N-A-A Chapter 73: Best Start in Serie A!
Chapter 73: Best Start in Serie A!
7:55 PM on October 28th, Italian time.
The Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
The entrance ceremony for the Rome vs. Bologna match.
Die-hard South Stand fan.
The fans on the upper level slowly pulled down the giant tifo that had been rolled up.
Once the players from both sides stood in a row with the referee team in the center, the entire tifo was displayed on the television screen.
The fans watching the live stream were all amazed.
tifo features two anime characters.
On the left is Totti wearing Roma's 2013-2014 home jersey.
He forcefully ripped open his jersey, revealing a caption: "Ten-game winning streak complete."
On the right are three anime player figures wearing Roma's 2017-2018 season home jersey.
De Rossi, Dzeko, and Chang Huan.
The three men joined forces to lift a hammer and smash it down on a stone bearing the Bologna logo.
At the very bottom is a caption: 11 consecutive wins at the start of Serie A season, here we come!
"Roma fans are really great!"
PP Sports commentator Shi Qingsheng exclaimed excitedly.
The Roma players on the field noticed the tifo show prepared by their die-hard fans, and they were all full of fighting spirit.
The key match of the 11th round of the 2017-2018 Serie A season kicked off promptly at 8 pm.
It's said to be a key match.
In reality, the two teams are vastly different in overall strength this season.
The most anticipated aspect is Roma's ten-game winning streak at the start of the season.
If they can defeat Bologna, who have suffered two consecutive league defeats, in this round, they will create a new record for the best start in Serie A!
11-game winning streak!
However, considering the Champions League group stage match next week, Roma's starting lineup will have Nainggolan, Kolarov, and Dzeko on the bench for this game.
Roma fielded a somewhat conservative starting lineup, but with home advantage, they played with great aggression.
Chang Huan, who had a key passing error in Serie A, delivered three threatening passes in the first twenty minutes.
Schick, El Shaarawy, and Lorenzo Pellegrini each missed a golden opportunity.
The home fans in the stands sighed with regret.
If you had capitalized on just one of those chances, the scoreboard score would have changed.
PP Sports commentator Shi Qingsheng lamented, "Tonight, the Roma players seemed to be missing their shooting boots, completely wasting Chang Huan's excellent pass!"
Bologna realized that Chang Huan was in excellent form and knew they couldn't give him too much space to handle the ball.
The away team's players executed the tactics well, but their defense was ultimately passive.
Chang Huan, who has an offensive initiative, performed exceptionally well.
They ran tirelessly.
They stretched Bologna's defense by using continuous passing and cutting.
37 minutes.
Roma finally seized their opportunity.
Chang Huan, who had drifted to the right flank of the attacking third, controlled and dribbled past Lorenzo Pellegrini's through pass, then forcefully used his rhythmic changes and explosive power to suddenly dribble the ball sideways into the box.
He switched between fast and slow and fast paces to get past two defenders in the middle.
His left-footed curler struck the underside of the thigh of covering center-back Giancarlo Gonzalez, and the deflected ball landed precisely on Schick's forward running path.
Goalkeeper Da Costa had already shifted his weight, and Schick instinctively raised the instep of his left foot to nudge the ball that had fallen in front of him toward the goal...
After opening his Roma goal account in the last round, the Czech international has scored in consecutive matches!
Bologna's defenders collectively raised their hands and looked at the assistant referee.
The complaint was filed after the party had overstepped its bounds.
The assistant referee showed no intention of raising his flag, and the entire Stadio Olimpico in Rome erupted in cheers.
The deafening shouts came in waves.
Bologna, despite being behind, is not in a hurry.
The players demonstrated excellent tactical execution, avoiding the rash increase in attacking numbers that could have led to a neglect of defense.
It was this decision that cost the away team the chance to fight back.
Before the end of the first half.
Chang Huan delivered a precise long diagonal pass from the right flank. Bruno Perez, who played as a left-back in this match, paused briefly with his right thigh before making a rhythmic cut forward to get past his marker.
