Francesco Totti - Il Gladiatore di Roma

I think you'll be able to catch Inter. Good luck for the rest of the season! And: 450

Josh_MU: It'll be tough, but last match aside our form has been great so I think we can do it!

Nathaniel: They're a good team okay >.<

ASR-PSV: Thanks for getting to 450, and yes hopefully I can get back into first place!

Following the club's 0-0 draw in the Derby della Capitale last week, AS Roma were faced with another stern test this week in the shape of league-leading Inter Milan coming to the Stadio Olimpico. The Giallorossi knew that a win was pivotal in closing down the early gap that Inter had created atop the table, while the Nerazzurri knew a win here would set them a full 7 points clear.

There were certainly some troubles for Totti's men even before the game began, however. Sebastian Corchia was suspended from the red card against Lazio while Marco Verratti was out due to an accumulation of yellow cards. On top of that, Federico Balzaretti and Alvaro Morata were both out for a few months with torn groins.

Even with the depleted squad, though, Roma came out of the blocks firing on all cylinders. The capital city side dominated ball possession with Daniele De Rossi finally back in the side and bossing proceedings from his midfield role. Inter's midfield trio of Cambiasso, Lodi, and Kovacic was nowhere to be seen.

The Nerazzurri defense stood strong, though, but that didn't stop Miralem Pjanic's super volley from the top of the box to nearly find the top corner, only saved at the last moment by the outstretched fingertips of the leaping Samir Handanovic. Half time arrived with the scores still locked at zeros.

Just eight minutes into the second half, Roma found their deserved breakthrough. Dodo, deputizing for the injured Balzaretti at left back, served in a wicked cross for Mattia Destro to latch onto at the near post, nodding his header just between the near post and Handanovic and sending the Olimpico into wild celebrations.

Inter tried pushing more men forward after that but to little avail as Luigi Cagni's men struggled to keep possession in the face of high pressure from Roma's midfield diamond, and the pressure paid with fifteen minutes remaining as substitute Adem Ljajic intercepted Giulio Donati's backpass, rounded Handanovic, and doubled Roma's advantage. The final score was 2-0.

After this crucial victory, AS Roma sit only one point behind Inter Milan, but perhaps an even sterner test awaits next week; Francesco Totti and his men must travel to Turin to take on the Old Lady of Juventus.

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Good win, closing the gap, but Juve away will be tough. Fantastic update.

Good win, that's an important three points right there!
Of course a great update as well

LFC: Yeah Juventus will be difficult but if we can get a win out of that we are in amazing form for the title challenge!

pompeyblue: It's more than important, it's massively humongous

Following their crucial 2-0 win over Inter Milan last week, AS Roma needed yet another result on the road to La Vecchia Signora, the Old Lady of Juventus. Antonio Conte's men had been firing on all cylinders coming into this match, and, knowing that, Francesco Totti surprised quite a few people by, quite simply, parking the bus.

The Giallorossi came out in a 3-6-1 formation. Paolo Cannavaro, Mehdi Benatia, and Tin Jedvaj made up the 3 center backs with Daniele De Rossi sitting in front of them. Nuri Sahin and Marco Verratti started as the two central midfielders with Gianluca Caprari getting a rare start on the left and Sebastian Corchia taking up the right wing. Francesco Totti himself sat at the top of the diamond, with Mattia Destro the lone striker ahead of him.

Defensively, the tactic worked a charm. Though Juventus managed to rack up over 70% of ball possession, the Bianconeri utterly failed to create any clear cut chances against Roma's solid defense.

Totti's four central midfield players managed to mark Vidal, Pogba, and Marchisio out of the game while dedicated pressing from Caprari and Corchia on the flanks ensured that Juventus's wingbacks hardly got forward at all. In the back, the three central defenders coped admirably with the dynamic duo of Llorente and Tevez.

Offensively, Roma did nigh upon nothing. They mustered 2 shots the entire game, neither of them even remotely on target, with Mattia Destro often cutting a forlorn figure at the halfway line with Juve's own 3 man back line, often even tracking back into midfield to make the formation a 3-7-0.

"I was hoping two great teams would go out and play great football," said a visibly irritated Conte after the match. "I know Roma have strong players, and for the fans' sake I believed that they would come out and play to their abilities. Instead, they've gone and parked their bus in front of the goal, and we play out to a boring, useless 0-0 draw."

After this draw, Inter have pushed further ahead, the gap now reopened to three points. The Nerazzurri have been performing above all expectations this season, and, despite their loss last week, they may just pip Roma to the Scudetto unless Totti's men can pick up their form.

Totti himself refused to take any questions after the match, saying only, "Sometimes you need to make certain decisions to pick up a point. We got a point today, and next week we go for three."

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You went full Jose... never go full Jose.

^ I agree with Nathaniel.

*sigh* This is anti-football.

Nathaniel: I had to at least get a point

AaronHJFT96: ^ I agree with Neal

Pauker: As a manager, Totti needs to do whatever he can to pick up points I guess

BENFICA 2-1 ROMA (CHAMPIONS LEAGUE)
DESTRO
DE ROSSI
CARDOZO

ROMA 2-0 CATANIA (SERIE A)
DESTRO (x2)
DESTRO

SHAKHTAR 1-3 ROMA (CHAMPIONS LEAGUE)
LJAJIC (x2), PJANIC
PJANIC

The season started with a 15 match unbeaten run for AS Roma. Francesco Totti and his men stormed to an 11-4-0 record, including a 7 match win streak in the middle where the team scored 27 goals. Now, however, that run has crashed to a halt with a stunning loss on the road to Benfica.

The Portuguese team had scored a very early goal through star striker Oscar Cardozo, only for the equalizer to arrive within minute thanks to a long distance volley from Mattia Destro. A red card to Daniele De Rossi changed the game, however, and a second half header from Marcelo sealed the three points for the Eagles.

The rest of the month was far more positive with the attacking trio of Mattia Destro, Adem Ljajic, and Miralem Pjanic finding form once more and scoring some delightful goals. The team will have to continue to perform in this manner to overcome their earlier loss and try to recapture the Serie A lead and move on in the UCL Group Stage.

Up next is a tough away match against Napoli in the Derby del Sole, and the Giallorossi will hope it is the side that steamrolled 7 teams straight that shows up, not the one that stumbled and failed to show up in the 2-1 loss in Lisbon.

Even with recent stumbles in the Italian league and their first loss on the continental stage, AS Roma has reclaimed the lead in both competitions. The full Serie A and Champions League group tables are now as follows:



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D: You lost a game! Y U DO DIS NEAL >.<

NOOOO! You lost a game
I'm sure you will bounce back though, plus you're still unbeaten in the league so it's all good
Great update as well ofc