"SOMETHING IS MISSING": GIAN PIERO GASPERINI’S BLUNT ADMISSION AFTER ROMA’S LATEST BIG-MATCH DEFEAT TODAY
Gian Piero Gasperini remains hopeful despite Roma's 2-1 loss to Juventus, citing a "solid base" for the Giallorossi’s future.
Gian Piero Gasperini admits Roma struggles in big matches and they're obviously missing something compared to Juventus, but says they have some good stuff going on to build for the future.
It was another letdown for the Giallorossi in a big game this season, though at least Tommaso Baldanzi got a late goal back after all those 1-0 losses.
Francisco Conceicao's shot and a Lois Openda score after Mile Svilar's save on Weston McKennie were the goals against a changed defense.
Gasperini is staying hopeful after Roma's defeat.
We messed up too many passes when attacking. Otherwise, we had what we needed to make more chances, Gasperini told Sky Sport Italia.
We had more energy at the end, but we still lacked accuracy. We know that. I would also point to how well a lot of players did who don't normally start, and they were up against a strong Juventus team.
Roma should feel good tonight because there's a solid base here to make a great team. I think we can do well.”
Mario Hermoso and Artem Dovbyk were injured, and Evan Ndicka and Neil El Aynaoui were at the Africa Cup of Nations. Jan Ziolkowski got only his third start for the club, and Devyne Rensch filled in the back three to cover the gaps.
“We played Kenan Yildiz and Francisco Conceicao. "They know how to take players on and run into space," said Gasperini.
“Sadly, we let in a goal right at the end of the first half but didn't allow much until then. Once we were down, Juventus had more space to play in. But overall, it was a good showing, mostly from guys like Rensch and Ziolkowski who haven’t played a lot. With this base, we can do well.”
Roma didn't seem to have much bite on offense. Paulo Dybala in the False 9 role and Matias Soulé didn't do much, so why didn't Evan Ferguson in the attack?
“Ferguson still isn't winning me over, even in the second half today. It's not just his skills. He and some other new signings still haven’t really fit into the team, Gasperini stated.
“We have a very sound team. Sure, tonight Dybala and Soule didn't get the service they needed, but their skill is way above the others. I’d make the same choices if I had to do it again.
Leon Bailey came on as a sub but limped off again 20 minutes later with another muscle issue.
Roma's record in the big games is awful, and it's starting to hurt their spot in the standings.
“It’s true we've lost many of these head-to-head games, but we beat Como, Bologna, and Lazio—teams right behind us. If you lose three or four of these games, it means you're missing something compared to those teams, Gasperini admitted.
“Still, there's a strong club backing us, we have a good base, and we weren't outplayed in any of these games. We only started this plan a few months ago, so we need to continue focusing on the base to build a great future for Roma.”
This result means Roma are still in fourth, but only one point ahead of Juventus, and could fall further behind the top three when they get back from Supercoppa Italiana commitments to play their Serie A Week 16 games in January.
LUCIANO SPALLETTI OFFICIALLY EXTENDS JUVENTUS TENURE UNTIL 2028 AFTER IMPRESSIVE INTERIM SPELL
Juventus coach Spalletti extends his contract until 2028. Get the latest on the Serie A top-four race and match news.
Juventus coach Luciano Spalletti just signed a new two-year deal with the club, capping off a promising six months at the helm.
He broke the news to his players first, right before Friday’s training session. Not long after, Juventus posted a video of Spalletti sharing the update. “I wanted you to hear it from me before anyone else,” he told the squad. “We’ve decided to extend my contract by another two years. I wanted to tell you before the news got out. Honestly, the road ahead looks tough, but I’m convinced we’ll tackle it together. With your character and your fight, we can turn every challenge into something bigger.”
Spalletti took charge back in October, stepping in after Juventus sacked Igor Tudor. Tudor’s departure came after three straight losses and a long, frustrating stretch without a win. At the time, Juventus handed Spalletti an eight-month contract. The word was, he'd get an automatic two-year extension if the team qualified for the Champions League.
Right now, Juventus sits just outside the Champions League spots, one point back from fourth-place Como, with seven games left in the season.
“When I joined seven months ago, the club gave me this short contract,” Spalletti explained. “The idea was simple: let’s give it some time, get to know each other, then decide at the end of the season if we want to keep going.”
Back then, Juventus sat in seventh place, fighting just to stay in Europe. In the Champions League, they were already scrambling to avoid elimination.
Things have improved since Spalletti took over. Juventus has picked up 17 wins, six losses, and eight draws in 31 matches. They managed to push through to the Champions League playoffs, though Galatasaray knocked them out.
Club CEO Damien Comolli praised Spalletti’s impact. “Since joining us, Luciano’s made a real difference on the pitch, around the club, and among our fans,” Comolli said. “He’s exactly the kind of leader we need. His ambitious football matches what we all expect from Juventus, and he stands for what our club’s all about. So, we want to keep going with him. We believe stability and continuity are key to reaching our goals.”
Juventus hasn’t lifted the Serie A trophy since 2020, when they wrapped up a run of nine straight titles.
Before arriving in Turin, Spalletti led Napoli to the Serie A title in 2023, then took charge of Italy’s national team. That stint didn’t go well; he lost his job last June after a shaky start in World Cup qualifying. Now, he’s got another shot to lead a powerhouse club.
NAPOLI LEAPFROG AC MILAN INTO SECOND PLACE WITH VITAL 1-0 SAN SIRO VICTORY
Napoli beat AC Milan 1-0 to move into second place. Discover how Politano and McTominay are chasing Inter for the title.
Napoli snatched a late 1-0 win over AC Milan at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, keeping their hopes for a second straight Serie A title very much alive. Scott McTominay played the entire match, and with Napoli sitting third before kickoff, their victory bumped them ahead of Milan into second place, just seven points behind Inter. That gap was a daunting 11 points a mere three weeks ago, but Napoli's five-game winning streak, combined with Inter dropping points, has changed the picture fast. With seven matches left, McTominay and the team aren’t giving up on defending their scudetto.
Early in the game, McTominay nearly had Napoli fans holding their breath when he tried a bicycle kick, a move that’s become one of his signatures. This time, though, he couldn't duplicate his Hampden magic from last November against Denmark. The ball skipped wide.
The game felt tense and looked to be heading for a draw until the 79th minute. That’s when Napoli broke through with a quick attack down the left. McTominay didn’t get the goal, but his movement from a Mathias Olivera cross caused chaos in the Milan box. Matteo Politano, coming on as a sub, pounced at the far post and put in a tidy left-footed finish.
Billy Gilmour, McTominay’s Scotland teammate, didn’t get on the pitch. He’d started in three of his last four Serie A appearances, but this time watched from the bench.
Napoli’s next game takes them away to Parma, who sit in 13th. Inter travelled to play Como later that same day. Talking about the title race, manager Antonio Conte said, “Scudetto? It's tough. Inter is really strong and is having an incredible season. We can’t slip up; we need them to make mistakes, and not just once. Honestly, we have to be realistic… Inter deserves to lead. Still, we’ve won the Supercoppa and sit second. We should be pretty happy. With all our injuries and problems, this season could easily have gone off the rails.”
Around the rest of Serie A, Lennon Miller, who didn’t see action for Scotland over the international break, came off the bench for Udinese in the 65th minute of their scoreless draw with Como. On Sunday, Lewis Ferguson saw red for the first time in Italy after picking up two yellows in thirty seconds late in Bologna’s 2-1 win at Cremonese. Che Adams found the net for Torino in their 1-0 victory over Pisa.