Bruno Perez delivered a cutback pass from the left sideline of the penalty area, where it met the goal line. Lorenzo Pellegrini, however, was hampered by Poli on the left side of the penalty area and failed to get his left foot going.
Strootman appeared on the missed trajectory of the football.
His right-footed feint fooled Heland and Eric Pulgar, who were covering for him, before unleashing a powerful shot from about a meter behind the penalty spot.
Defenders who are out of sync with the ball can only watch it fly toward the goal.
Da Costa's view from the goal line was somewhat obstructed, and by the time he saw the ball slip through the gaps in the crowd and made a save, it was too late.
Roma took a two-goal lead at halftime thanks to a goal from Strootman.
The game resumes after switching sides.
Bologna are intentionally increasing their attacking numbers in an attempt to narrow the gap.
With home advantage and superior overall strength, Roma are unlikely to give the away team any chance.
Chang Huan's position has been frequently pulled back.
Participate in team organization and connect the whole team through continuous passing and cutting.
Find gaps in Bologna's defense while strategically running down the clock.
The match has entered its sixtieth minute.
Di Francisco replaced Dzeko and Nainggolan.
Schick and Lorenzo Pellegrini were both sidelined.
The overall sense of oppression instantly increased.
Bologna, who had previously had sporadic attacking opportunities, are now left only with a defensive posture.
The away team benefited from Dzeko's poor form, as Chang Huan's penetrating through ball ultimately failed to result in an assist.
We knew the game was going to go on for 81 minutes.
Roma won a corner kick on the left side of the attacking third.
Di Francisco wanted Chang Huan to rest, and when he saw Chang Huan make a "wait" gesture, he immediately realized what was going on.
Kolarov was not on the field, and Lorenzo Pellegrini was also substituted.
Set pieces are difficult to handle, so it's better to take the free kick first, create a dead ball situation, and then switch.
"often!"
"often!!"
"often!!!"
When Chang Huan arrived at the left corner kick penalty area, he heard the cheers from the stands. Instead of stabilizing the ball, he vigorously waved his hands up and down, fully inciting the fans to release their passionate emotions.
As a result, the home fans went even crazier.
In this context, Chang Huan completed the free kick with the inside of his left foot.
The football, flying at high speed along the baseline's airspace, quickly descended in a banana shape towards the left edge of the six-yard box.
The 1.95-meter-tall center-back Fazio appeared in the pre-match corner kick tactical area and delivered a perfectly placed corner kick to Chang Huan, smashing a powerful header to help the team score another goal.
"Federico Fazio!"
"Scoring the game-winning goal!"
"3:0!"
Sky Sports Italia commentator Fabio Carreza exclaimed with fervor: "With eight minutes left in regular time, Roma, leading by three goals, are highly likely to set a new record for the best start in Serie A!"
Fazio ran wildly with his arms outstretched.
The fans in the stands let loose and expressed their emotions.
A huge cheer erupted: "Oh oh oh—>—"
Head coach Di Francesco was ecstatic, high-fiving his assistant Tomé: "11-game winning streak, it's in the bag!"
Seated in the VIP section were Roma's owner Pallotta, sporting director Monchi, and technical director Totti, who held little real power...
Everyone was laughing happily.
The entire Stadio Olimpico in Rome was transformed into a sea of red joy.
Before the match restarted, Gonalons replaced Chang Huan.
This adjustment also means that the home team will strengthen its defense and control the game.
Maintain the current score until the end of the match.
When the referee blew the final whistle twice (two short whistles and one long whistle), the scoreboard still showed a score of 3-0.
The packed Stadio Olimpico in Rome erupted in cheers once again, like surging, rolling waves.
"Match over!"
"Roma secures a resounding 3-0 victory over Bologna at home!"
"Achieving their 11th consecutive victory of the season!"
"A new record for the best start in Serie A!"
PP Sports commentator Shi Qingsheng exclaimed with excitement: "Congratulations Chang Huan! Congratulations to Rome!!"
Countless Roma fans sitting in front of their televisions were overjoyed and had tears in their eyes.
This summer, it was thought that even finishing in the top four would be difficult for the team, but... they started with an 11-game winning streak!