JAKARTA - AS Roma again won a crucial victory after defeating Sassuolo 2-0 in an Italian Serie A match at the Olimpico Stadium, Sunday, January 11, 2006 WIB. The result made Jay Idzes et al. fail to stop the top team in the domestic competition.
Sassuolo for the second time in a row faced an elite team in the league. After losing 3-0 to Juventus, they returned to face an ascending Roma. As a result, Idzes who played the full 90 minutes of the match had to work hard to stop Roma's offensive game.
Even though the team's defense played very solid, they eventually conceded. In fact, Roma only needed two minutes to break down the strength of Sassuolo, which is very difficult for the Giallorossi's forwards to penetrate.
The second defeat in the league was clearly disappointing for coach Fabio Grosso. Moreover, the team has never won six times. More disappointing, Grosso who led Italy to win the 2006 World Cup said that the team actually played very well in the first half.
"We played very well and created a number of opportunities that could really make us ahead first. But we failed to maximize those opportunities. We have to be better, especially in finishing," Grosso said as quoted by the club's website.
"We always concede when we face strong teams. This is certainly a disappointing result. We conceded a goal that should not have happened," he said again.
Meanwhile, Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini finally spoke to the media after refusing to attend a press conference after defeating Lecce 2-0, saying that the team looked different when starting the second half. According to him, the team played with more intensity and quality.
"We played more intensely in the second half. But more than that, we also showed quality," said Gasperini.
"I started watching how they looked like during training. They played well in the tight match and created opportunities in the opponent's area. I thank the players who showed their commitment, character and quality," he said.
In that match, Roma who played at home really struggled to face Sassuolo's solid game. Even the visiting team had the opportunity through Ismael Kone who managed to escape the offside trap in the 17th minute. However, when faced one-on-one with goalkeeper Mile Svilar, his kick could be thwarted.
Next, Armad Lauriente tried to take advantage of the rebound from Svilar. Only his shot was still wide. Sassuolo got another chance through Alieu Fadera, but failed to convert it.
Roma actually also played openly and created several opportunities. Forward Evan Ferguson should have been able to give Roma the lead if he was not stopped by Idzes, who continued to play consistently in the heart of the defense so that Sassuolo's goal did not concede throughout the first half.
When entering the second half, Roma tried to take the initiative to attack. But their attacks always failed so Paulo Dybala et al were frustrated.
After many failures, Roma finally broke the deadlock after Manu Kone broke the Neroverdi goal in the 76th minute. Welcoming Matias Soule's cross, his header successfully brought Roma ahead 1-0.
Kone's goal immediately restored the confidence and spirit of the Roma players. They played aggressively again to put pressure on the opponent's defense. Only two minutes later, it was Soule's turn to strengthen Roma's advantage. He completed an assist from Stephan El Shaarawy to change the score to 2-0.
No more goals were created. The score remained until the end of the match. The victory over Sassuolo made Roma rise one strip and ranked third after collecting 39 points. Roma, who displaced Napoli, has the same points as AC Milan, but they are still behind in goal difference.
Meanwhile, Inter Milan, who are perched at the top of the standings, have 42 points. Sassuolo themselves are still struggling in the middle of the table. They are ranked 11th with 23 points. 10 points ahead of Hellas Verona who are in the relegation zone.
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