Roma’s desire to fight their way back into the top-four was evident from the first whistle. José Mourinho’s side were on the front foot, but lacked quality in the final ball when it mattered. Much to the chagrin of the capital club however, Verona were willing to meet them head on in a battle of wills. While it looked like the first half would peter out scoreless, the Stadio Olimpico was set alight just before the break when Solbakken collected the ball in the Verona box before beautifully slotting home to snatch the lead for Roma on his first league start for the club.
In typical Roma fashion, the hosts sat on their lead in the second half, slowing the tempo down to a halt. Verona pushed to equalise when they had the opportunity but struggled to find the quality in the final third. Roma’s sturdy rearguard saw out the meagre threat posed by their visitors. It was a vintage end to the match from a Mourinho side, as they shut the door on Verona and collected all three points to reclaim their spot in Serie A’s top-four.
Marco Zaffaroni’s side continue to stare relegation in the face, now two points from safety. However, a recent uptick in form has given Hellas a chance to claw their way out of the basement, as since the start of 2023, only six teams have accumulated more points in Serie A.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Ola Solbakken (Roma)
