|
Football is a game of both pleasure and pain. A victory can send a supporter home with a spring in his step, while defeat makes the week of work ahead seem even grimmer. Nowhere knows that better now than the city of Rome.
It was such a weekend of contrasting fortunes for the capital’s two clubs that it would be hard to believe they play the same game. Roma continued their amazing string of results to surge into second place with a win over Fiorentina. Lazio sank into the relegation zone.
Judging by Sunday night’s events it just might be the Giallorossi’s year. Apart from a brief spell at the start of their trip to Florence they were on the back foot for most of the match. The Viola created chance after chance and failed to break the deadlock. Then Mirko Vucinic, a talent spotted by Fiorentina sporting director Pantaleo Corvino, popped up to pinch three points.
Claudio Ranieri’s side must take the result as a sign the footballing Gods are on their side. If they can win when they don’t play well, who knows what might happen when they hit their stride? The gap to Inter is still enormous but they need to keep up this tempo and hope the Nerazzurri slip up.
Roma’s delight will only be increased by the gloom over Lazio. The Biancocelesti are in turmoil, of that there can be no question. A Coppa Italia triumph and Supercoppa victory seem a lifetime ago. This is a side in need of a play transfusion. They still have some quality performers – but unless they free themselves from the negative shackles of Davide Ballardini it may be too late to avoid a shock relegation.
How they must miss former contract rebel Goran Pandev. He is starting to hit his stride at Inter and helped them get a crushing win over a spirited Cagliari side. With Sammy Eto’o back from the African Cup of Nations, Inter boast the most impressive forward line in the League. It will surely take something extraordinary to stop them now.
That miracle looks unlikely to come from across the city. The Rossoneri were a bit unlucky not to find the net against Bologna but they still appear to be nursing a post-derby hangover. Even the normally cool Leonardo is getting tetchy at his Press conferences.
A Juventus resurgence looks equally improbable. Alberto Zaccheroni needs time to perfect his formation but the Bianconeri plumbed new defensive depths by contriving to let diminutive Antonio Filippini score from a header in Livorno. At least they scrapped for a point but they are a long way adrift of the places that matter.
However, all the Champions League chasers received an unlikely tonic from Friuli. Udinese used a Napoli boy, Toto Di Natale, to down Walter Mazzarri’s side. It has left a huge pack of teams harbouring aspirations of the top European competition. There is likely to be a lot more joy and suffering between now and May.
|
