The miracle failed. Luciano Spalletti's Roma remained that of Rudi Garcia, unable to keep the pitch for 90' and return to victory. The 1-1 draw of the Olimpico against Verona is equivalent to a defeat, both as regards the opponent and for the standings: now Napoli are first in the class by 9 points and also the Champions League area remains quite distant (5). You couldn't ask for the moon from the new Giallorossi coach but perhaps he didn't even think of running into such a complicated debut, made up of the usual ups and downs that have now become a real trademark.
“It's a difficult result to accept – sighed Spalletti. – We didn't have a great race but we tried until the end, we had to make better use of the opportunities created. We need to roll up our sleeves and work, we are in physical difficulty but we should be able to make the best technical quality count". The problem is that time passes and Roma have already wasted almost all the bonuses available. Yesterday's draw against the last in the standings is the perfect example: a team that works only occasionally and always with individual plays.
And so Verona took advantage of it to take a point that doesn't make the classification (salvation remains a desperate undertaking) but helps morale, coincidentally Rome's real weak point. Going ahead in the 41st minute with a close shot from Nainggolan, Spalletti's team lost at the first difficulties, ending up suffering the return of the yellow and blues. In the 60th minute they equalized on a penalty (Pazzini) propitiated by a crazy intervention by Castan, really inconsiderate in committing a foul on Wszolek.
The 1-1 hasn't changed and this despite the final assault from Roma, to tell the truth based more on the heart than on the game. The problems were and remain and Spalletti will have to work hard to solve them, even if the calendar (Juve is in Turin next Sunday) doesn't help at all. Lazio's draw was decidedly more positive, if only because it arrived at the end of a nice comeback. Things in Bologna had gone very badly, so much so that at the end of the first half there were fears of a vertical collapse for Pioli's men.
Instead they were able to raise their heads also thanks to the substitutions, decisive for the 2-2 final of the Dall'Ara. “I'm happy with the reaction but I certainly can't be satisfied – commented Pioli. – I regret not having played both halves in the same way, I'm sorry because we keep conceding goals at the beginning of the game and then we find ourselves forced to come back". Not even 20' and Bologna were already up by two goals: first Giaccarini (splendid free-kick in the 2'), then Destro (close tap on a mistake by the Lazio defence) made Donadoni explode with joy.
But at the start of the second half Pioli replaced the spent Djordjevic and Parolo with Klose and Lulic and the wheel turned sensationally. The German obtained the penalty of hope (a spoonful from Candreva in the 71st minute with the annexed expulsion of Masina), the Bosnian grabbed the equalizer with an assist from Klose himself (77'). The biancocelesti, also by virtue of their numerical superiority, cherished the dream of a comeback but were no longer able to worry Mirante, thus ending the match on 2-2. Different draws for the teams in the Capital, yet the product does not change: the points come with a dropper and the standings cry, just like the respective fans.
