It was a day of ended streaks on Saturday as SPAL beat Roma 2-1 to bring an end to their 11-game winless run at the Stadio Paolo Mazza, picking up three points at home for just the third time this season and the first since September 17.
The Ferrarese hadn’t beaten the Giallorossi twice in a single Serie A season since 1965/66 but the long wait came to an end thanks to goals from Mohamed Fares and an Andrea Petagna penalty either side of Diego Perotti’s own effort from 12 yards for the visitors.
All was unusually quiet inside the Mazza ahead of kick-off but all of that soon changed once the players reemerged to get the game going and SPAL fed off the energy provided by their home support, which has too often weighed on their shoulders this season.
Manuel Lazzari was a consistent thorn in Juan Jesus’ side from early on, with Jasmin Kurtic proving similarly hard to manage on the opposite flank as the Biancazzurri took the game to Claudio Ranieri’s side.
It wasn’t all early dominance though and SPAL did have a couple of scares in the opening minutes, with Stephan El Shaarawy and Patrik Schick pouncing on sloppy passes in the hosts’ own half, only to fall short with their final product.
Mohamed Fares, as he so often does, arrived in around the back in perfect time to head SPAL into the lead midway through the first half. The full-back climbed excellently to dispatch a wonderfully executed header that dipped into Robin Olsen’s top corner.
El Shaarawy posed a threat on the counterattack, as did Schick, but for the most part, it was Leonardo Semplici’s men who were on top.
Edin Dzeko’s afternoon wasn’t going too well and aside from falling over when in possession and completely untested, his first real involvement came as he got into a half-time dispute while leaving the pitch at the break, prompting a bit of a scuffle in front of the tunnel that saw him booked.
Roma’s season so far. pic.twitter.com/AeHawhfOda
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Nicolo Zaniolo and Diego Perotti were introduced for the second half and it took the pair just six minutes to have a big say. Zaniolo caught a stray ball and charged at the hosts’ backline, slipping Dzeko in who was then deemed to be fouled in a coming-together with Thiago Cionek, which saw a penalty awarded.
Perotti stepped up and, in typically cool fashion, rolled the ball into the corner as he sent Emiliano Viviano diving the wrong way.
The Ferrarese did have their own penalty awarded within five minutes. Andrea Petagna latched onto the end of a through ball and went down under pressure from Juan Jesus, prompting Gianluca Rocchi to point to the spot. VAR was consulted and, after a long wait, the penalty stood. Petagna himself assumed responsibility and smashed it out of Olsen’s reach for his 11th of the Serie A season.
Viviano pulled off a stunning save to deny Dzeko from point-blank range. The Bosnian did well to hold the ball and work just enough room to shoot and, somehow, Viviano got down low with little to no notice to get a strong hand behind it, allowing him to push the ball away from danger.
SPAL weren’t finished though and they kept trying to carve out more. Cionek was the next to come close as he hit the crossbar with a header from a tight angle.
Six minutes were added much to the dismay and frustration of the always-vocal Curva Ovest and surrounding stands, but SPAL managed to hold on.
Flanks prove key
Jasmin Kurtic, Manuel Lazzari and Mohamed Fares deserve special credit for this win, with each of the three working tirelessly from the first whistle to the last – or until they were withdrawn in the cases of Kurtic and Lazzari.
Lazzari was tricky and direct on the sideline, constantly keeping Juan Jesus on his toes and giving the Roma defender a nightmare.
Kurtic, on the opposite side, was more keen to drift inside in an attempt to draw either of the Roma central defenders out to close him down or to suck Karsdorp in with him and leave space on the outside for an overlapping run.
Fares, as ever, wasn’t always the most reliable in possession and he was guilty of being caught in possession a couple of times but he never stopped, still battling strong in the 96th minute – and however much longer the game went on.
Zaniolo a spark
He only came on at half-time, but Nicolo Zaniolo needed just over five minutes to help his team as he was the driving force behind them winning a penalty early in the second half.
SPAL were terrified when he had the ball and he drew players towards him and caused them to lose their shape a couple of times.
The youngster is a genuine talent and his way of moving in possession is something of a rarity in Serie A, and not just amongst its Italians.
If Roma are to qualify for next season’s Champions League, Zaniolo will undoubtedly be key and he will need to play 90 minutes more often than not.
Schick has a future
Patrik Schick didn’t have his best game, but he showed enough to suggest that there is still a player in there.
He’s lacking in a bit of confidence, naturally, but when he has the ball he’s hard to get close to and it was just his decision-making that let him and his side down – often taking a touch too many in the final third.
Ranieri’s arrival gives the No.14 a chance, and he needs to make the most of what’s left of this season, from which point on he can rebuild his career, preferably in the Eternal City.
