Against Hellas Verona the "other Roma" wins

The father, the child, and the Pharaoh. That is, Nemanja Matic, Cristian Volpato, and Stephan El Shaarawy. Mix them as you like, either way, there will be an answer for this victory at the Bentegodi. The victory which came at the end of an agony that lasted ninety minutes and then was broken by the three who came off the bench, stepped onto the pitch and decided it.

Not more than a few days ago, somewhere we had read about how Roma was in last place for goals scored by substitute players. Their ranking climbed in ninety minutes. Indeed, forty-five for the Pharaoh (plus recovery) who took away our last anxieties (there had been so many) in the 97th minute with one of the most beautiful goals of his career. Thirty-three for the little boy who with the nerve and courage of his young age made us squeal with that left-footed shot right into the little corner where Montipò could not reach and then with that assist to the Pharaoh so that he could go and close out the game, match and encounter. Twenty-three the Serbian who, in these minutes, made us understand what kind of player he can be for this Roma, the true playmaker who is needed (until his entrance it had been Smalling's turn, think about it, to dictate timing and geometry). He is the one capable of understanding what is going on and what is needed on the pitch, as on the occasion of the goal for the lead, with a superior footballer's play on the line at the back. He kept his head high to understand what was the best thing to do. He understood it by using that ball that Volpato had turned into the fourth-place goal and turning it into the chance for Roma to approach the next two challenges more serenely and, perhaps, even aware that they can play better than what they showed us again in Verona.

The three of them changed the game. Volpato and El Shaarawy gave speed and courage, the Serbian midfielder, who was also back from a muscle problem that in recent days had prevented him from training at one hundred percent, gave wisdom as Mourinho himself had told us on the eve of the match. They won it, along with a Camara who packed the equalizing act by stealing the ball at the twilight of the first half in which Abraham had taken two posts (the second later turned into a goal by Zaniolo) practically on an empty goal. They won it, probably dragged along by a lightness that the rest of the team could not have, from a Pellegrini who, to be good, gave us the impression of never understanding what position to play Abraham who had returned to crumpling on himself, perhaps knocked unconscious by that post taken on an empty goal that was a difficult mistake to accept. It was still on the scoreline, after Verona (they don't quite know how either) took the lead, that the risk became clear that they may return from the Bentegodi with nothing but disappointment in their suitcases.

Instead, the substitutes took care of it and tried to give a winning sense to a Roma that also did not seem to have a winning sense. Of course, even the second half was not exactly a hymn to the aesthetics of soccer, but at least we always had the feeling that something good could happen. With El Shaarawy on the left who was at least always trying to make the play and the kid on the other lane, who served too little, so when he had the ball between his feet he didn't give a damn if he looked bad and instead was trying to jump over the man to attempt the right play for his teammate. And in the end, he succeeded with that left-footed shot that in fact sealed the game even though there were still a few minutes left against a Verona reduced to ten already at the end of the first half. But no one dared to say that that foul was not red. Davidowicz risked breaking Zaniolo's leg. Thus, just think of Milinkovic Savic's yellow and make a simple proportion (we know it has little to do with it, but we are still pleased to point it out).

Who knows, then, if these three points will convince Mourinho that he has more additional resources than he thinks he has. True, in the infirmary there are Dybala, Wijnaldum, Spinazzola (and Darboe) whom we will see again only  in 2023. But having depth on the bench, as yesterday at Bentegodi, from Matic, El Shaarawy, the child, the just re-established Celik, Belotti, Shomurodov, Kumbulla, Bove (but why does he never play? ) and Viña, still means having at our disposal a deep roster that can at least scale back the very heavy absences Roma has been dealing with practically since the beginning of the season. Mou has told us loud and clear that we have to hold out until November 13, which is four more games away, Ludogorets on Thursday, the derby against Lazio on Sunday, Sassuolo on Wednesday next week and then Torino. We have the men to do it. So hang in there, hang in there, hang in there, even though you may have heard this one before.