EMPOLI (ITALPRESS) – Roma solved Empoli’s practice with minimal effort and won its fifth straight league victory, extending its streak of consecutive useful results to 12: at the Castellani it ended 0-1 with Soulè’s goal in the opening period. D’Aversa has to deal with numerous absences: Silvestri is confirmed in goal, De Sciglio finds space in the three-man defense while Cacace pairs with Colombo behind Esposito. Ranieri, on the other hand, chooses Nelsson and Hummels in place of the injured Celik and the disqualified Mancini, while on the flanks here are Abdulhamid and Salah-Eddine with a view to turnover ahead of the Europa League round of 16 return match against Athletic Bilbao. As many as nine changes from the first leg match against the Basques.
Ready to go and Colombo loses the ball, Shomurodov spreads for Salah-Eddine who on the edge finds Soulè, good at beating Silvestri at the first post: just 21″ have passed and Roma is already ahead. The Tuscans try to take advantage of some Salah-Eddine’s levity to trouble Svilar: the Giallorossi goalkeeper is careful on De Sciglio’s shot from the distance, while it is easier to intervene on Colombo’s shot muffed by Hummels. Ranieri calls his men to attention and immediately the guests push again with Pellegrini who, served by Shomurodov, clumsily sends in the bottom corner. Exchange of favors soon after: the Giallorossi captain finds a great stop on a loose ball, support at the penalty spot for Shomurodov who hits the crossbar. Roma was in complete control of the match, but could not find the double: Konè hit another woodwork after avoiding Silvestri, while Shomurodov from a few steps centered the local goalkeeper’s header after Soulè’s flick.
The Argentine is also the best on the field in the second half, in which the inertia does not change: the ball is always at the capitolini’s feet, but Empoli has a nice chance on the counterattack with Kouamè, who wastes everything by looking for an improbable pass instead of shooting. Shortly afterwards Pellegrini smashes in a header and engages Silvestri, still effective in stretching for a corner. Progressively, except for a few spurts from Soulè and Konè, the pace drops, the result remains in the balance and Empoli sniffs a chance to snatch some points. The Tuscans try to combine something with the Gyasi-Kouamè-Konate trident but no real scoring chances come. In the final Baldanzi also enters to help Roma keep the ball and preserve the lead until Di Bello’s triple whistle. There is still room for a great save by Silvestri in the recovery and a header by Kouamè on the bottom, but the substance does not change: Roma rises to seventh place and can now think about the return match against Athletic.
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(ITALPRESS).
