by Petar Todorovski
Roma returned on winning track, on home turf of course, after beating Bari 1-0, the last placed team on the table. Romans didn’t play good at all, the game was extremely boring and they secured the victory with a goal that was a clear offside.
Claudio Ranieri made some changes in the first team with including Leandro Greco and Mateo Brighi. However, the Golden Bin Award winner Adriano didn’t get a chance to prove if he really deserved it, as he wasn’t neither in the first team or the bench.
How boring the game was shows the fact that first real scoring opportunity happened in 20th minute when referee Romeo showed on the penalty spot for Roma. Marco Borriello was pulled of the shirt and that was enough for him.
Captain and true leader of the team Francesco Totti took the responsibility, but all he did was to put his name on the list of penalty floppers all over Europe this weekend, as Jean-Francois Gillet saved his kick.
However Roma gained the lead very soon. In 31st minute Totti entered into the box from the right and passed to Juan who scored from a clear two yards offside, while Marco Borriello wrestled with Bari defenders to secure him good position. In controversy situation per excellance referee Romeo found the goal regular.
Till the end of the first half Roma had two more chances, but Brighi and Menez failed. In the meantime what Bari did was absolutely nothing.
On the halftime Ranieri had to do changes but this time injury was the problem. After the first option keeper injured days before, the second choice Bogdan Lobont had the same destiny during the match.
In the second half Roma kept trying to put Bari under serious pressure. However, the relegation battlers seemed like they were there to loose with only one goal. Jeremy Menez had several shots which didn’t change the result, while Marco Borriello had the greatest chance in 53rd minute.
Bari attack was invisible the whole match, but in last minutes they could bring a surprising and undeserved point. However, Marco Cassetti denied Jaime Moreno effort.
After the game Claudio Ranieri was pleased by the result, but reminded that there’s still a lot to do. “I see the glass half full, we have got the goal, and this is good news. We didn’t find Totti and Menez between the lines, but when we did we created great difficulties for Bari,” he stated. “Our defenders worked well. Maybe not taking the many opportunities in Cluj may have generated nervousness, and perhaps we were not calm. The important thing was to score points, so let’s move on,” ended Ranieri.
Now Roma is sitting the sixth placed with 26 points, ten behind Milan and four behind the second best Juventus. Next Weekend Giallorossi travel to Milano to meet in-form Rossoneri in a match that could bury their slight title chances.
