Bologna 0 - Roma 2
I'm tired, I'm cranky, they won, and I hear there's a game of some magnitude this weekend. To the notes...
- It could've been 3-0 easy by the end of the first half with even Simone's finishing shoes in the house; it wasn't. It still indicates that despite the sloppy, at least at times, performance, the win was rather deserved.
- Menez was a wonderful surprise. Again. Except in entirely different ways. His hustle alone won the chance for Daniele on the DDR goal (Daniele De Riise).
Menez? Hustle? Que?
I think the boy is learning.
- Neither the pitch nor the team played to the skills of Jeremy or Mirko (I think I said something about Udinese being the perfect opponent for these two, which they were, and it not going as smoothly against all). Bologna played a smart tactical game against the tridente, sitting bodies back and swarming to close gaps and space in numbers to prevent and of that technical mumbo jumbo teams like Bologna don't have oozing in spades. It was really rather impressive, though you'd kind of expect that with a professional coach at the helm.
And genuinely, I think the pitch, though not quite Palermo, was a bit tougher than it appeared - the passing from many was simply too off to merely be coincidence. Which also makes this game a one-off, to a degree.
And only to that degree - Mourinho's will be licking his chops at his Thugs R'Us lineup after watching Bologna kick, push, check, prod, poke and bully their way into a loss.
- Scarecrow can pass!
And look what happens. Huh.
- That was a tricky finish from Baptista, who's cold. It's one you expect them to put away, but still difficult enough. You can only hope it does wonders for his confidence.
And hope that it doesn't matter as the strikers stay(get) healthy and Menez continues his run of impressing.
- Why do Baptista photos after a goal make him seem a wax statue? Does he immortalize himself on the rare occasion he actually puts one in the net?
(I'll be here all evening.)
- And finally, this bit from the lineup aptly sums up this game for me:
It's funny: even with the best of early chances they couldn't buy a goal; now, with a half-chance, they get one fortuitously.This is the Roma we all know and love.
Take off the two geniuses (genii?) from the weekend and voila, the oft-awful subs put it in the bag. Viva la Roma.
To Saturday they march once again...