Roma v. Atalanta: Player Ratings

Disclaimer: After a summer of perfecting his ratings algorithm, a process which involved whiskey, FIFA 17, and tacos, Dr. Remus is back to putting numbers on performances. More than ever, his grading system is an immaculate display of mathematics and science. Beware of disagreeing with his precise method, those who scoff at his numbers have been known to be shunned, forever marked as ignorant fools.

A.S. Roma:

Alisson — 6.5 — Shaky decision making early on, but displayed some nice footwork in the 33th minute, cutting the ball back with an impressive juke. He never really had a difficult shot to deal with.

Peres — 6 — Beat by Gomez repeatedly, often caught out of position. Dangerous on the attack when he had the chance. Not the best game, but not the worst game by the Brazilian. Took a knee to the groin late in the game and had to be subbed off.

Manolas — 6 — Pacy and assertive, but the Greek gave away too many balls with horrendous passing. He’ll need to do better against Inter to hold his place in the starting eleven.

Juan Jesus — 8.5 — Wow, dare I say JJ had a stronger game than Manolas? I think he did. In fact, the Brazilian put a man of the match performance, making crucial tackles throughout the game. He played tough, although his pace was exposed as he was baited into fouls. Yet, sometimes giving away the foul is the smartest thing to do. JJ read the game well, pouncing on balls, and stopping attackers when it was absolutely necessary.

Kolarov — 7.5 — What a debut! Scored a cheeky free-kick to put Roma ahead. His ball control and vision showed his experience. Yet, like Manolas, Kolarov gave away many simple passes, something he’ll need to fix against Inter. Despite misplaced passes, the veteran showed that the LB spot is his to own.

Nainggolan — 7.5 — Tenacious as always, using his low center of gravity to keep the ball. An engine, the Belgian was everywhere today. He was the epicenter of our attack, making blistering runs up and down the pitch.

De Rossi (C) — 8 — Marshaled the center of the pitch, delivering over-the-top and slicing passes. Blocked a dangerous shot by Petagna that could have been a goal. He put in a captains performance, proving his age is not an issue, but rather an advantage. He read the game so well today.

Strootman — 6.5 — Consistent play from the Dutchman. Had some sparks of talented play, but was quiet for most of the game.

Defrel — 6 — Oy vey! The frenchman shouwd he is not a suitable RW. Nearly scored with his right, but was nonexistent throughout the first half. Known for his pace, he looked leggy compared to Salah. He should have been subbed earlier.

Dzeko — 7 --Nearly scored early on with great chest control and a low left footed shot. Did well to come back and hold up play, yet was held in check by Atalanta’s three-man backline. Today, Dzeko’s effort to drop deep and help build up play deserves some recognition. Although, he didn’t score, his presence was huge.

Perotti — 6.5 — Typical game, fancy dibbling with no successful outcome. Drew some fouls, cut in out of players, but couldn’t give the decisive pass. Perhaps, he deserves a higher rating, but without really any key passes it is hard to applaud his performance.

Substitutions:

El Shaarway (For Defrel) — N/A — It took 73 minutes for EDF to finally sub Defrel, moving Perotti to RW and the Pharroah to LW. Hardly touched the ball, and looked a bit out of shape after an lengthy injury.

Fazio (for Peres) — N/A —Entered for the injured Peres. Took over CB and pushed Manolas to RCB. The three-man backline opened up space for Gomez, yet offside traps thwarted the Argentine.

Pelligrini (for Perotti) — N/A —Came on to help defend Gomez. He wasn’t successful, allowing the Argentine to run rampant along the left side.

Atalanta B.C.:

Berisha — 6.5 — Hardly had to deal with anything today. Not much he could do on the free kick goal. Could be argued he should be quicker to dive, but it is hard to predict an under the wall shot.

Toloi — 6 — Bruce Lee kicked Kolarov early in the game. Nearly gave away a PK on Perotti in the 67th minute. The former Roma man was tough, but too tough at times. A liability.

Palomino — 6.5 — Smart with his positioning, pressing high on Dzeko. Burned Defrel in the second half. Took a head knock and needed a wrap job.

Masiello — 6— Fouled Nainggolan in the precarious position which led to the goal. Other than that, the defender played well, holding the ball and distributing it when necessary. Yet, it was his foul that dictated the outcome.

Hateboer — 6.5 — Strong against Perotti, did well to push forward and join the attack. Missed a crucial header in injury time.

Cristante — 7 —Had a hard time defending Perotti’s agility. Yet, dribbled well in his defensive half. His movement was excellent, but no pay-off.

Freuler — 6 — Nonexistent. Had some decent one touch passes, but really never threatened.

Gosens — 6 — An up and down game for the number 8. Showed some talent here and there, but nothing special.

Kurtic — 6 — Blasted a decent opportunity over the goal during a first-half counter, but other than that, never had a goal-scoring chance.

Gomez (C) — 8 — Should have done better with an open chance against Allison early on. Made mince meat of Peres and everyone else on the left side with his pace and dribbling. His crosses were deadly as he nearly bagged assists in late onslaught. His shots left a lot to be desired, but a good performance nonetheless.

Petagna — 6.5 —Was a pest in the time he had on the pitch. Thwarted by DDR in the 27th minute. Squander a great chance in the 47th minute. Was subbed off due to apparent fatigue.

Substitutions:

Andreas Cornelius (For Petanga) — 7 — Came on and immediately changed the game with his movement. Had a header blocked in the 61st minute. Showed he should be starting over Petagna.

Josip Iličič (for) — 7 — The lanky Serb came on bringing his shifty dribbling and vision. Took some long range shots to little effect. Hit the post on a point-blank shot that could have leveled the match. The new man showed promise in his debut.

De Roon (For Castante) — N/A—Wasn’t much of a factor after entering for Cristante.

Misters:

Eusebio Di Francesco — 7 — Donning all black like an Italian Johnny Cash, EDF stayed true to his 4-3-3 system, fielding a predictable starting eleven. His tactics left holes for Atalanta to attack with his midfielders caught out of position high up the pitch. However, considering the opponent, EDF’s defensive tactics held steady, proving strong enough to fight off Atalanta’s late attacking onslaught. Now, that said, there is a lot for this Roma team to work on, especially in the midfield. Luck is a part of the game, and I don’t shy away from stating that this was a lucky result for Giallorossi. Yet, even dirty wins deserve some praise, and I think EDF gave us a glimpse that this Roma will be a fighting side no matter the tactics.

Gian Piero Gasperini — 7.5 — Surely, the veteran coach has to be enraged by his team’s shooting. Manolas gifted possession in dangerous positions on several occasions, yet Atalanta’s attack squandered each chance. Atalanta was the better team for most of this match. They looked composed and played as a fluid team. Surely, they had more chances to score than Roma, but that is football, you gotta take your chances when you get them. Gasperini was smart to change to cross-heavy tactics once Peres went off, and it nearly worked with Atalanta winning almost every header that was sent in. His substitutions made a sudden impact while his counterpart’s didn’t. Even after losing Kessie to Milan, Atalanta’s midfield looks solid. Expect this team high in the table come winter break.

Referees:

Giacomelli, VAR, and Company — 8 — Nothing to note about the officiating today. The officiants maintained a solid game, giving cards when necessary. They didn’t rely on VAR as there weren’t many close calls to review.