With a spate of underwhelming performances over the past couple of weeks, typified by their 3-2 loss to Sampdoria last weekend and their narrow victory over Cesena in the Coppa Italia, not to mention Napoli gaining ground and Juventus pulling ahead, Roma needed to make a statement this evening against visiting Fiorentina.
Look, we’ll dispense with the histrionics and just get down to brass tacks here. Roma absolutely throttled the Viola today, turning up the heat in the second half before sending Fiorentina packing.
So, without further ado, enjoy some goals!
Edin Dzeko: 39th Minute
GOAL Dzeko!! Roma 1-0 Fiorentina pic.twitter.com/895K5EqfO0
— Serie A News (@TransfersCalcio) February 7, 2017
Dzeko continued his hot streak, sliding this one past the Viola keeper with five minutes left to spare before the halftime whistle. While it wasn’t the world’s most difficult goal, Dzeko did well to settle the ball before sliding it past the keeper, grabbing his 23 goal in all competitions this season, but mama mia, what a pass by Daniele De Pirlo...I mean De Rossi.
But it was more than just a moment of precision from DDR that built this goal, dig the run of play:
Mamma che assist di #DeRossi per @EdDzeko
— AS Roma (@OfficialASRoma) February 7, 2017
https://t.co/bEhacPcHXN#RomaFiorentina 1⃣-0⃣ pic.twitter.com/OVLLh3IvxN
Just another prototypical Spalletti goal—start it out wide and throw in a couple give and gos for good measure before splitting the defense with a killer pass. More of that, please!
However, as we all know, there isn’t nothing in football as perilous as a one-nil lead, and Roma’s favorite foreigner would double the lead not long after the second half began.
Federico Fazio: 58th Minute
GOAL! Roma 2-0 Fiorentina (Federico Fazio, 58') #asr #fiorentina#RomaFiorentina #goal pic.twitter.com/iNdOHXyFIY
— Six Second Goals (@6SecondGoals) February 7, 2017
Wow, could you pick a better player to score his first goal for the club? Taking the outswinging free kick from Daniele De Rossi, Fazio rose to the occasion (quite literally), pinging the ball off the far post past the dismayed keeper, doubling Roma’s lead just short of the hour mark. I mean, what can we say that hasn’t already been repeated ad nauseum? He was the signing of the summer for Roma, which speaks volumes.
The action didn’t stop there, however. Roma nearly made it three nil (several times, actually), but were inches and second away from finally putting the nail in this purple coffin. That magic goal would come in the 75th minute, as Spalletti’s men put on a masterstroke capped off by Radja Nainggolan.
Radja Nainggolan: 75th Minute
What a team goal, Radja!!! #RomaFiorentina #ASRoma pic.twitter.com/YiJIdaI50u
— Scot Munroe (@scot_munroe) February 7, 2017
Talk about a team goal. Starting with Dzeko’s layoff at midfield to DDR’s lovely long ball to Kevin Strootman, who played a sublime cross into Radja, this goal was picture perfect, a coach's dream come true. I don’t know where this Roma has been, but good lord if they aren’t one of the prettiest sides on the planet I don’t know who is.
But they weren’t done yet...
Edin Dzeko: 83rd Minute
DZEKO 4-0 #RomaFiorentina #dzeko pic.twitter.com/WiQMlzvDQz
— Roma SvenskaFans (@ASR_SF) February 7, 2017
Dzeko capitalized on some sloppy passing from Fiorentina--who actually capitalized on an errant goal kick from Roma—and some horrid defending from Davide Astori to cap this one off at 4-0. Great hustle from Dzeko, who finished this match with a flourish, netting his now league leading 17th goal.
I could give you my usual post match wrap-up—what went right, what’s coming next—but we’ll turn it over to Ale....
Mamma mia! ❤️#romafiorentina pic.twitter.com/XUG2xcH3OI
— Alessandro Florenzi (@Florenzi) February 7, 2017
Mamma mia, indeed, Ale.