Roma 1 : 1 Lazio – Capital Clubs shared points today

Both capital clubs were needing full points to solidify their spots in the top four. After Cagliari took points off Inter Milan earlier, Lazio’s victory would have put them level on 48 points with Antonio Conte’s club. At the same time, Roma were chasing three points to maintain their cushion over fifth-place Atalanta.

 

 

 

The first half

 

At the beginning of the first half, both sides were cautiously feeling out the game.

Through the first 20 minutes, Roma seemed intent on exploiting the age and general slowness of Radu and Lulic on Lazio’s left flank.

Roma would find a breakthrough on the opposite side of the pitch when Edin Dzeko scored an amazing ball off the left flank.

Edin Dzeko scored the goal for Roma at 26^th min. He used his size to shield off Strakosha and two Lazio defenders. He simply dinked it over the oncoming defenders, giving it the perfect arch to drop into the back of the net.

The Giallorossi were poking and prodding their way through the match, but Dzeko’s goal electrified the team on the pitch and the thousands of fans in the stands.

Roma were riding high when there was such a strange turn of events; that was one of the weirdest sequences you’ll ever see from a keeper.

That was a terrific gaffe from Lopez. And the first half closed with both capital clubs level at one goal apiece.

 

Second Half

 

The second half of this match started in typical Italian fashion, with a controversial penalty/no penalty call.

After Ünder’s show of skill, it seemed as if Kluivert was taken down on his corresponding run. At first, match official Gianpaolo Calvarese awarded a penalty, but upon further review, Calvarese judged that Patric’s collision was incidental.

Still, Roma kept controlling this match. Dzeko would have a satisfactory crack at Strakosha in the 69th minute. Though the ball was just a hair too far from Dzeko, resulting in more of a toe-poke, then a genuine lashing shot. With his earlier error, Strakosha came at the ball with all his might to clear the danger.

Roma found some space at 81st minute with the young Turk calling his number this time.

Fonseca would make the final change, Veretout off for Javier Pastore, with an eye on grabbing a last-ditch winner, but the whistle blew with neither side finding the last chance.

 

It was unforgivable that Roma could not earn more from this match as well as they surely deserved it. But their lead over fifth-place Atalanta has shrunk to one point. So while there are a lot of feel-goods from this match, Roma are really under the gun now.