Gianluca Mancini gave Roma their first win against Lazio since 2022 on Saturday: here are the three talking points from the Stadio Olimpico showdown, which keeps the Giallorossi’s top-four hopes alive.
De Rossi’s win
First Roma derby as a coach and first win for Daniele De Rossi, who released tension after the final whistle by shouting and hugging his staff members. The Italian tactician beat Igor Tudor tactically as the Giallorossi were in absolute control of the game for more than an hour. They didn’t have many opportunities to score, but ultimately, they had the best chances and deservedly won the first derby in two years. Roma started strong and pushed down the left flank, causing trouble for an exhausted Adam Marusic, who had been the match-winner against Juventus only a week earlier. They were unable to finalise a couple of promising counter-attacks in the second half and changed the approach towards the end of the match. Chris Smalling replaced Angelino in the final 10 minutes, allowing DDR to switch to a three-man defence, which helped the Giallorossi to push the Biancocelesti outside their box.
No tension, no derby
Before the match, De Rossi had urged his players to keep their nerves and Tudor hoped for a game without controversy. Players followed their coaches’ advice for a solid 60 minutes. No more. Paulo Dybala and Matteo Guendouzi clashed many times but their teammates didn’t hold back either. Ultimately, tension escalated after the final whistle when Guendouzi urged a few Roma players to go and meet him inside the tunnel. Contrary to the Milan or Turin derbies, meetings between Roma and Lazio are always characterised by great tension on and off the pitch. The previous Coppa Italia derby in January had ended with two red cards for Roma, plus José Mourinho, and one for Lazio. This time around, it felt as if players tried to hold back until they could, but ultimately pressure prevailed.
Immobile’s last derby?
The Italy international, a Euro 2020 winner, started the match and quickly produced one shot off target, but his game didn’t last long as he was replaced by Tudor during the break. Many thought it was a tactical substitution, but Immobile said after the game he had picked up a knock in his knee. A sad end to what could be Immobile’s final derby as several media in the country expect him to join a Saudi Pro League team at the end of the season. In the meantime, it remains to be seen how serious the injury is and whether Immobile will have more opportunities to convince Spalletti to give him a chance for Euro 2024. At this stage, with just six goals in 27 Serie A matches, it seems highly unlikely that Immobile will be part of the Azzurri squad in Germany this summer.