Game Rome. For the match we will have to wait a long time and even the set is still quite long, but in the meantime the Giallorossi conquer "game" number 15. The double clash with Genoa in fact smiles on the Capital, which finds itself just one point behind the leaders. All of this is the result of the 1-1 draw with which Sampdoria stopped Juventus and Roma's 0-1 draw against Genoa, heavy results that make the fight for the title even more exciting. After last week's failed opportunity, Garcia's team decided to get serious.
The possibility of approaching the Lady after Sampdoria had managed to snatch a point at the Stadium was too tempting, interrupting a streak of home successes that had even lasted since 11 May 2003 (25 consecutive victories, an absolute record for Italian football). The one between the black and whites and blucerchiati was a tough match, with the first ones ending up paying for post-Champions fatigue. In fact, the double-faced performance of Allegri's men is emblematic: very good in the first half (even excellent in the first half hour), struggling in the second. Roma also had to deal with the same problem but the physical gap was rebalanced by the expulsion of Perin, who left Genoa in 10 for over an hour.
“I'm sorry we didn't win, especially after such a good first half – Allegri's analysis. – We had to close the game, instead we conceded a goal from a restart. However, the important thing is to still be first, thinking of always playing with the same intensity is impossible, especially at this time of the season”. It has been evident for a few weeks that Juventus are a little short of breath, as already demonstrated in the draw in Florence and in the very tiring success against Turin. Just like in the derby, the Lady took the lead almost immediately, thanks to Evra's header (12') following a corner. Sampdoria trembled a lot but had the skill (and luck) to end the first half with only one goal conceded.
And so in the second half, thanks to the decline of the landlords, he found an equalizer with Gabbiadini (50 '), splendid in piercing Buffon with an unstoppable left-footed shot. The Sampdoria striker himself (in co-ownership deal with Juve but about to go to Napoli) then also came close to scoring the opening goal but this time Super Gigi said no. The draw doesn't change the hierarchies in the standings, but now the margin over Roma is very small.
“I congratulate the boys, they took advantage of the opportunity well – commented Garcia. – We were good, it wasn't easy to win against this Genoa player”. Needless to say, it wasn't a walk in the park. The match, balanced until the half hour, changed when Perin knocked Nainggolan down in the area: sacrosanct penalty and expulsion. Here, however, the first twist with Lamanna, making his Serie A debut, capable of neutralizing Ljajic's penalty (Totti was on the bench). However, it is hard to resist Rome in 10 men, especially with Gasperini expelled for protests. And so the Giallorossi still found the advantage with Nainggolan, author of a beautiful and unstoppable right-footed volley.
However, the 0-1 did not extinguish Genoa's ardor which in the second half, once reorganized, held the field well, even touching the mockery in the final. In fact, after numerous failed occasions, Roma trembled in recovery: Rincon's header and the ball in the net, moments of panic before Banti canceled for offside. A decision that made all of Genoa explode with anger (Preziosi even brought up the "Mafia Capitale" investigation) but which, images in hand, appears correct, albeit by a matter of millimetres. The skyrocketing tension testifies to only one thing: the championship is beautiful, hard-fought, more alive than ever. And maybe, this time, it will be like this until the end.
