Roma-Nice 1-1: goal by Brahimi and own goal by Lemina

The Portuguese retreat of Mourinho’s Roma ends with a draw against Nice (1-1). The coach and the players will return to Fiumicino tonight with an extra Paulo Dybala: he did not play, the Argentine, and the appointment to see him debut is in a week in Haifa against Antonio Conte’s Tottenham. Yesterday, in the meantime, he saw, from the bench, his teammates risk little or nothing: the pace of the match was rather mild, Roma did better in the second half than in the first half and, especially on the left wing, showed that the abundance between Spinazzola (who started as a captain) and Zalewski can be one of the keys to the season. Well the blue, very well the Polish.

THE TWO GOALS

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On the right, on the other hand, Karsdorp played a large part of the game and, thanks to Zalewski’s assist, Lemina (ex Juventus) own goal in the 55th minute. Nice had taken the lead just before half-time, in the 41st minute, with Brahimi, good at escaping Vina (deployed in third defense) and beating, with his left, Svilar (not very well defending the goal) at the near post. Mou, at the beginning, had left several starters on the bench: in defense, with Smalling (who played the whole game, essential), there were Kumbulla and Vina, on the flanks Karsdorp and Spinazzola, in the center Matic and Vereout and in front, behind Shomurodov, Carles Perez and Zaniolo, never dangerous.

BETTER SHOOT

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In the second half in Rui Patricio, Mancini, Bove, Zalewski, El Shaarawy, Abraham and Pellegrini, with the ball of the game always in the hands of Roma. Few occasions, also because Abraham still appeared rather packed, with Zalewski the only one to really create numerical superiority and Cristante dangerous with two shots from a distance just outside. Also noteworthy is a nice exchange between Pellegrini and Abraham, at the end of which El Shaarawy, deployed very close to the tip, found himself thrown into the net and was only stopped by Dante’s intervention. No victory, therefore, for Roma, which however closes the Portuguese adventure without defeat. And considering that, after all, for Josè Mourinho there are really no friendlies, this is also good news. The best, however, is called Paulo Dybala. From the next it will be his turn too.