The relationships between the clubs count a lot in the last days of the championship as the director of Sportitalia, Michele Criscitiello, pointed out a few weeks ago, and in fact Roma do not have the match of their lives against Empoli who win against the Giallorossi and save themselves. In January there was the Baldanzi operation between the two clubs and in fact the player born in 2003 was not even fielded by De Rossi. He mourns Frosinone who lost at home against Udinese and was relegated. The story of Empoli-Roma written by TMW:
Cancellieri, Roma equal in recovery. Game with very heavy stakes for Empoli, pushed by 15 thousand in a packed Castellani stadium and determined to give their support to Nicola’s team. An abundant first ten minutes of study, then the Azzurri find the space to strike and in the 13th minute they find the advantage with a vertical and rapid action that sends Cancellieri face to face with Svilar. Five minutes and there would be an immediate equalizer for Roma with Cristante who resolves a melee after two great saves from Caprile, but the VAR reports the midfielder’s millimetric offside and the goal is annulled.
Empoli cowers and leaves the field to the Giallorossi, trying to hurt on the counterattack with Cancellieri always lively in space. The pace drops, the opportunities become fewer, but in the first minute of injury time there is room for Roma to draw 1-1. It comes all the way to the left on the Zalewski-Angelino axis: a kissing cross for Aouar, who restores parity at half-time.
Niang for the joy of a people. Upon returning to the pitch, two substitutions had already been made for Nicola, Empoli returned to the pitch better also in the second half but this time they didn’t strike, despite a couple of great opportunities to do so immediately (above all the one that happened to the substitute Niang after less than ten minutes). As the minutes passed, Empoli’s need to find another goal increased and midway through the second half Nicola unbalanced his team forward by launching a heavy trident with Cancellieri, Caputo and Niang. The ball hit from very long range by Marin, shortly afterwards, almost made Castellani jump to his feet but the crossbar hit the crossbar.
In the 77th minute everything goes for broke: Maleh, midfielder, comes out, Cambiaghi comes in, fourth striker at the same time for Empoli. The Azzurri discover themselves and in one of these gaps in the 84th minute El Shaarawy strikes, but is served offside by Angelino. In the 92nd minute the reward for Nicola: Cancellieri finds Niang, who cools Svilar and gives Empoli an unexpected record-breaking save!
GASPERINI’S WORDS ON THE RECOVERY AGAINST FIORENTINA
Gasperini: “We wanted to play first against Fiorentina but we went to the bottom of the competition”
