The second feisty week of Champions League mega-action saw Roma meet Manchester City, for what was assumed to be a test of wits, combining all of the Premier League calibre with the relentless energy of the Serie A. For both sides, it was paramount to scoop a victory, but neither prevailed; a 1-1 draw is no mean feat, but not quite the sort of glory that Rudi Garcia or Manuel Pellegrini had yearned for.
Roma Not Enough to Quash Manchester City?
The fingers of both teams were tightly crossed before the fixture, especially those of the Italian side; dominant, ferocious Daniele De Rossi had been ruled out following a severe injury just weeks ago, which was more than enough cause for concern. Roma’s bid to achieve stunning success in the tournament has been bubbling under the surface since their previous campaign back in the 2010/2011 spell. For veteran striker and all-round loyal chap, Francesco Totti, securing a win would give Roma the audacity to cruise through to the next round, and to get as far as even the semi-finals would be something of a blessing.
The newfound ascendancy of Roma on home turf Stadio Olimpico, married with the omnipresent zest for beating other Serie A squads, has been seriously encouraging of late. Rudi Garcia has landed on his feet with such a creative team to coach. However, Manchester City have been an unstoppable force in prior Premier League seasons (albeit not so much currently), which hints that their place in the Champions League is one to be protected with much oomph also.
For Roma to gazump the other teams in Group E and career gracefully into the next round, they would have to put on quite a show, and although their tactics against Manchester City were decent, they didn’t bring the necessary skills to the ground. So much so, within four minutes of ball-kicking capers, Maicon had conceded a penalty.
The detrimental consequences of Maicon’s careless error led to disappointment blushing onto the faces of each and every Roma fan; worse still, Sergio Agüero was as mighty as usual, and claimed a goal for Pellegrini’s men all too swiftly.
However, Roma didn’t have to fear for too long; they oozed composure and possessed the majority of control within the first half. This coupled with the absolutely stonking shot into the back of City’s net from the legendary Mr. Totti saw Roma equalise oh so comfortably in the 23rd minute.
Despite City seizing most of the ball possession back in the second half, the anticipated exciting events rather tapered off. Pellegrini called upon James Milner and Frank Lampard to take over from Jesús Navas and Edin Džeko respectively, showcasing some English power. 66 minutes saw Lampard take a rather bold shot, almost on target, whilst Roma only really demonstrated Pjanic’s adroit shots, but to no avail.
Seydou Keita managed to step up remarkably in the aim of filling De Rossi’s boots. Although Mr. De Rossi’s presence would have been optimal, youthful Keita was structured and slipped into the void with ease, putting enough pressure on City at the Etihad. Considering that this was on native soil for the Mancunian side, Roma were pressing enough to display their worth; they certainly harbour enough dexterity to beat a side such as City.
The game wasn’t exactly immense, but Roma were capable, meticulous (well, apart from Maicon) and, ultimately, ready. This sort of form should fare well against Bayern Munich, the next agonising side for Roma to square up against; we all know Pep Guardiola’s men are an inexorable, brilliant bunch. Roma might wish to pull their socks up slightly further.
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