After defeating Sassuolo in the Serie A, Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has heaped praise on Argentine forward Paulo Dybala for his performance. The Gialorossi edged past their Italian counterparts 1-0 in an away game as the 31-year-old secured the solitary goal, keeping the capital club level on points with Napoli at the top of Serie A.
Dybala fires Roma to another win
Thanks to the win on Sunday, Roma now have the same points as table toppers Napoli but sit second on the Serie A table due to a lower goal difference. The victory was crucial to Gasperini's men as they entered the game on the back of successive defeats to Inter in the domestic competition and Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League. Dybala, who recently scored his 200th goal for club and country, added one more under his belt, helping his team cruise past the Sassuolo challenge. Notably, this was the Argentine's first Serie A goal of the season.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportDybala goal earns praise from Gasperini
After the defeat against Viktoria Plzen, Gasperini was furious with the team's attacking third, tagging them as 'sluggish', but the slender win in Serie A was much more to the coach's liking, singling Dybala out for praise. The 67-year-old said: "I never had any doubts about Paulo. He's an extraordinary player and a striker, but not a winger: he can play as a first or second striker, he can play anywhere." Happy about the scoreline, he mentioned, "I'm very satisfied with our position in the table and with today's match, which was difficult because Sassuolo are doing well. We played it in the best possible way; after two defeats, we reacted very well. We won an important match."
Gasperini's next challenge is to improve their home record. As of now, they have lost four games at the Stadio Olimpico, which includes a fixture from the Europa League.
"The absolute priority is to get back to winning at the Olimpico," he added. "It's a shame we lost so many times in front of our fans. We'd like to give them good, well-played games. Not all of them were bad, I'm thinking for example of the one against Inter, while Thursday's win shouldn't have been lost. And today's win allows us to recover a little. At home, we have characteristics that sometimes lead us to hit the wall and then concede goals: we need to be more effective."
Roma warned not to get carried away
Although this win makes Dybala happy, he is not ready to get carried away. The Serie A is a long competition with 38 matches and they have just completed their eighth so far. He said: "We knew it before the match, even looking at yesterday’s results: there was the possibility of staying at the top of the table, but the season is still very long. There are many games left. These are three important points, also to redeem ourselves after the defeats of the past few days. We’re happy, but now we must immediately focus on Wednesday’s match. Scoring difficulties? Strikers thrive on goals, and it’s obvious that we want to score in every match. Unfortunately, there are difficult moments during the season, but the important thing is that the team wins: whoever scores doesn’t matter."
Getty Images SportUpcoming hurdles for Roma
Roma's prerogative would be to return to winning ways in front of their fans on Wednesday, when they face Parma, who sit 15th in the league. Although it won't be a cakewalk for Dybala and Co., a win will enhance the team's confidence ahead of two crucial fixtures in the next 10 days. After facing Parma, they will travel to San Siro to greet Massimiliano Allegri's AC Milan on Sunday. Milan currently sit a place lower than Roma in Serie A, but the competition between the two heavyweights is expected to be boiling. Post the Milan game, Gasperini's team will head to Scotland to take on Rangers on November 6. Roma have acquired only one victory in their three continental fixtures. Rangers, who are yet to get their first win, will be eager to bounce back and are expected to hand the Gialorossi a tough 90 minutes.
