Unbeaten at the Stadio Olimpico in almost a year, Luciano Spalleti’s Roma can rely on their home form as they look to close in on Juventus.
Roma kept up the pace in the hunt to close in on Serie A leaders Juventus on Sunday evening, with a resounding 4-1 victory over struggling Palermo. Whilst their opponents are down in the dumps at the moment, it does not take away from the fact that the Giallorossi’s scintillating home form could be the difference maker in their push for the title.
By the time Stephan El Shaarawy added gloss to the scoreline with the fourth goal late on, Roma had extended their unbeaten home run in the league to an incredible 17 matches, and have not tasted defeat on their own turf since Atalanta beat them in November of last year.
Indeed, La Dea have come away with all three points since Palermo themselves secured a 2-1 at the end of the 2014/15 season, a full 18 months ago.
By turning the Stadio Olimpico into a fortress, Roma have been able to mount an early title challenge and have swept aside all that have visited the capital. Coach Luciano Spalletti has seen his side click into gear following a disappointing defeat to Torino, and his attacking trident is a joy to behold.
A lethal combination of pace and power in the form of Edin Dzeko, Mohamed Salah, and El Shaarawy are proving too hot to handle for most teams, particularly as the former duo have forged a fine partnership.
Dzeko and Salah both found themselves on the scoresheet against Palermo and prior to Sunday’s clash, all but one of Roma’s last eight goals had been scored by one of them.
With the intelligent Diego Perotti set to return from injury, added to the evergreen talents of Francesco Totti on the bench, Roma are well equipped to fire their way towards a title challenge.
Meanwhile, fellow goalscorer Leandro Paredes has returned from his loan spell at Empoli with the experience of a full season in Serie A under his belt, and his influence is already being felt. Defensively, Spalletti’s side are still vulnerable but have one of the league’s best centre-backs in Kostas Manolas.
However, a first Scudetto since 2001 is likely to hinge on various other factors, most notably the form of reigning Juventus, and a seemingly resurgent AC Milan. Whilst this may be out of Roma’s control, the Lupi will need to improve on the road and match their stellar home performances.
With trips to Sassuolo and Genoa up next, it is the perfect opportunity for Roma to show they have the maturity and nous to pick up points on their travels and make a genuine push for the title.
It is worth noting that Roma have never failed to finish outside the top three after picking up 19 points from their opening nine games; but this time, surely, the Giallorossi faithful will be demanding more than that.
