COMMENT: The Giallorossi rallied late on, but a Bianconeri side missing their two midfield stars were comfortably the better side as they maintained their huge lead in Serie A
Instead of selling a season review DVD this summer, Roma might be well advised to simply release the footage of their 1-1 draw with Juventus. In terms of the feeling of ‘what if?’ which met the final whistle, it represents their 2014-15 campaign in microcosm form.
A string of draws since Christmas and a three-month run without a home win have combined to rule the capital club out of the title race, and had they started Monday’s top-of-the-table clash with the champions as they finished it they may well have had reason to believe again.
As it is they are still undoubtedly second-best, and the 90 minutes at the Stadio Olimpico showed why.
James Pallotta had suggested at the weekend that his club’s misfortunes in recent weeks were largely down to injuries.
“Unfortunately we’ve been penalised by lots of injuries, starting with Kevin Strootman and Leandro Castan. Just think if Juventus lost Andrea Pirlo and Paul Pogba for the whole season…,” the Giallorossi president pondered to Roma Radio.
It may have been only the second time in 2014-15 that Juve had started a game without their two pivotal midfielders, but this was Roma’s chance to prove that they really could compete with the Bianconeri.
Pogba was sat on the bench, but Roberto Pereyra was a more than adequate replacement in the middle third. There was no Pirlo due to the ankle injury he sustained against Borussia Dortmund last week, but when a set-piece chance came along Carlos Tevez proved to be equally as deadly.
The Bianconeri were happy to watch Roma play in front of them, playing like a team with a nine-point lead at the top of the Serie A table. The home side, though, were clueless in how to get things going between midfield and attack. There was no urgency, no desire.
They were second best for most of the fixture, despite the lack of Pirlo and Pogba in the Juve ranks. Only after Tevez had curled home a free-kick when Vassilis Torosidis was sent off for a foul on Arturo Vidal did Roma come to life.
Juve played the game situation superbly, but Rudi Garcia’s men were far too reactive. After the double blow of losing a goal and a man, the Frenchman threw on Juan Iturbe and Radja Nainggolan for Francesco Totti and Daniele De Rossi.
Thereafter, Roma looked far more dynamic, and Iturbe won the free-kick from which Seydou Keita equalised. It was about the first time they had truly tested Gianluigi Buffon.
“We wanted three points and we only got one. We are very disappointed but we played against a great team,” said goalscorer Keita to Sky Sport after the game, but Roma will be left regretting not getting at Massimiliano Allegri’s side long before they fell behind.
Juve stay nine points clear with 13 games to play, and moreover they remain the team to beat in Serie A.
Roma, meanwhile, are still a very distant second best with the Scudetto race long since over.
