Juventus sitting higher in fifth position on head-to-head record with picking up four points from the two games played against Roma.
As the month of March went on, the moment that the season started to unravel was a Sunday evening game at home to Juventus. The Sunday before, Roma defeated Cremonese 3-0 with three second half goals from Evan Ndicka, Bryan Cristante and Niccolò Pisilli. After this home win over then Davide Nicola’s Cremonese side, Roma were in third place in the Serie A standings with fifty points from twenty-six games and the Roma fans were all dreaming of a return to the top table of European Football.
A week later was Roma vs Juventus, Roma have struggled against Juventus at home in recent years and last beat the old lady in Rome in March 2023 with Gianluca Mancini scoring the only goal of the game. Before that it was matchday thirty six of the 2018-19 season. Juventus would win the title but were defeated 2-0 thanks to goals from Alessandro Florenzi and Edin Džeko.
With just twenty minutes remaining, Roma are cruising to a brilliant home win. Five mins before Donyell Malen had made it 3-1 to Roma and the Stadio Olimpico had erupted. Malen latched onto a brilliant through ball by Manu Kone and finished wonderfully with a chip over the on rushing Mattia Perin. This was the moment to seize this wonderful opportunity and make the top four spot Roma own and finally qualify for the UEFA Champions League. But it all fell apart in a crazy last fifteen minutes.
Substitute Jeremie Boga was left unmarked at the back post and made it 3-2. Made the last twelve minutes of the game a bit nervy. Roma had a corner at the start of stoppage time. Decided to play keep ball and play it back to Mile Svilar who kicked it long and Juventus won a throw in. Thirty seconds Juventus win a free kick on the right-hand side around twenty-five yards from goal. Neil El Aynaoui with a late foul on Pierre Kalulu.
Luciano Spalletti is seen shouting instructions from the technical area for a left footer to take it in Edon Zhegrova. His set piece float is curled in, deflects off Evan Ndicka and falls to Juventus substitute Federico Gatti who fires home from close range and goes off celebrating in front of the Juventus mass traveling fans to the right of the Curva Nord. That late goal got Federico Gatti a Man of the Match award.
Why Gian Piero Gasperini and AS Roma are a Match Made in Heaven
This was not the first time that Roma had thrown away a 3-1 lead at home to Juventus. In January 2022 they did the same thing this time under José Mourinho and lost 4-3 at home. What made it worse was Lorenzo Pellegrini had a late penalty saved to make it 4-4 by former Roma goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny. The next three weeks would make or break Roma season in a nutshell, and it broke it. A late Federico Gatti equaliser left a damning psychological scare on the team that they struggled to perform in the next five games.
Roma travelled to Genoa to take on their former idol and manager in Daniele De Rossi. Genoa outfought, outplayed his former side, and won the game 2-1 at home in the Marassi thanks to a late goal from Portuguese striker Vitinha. Roma was denied a clear penalty at 1-1 when Manu Koné effort on goal was blocked by the hands of Genoa midfielder Ruslan Malinovski.
Referee Andrea Columbo and his VAR officials missed the incident. The Como-born referee also booked Evan Ndicka, and he would miss the next Serie A game which was away at Como. The conspiracy theories were out in full force on social media after the game. Before the Como away game was Roma trip to Bologna to take on the Serie A side in an all-Italian Europa League last sixteen side.
Federico Bernadeschi opener was cancelled out twenty minutes later by Lorenzo Pellegrini and Roma scored with there only shot on target and managed to get away from Bologna with the spoils in the tie and unhurt. The game away in Como was marred in controversy and it followed Gian Piero Gasperini side in the back-to-back league games. Davide Massa had a poor game, but Roma failed to capitalise a half time lead when Donyell Malen scored from the penalty spot after Stephan El Shaarawy was brought down by Diego Carlos.
Como was a different side after Cesc Fabregas changed his 3-4-2-1 to a 4-2-3-1 and brought on Greek striker Anastasios Douvikas and he got the equaliser just before the hour. Wesley the Brazilian wing back for Roma was sent off for picking up a second yellow card for a foul on Assane Diao. But on replay the Brazilian did not make contact and it was Devyne Rensch who made the foul.
A poor mistake from Davide Massa which was made worse when he failed to send off Diego Carlos for DOGSO last challenge on Robinho Vaz. You can guess who got the winner for Como as they pinned Roma deeper and deeper into the own half. The Como defender swept home from close range and gave Como a vital win for top four positions.
The final nail in the coffin was just a few days later in a packed Stadio Olimpico as it was the return leg of all Italian tie in the Europa League last sixteen against Bologna. It was all to play for with it being 1-1 from the first leg. An enthralling energy sapping 120 minutes of football went by with Vincenzo Italiano side who threw it away in the second half coming on top with a 4-3 away win and 5-4 on aggregate.
Bologna raced into a 3-1 lead thanks to goals from Jonathan Rowe, Federico Bernadeschi penalty after Nadir Zortea was brought down by Stephan El Shaarawy, and a thunderbolt from Santiago Castro. Evan Ndicka equalised after Jonathan Rowe wonderful goal. Roma in eleven second half minutes gave their fans hope including myself.
First from twelve yards as Donyell Malen halved the deficit, Robinho Vaz a big money move from Marseille won the penalty after a foul from Remo Freuler. Robinho Vaz again turned provider this time for Lorenzo Pellegrini to take this game into extra time.
The final thirty minutes of the game was tiring for Roma, and they looked drained and lost all energy in there play. They were picked off as Bologna substitutions looked more energised and that proved pivotal with Nicolo Cambiaghi being the match winner with a goal in the 111th minute of the game and the goal which took Bologna to a UEFA Europa League quarter final against Aston Villa.
AS Roma restored some pride a few days later with a scrappy 1-0 win over Lecce at the Stadio Olimpico. A day prior, Juventus dropped points at home to Sassuolo with Fabio Grosso side picking a priceless point especially with members of the Sassuolo squad effected with whooping cough. But Como made light work of Pisa in the Sunday lunch time kick off before the March international break with an emphatic 5-0 win.
This made Roma victory over Lecce much needed, the performance was not great especially after a draining European tie just three days prior. Robinho Vaz was the match winner with his first goal in Italian football and for AS Roma. A back post header after a Mario Hermoso cross.
This is nothing new for Roma and supporting the club, under numerous coaches who have done well at other clubs and have won trophies. They witness a meltdown on the pitch and Roma struggle to come back from it. The next four games for AS Roma will make or break their season, on Easter Sunday they travel to the San Siro to take on an Inter side who have been dropping points recently. Then there are back-to-back home games against Pisa and Atalanta. Then a trip to Bologna where Roma will be seeking revenge for the Europa League exit.
If Roma can get out of this funk and downward spiral, then can challenge and make a go at it for top four. Something that looked on the cards just under a month ago and since then its all gone horribly wrong. There are eight games left and plenty of points to play for and under Gian Piero Gasperini and his investment in younger players and Donyell Malen they certainly can push forward in business end of the season.
By: Scot Munroe / @scot_munroe
Featured Image: @Juanffran / Getty Images