It was a day of firsts and potential lasts at the Stadio Olimpico this afternoon. With a week of scheduling controversies finally settled, Roma and Lazio went toe-to-toe under the midday sun in one of the more consequential Derbies della Capitale we’ve seen in several years. While Lazio had nothing to play for and few fans in attendance, thanks to a Curva Nord boycott of the club’s ownership, Roma’s Champions League hopes were on the line.
With their four chief rivals for Italy’s final Champions League places (Juventus, Como, AC Milan, and Napoli) kicking off at the same time, Roma had no time to watch the table as they squared off against their bitter city rivals. A victory over Lazio, plus a little help from Fiorentina, Genoa, Pisa, or Parma, would have seen Roma climb as high as third place on the table, while a draw or defeat likely meant the end of their top-four hopes.
Add to that the emotion of Stephan El Shaarawy’s final appearance at the Olimpico, not to mention Paulo Dybala’s potential exit, and the Olimpico became a powder keg of emotion. Like most contests between these two clubs, the latest rendition of the Derby della Capitale featured an extended feeling-out period, with both Roman clubs struggling to seize control of the match in the first 15 to 20 minutes. In fact, through the first 30 minutes, the match featured an even 50/50 possession split.
As the first half progressed, Lazio found their footing, with Matteo Cancellieri, Mario Gila, and Tijani Noslin testing Roma’s backline in the latter stages of the first half. Lazio wasn’t dominating, but Roma’s attack wasn’t as electrifying as we’ve seen in recent weeks, struggling to feed the ball to Donyell Malen in the final third, with the Dutchman managing only one shot in the first half.
However, as has often been the case this season, Roma’s saving grace came via the setpiece:
There was nothing extraordinary about this goal, but top marks to Niccolo Pisilli for laying the ball up for Gianluca Mancini, who lashed a header past young Alessio Furlanetto before racing all the way to the other side of the pitch to celebrate with the Curva Sud.
Heading into the break with a one-goal lead, Roma’s already high spirits were further lifted by Fiorentina, who held their own one-goal lead over Juventus at the Allianz Stadium in Torino. With fortune leaning in their direction, Roma kept their foot on the gas, pumping 10 additional shots at Lazio in the second half. However, apart from a volleyed effort from Malen and a near put-back goal from El Shaarawy, Roma wasn’t particularly impressive in the run of play.
But once again, the Giallorossi found a lifeline thanks to another tidy set piece goal:
This time, it was Paulo Dybala serving up the corner, but the result was exactly the same: Mancini found a crack in the defense, rose up and beat Furlanetto, sending the Olimpico into hysterics. Roma nearly added a pair of late goals, with Artem Dovbyk and El Shaarawy each coming excruciatingly close to tucking a ball inside the post, but Mancini’s heroics were enough to win the day.
Final Thoughts
Thanks to Mancini’s performance, the first time in club history that a defender scored a brace in the derby, and Fiorentina’s 2-0 win over Juventus, Roma will head into the final week of the season officially in fourth place, holding a two-point lead over Como and Juve. While there are other permutation scenarios, a win over 19th-place Hellas Verona next week will put an end to Roma’s nearly decade-long Champions League drought.
Hallelujah!
Up Next
Roma faces Verona on the road next Sunday.
