TORINO Guardiola taught the world that the center forward can be space, but if you have Lukaku or Zapata that’s fine too. Torino-Roma couldn’t please everyone for an obvious reason: both teams were looking for a third consecutive victory but, logically, they couldn’t get it together. The result was a hard-fought draw, more épée than foil, signed by the two attackers who had crossed paths this summer.
Zapata was on Mou’s list before the trail that led to Lukaku was opened. In the end it went well for everyone, because Torino found a driving force and Roma have already seen how decisive the Belgian is. Against Torino, with yesterday’s game, he scored 5 goals and provided 3 assists.
The two powerful goals, both very beautiful, gave added value to an intense match even when it wasn’t beautiful. They are in a certain way symbolic, because Buongiorno had a really good game marking Lukaku, winning many duels, but on the decisive occasion he was unable to contain him. And Ndicka didn’t demerit either but, in the 1-1 draw, when Mourinho was already thinking about the importance of the three points from a Champions League perspective, he was brutalized by the Colombian.
Juric and the Special One were looking for the sign of what every coach in the world dreams of seeing: continuity. The Granata came from victories against Genoa (1-0) and Salernitana (3-0 away); the Giallorossi from the resounding 7-0 against Empoli and from the more difficult 2-1 in the Europa League, in Transnistria, against Sheriff Tiraspol. They didn’t get the best, but they can still leave satisfied. Torino remains on the right side of the table, Roma was without all the most attacking midfielders (Pellegrini, Renato Sanches and Aouar) and Mou has thus decided to mirror himself by leaving the 3-5-2 for a 3-4-2 -1, with El Shaarawy on Dybala’s line, which penalized Joya above all. The Argentine had to play too wide, too far from Lukaku.
In the first half Zapata immediately created a great opportunity (prodigious Rui Patricio) and Lukaku burned Buongiorno, following a nice throw from Dybala, but his shot went just wide. Two actions that were a sort of trailer for what was to come in the second half, that is, the goals of the two most awaited men.
As Trapattoni said: anyone who wants to see ballet can sit at La Scala. What we saw yesterday in Turin was sport in its most athletic sense. Roma, more tired also due to their commitment in the Europa League, still came close to a victory that was not easy to achieve on this pitch. Torino believed in it until the end and achieved a deserved draw which was welcomed with enthusiasm by its fans, who have already elected Zapata as one of their own. Just like the Roma fans with Lukaku.
2023-09-24 21:33:45
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