It's been a long time since Roma could say that they were leading the way for Italy in Europe, but after what seems like a lifetime of humiliation on the continent the Giallorossi can hold their heads a bit higher, thanks to the reborn Edin Dzeko.
Thursday night's Dzeko-inspired 4-1 Europa league cuffing of Viktoria Plzen at the Stadio Olimpico saw Roma qualify for the knockout stages as Group E winners with a match to spare. It was the perfect antidote to last weekend's traumatic second half collapse at Atalanta, as well as being great preparation for Sunday night's home clash with lowly Pescara.
Despite what modest opposition Plzen and the rest of their group may have been, Roma have nonetheless done what they needed to do, crashing in 16 goals and qualifying with ease. Compatriots Internazionale and Sassuolo are both out of the competition -- Inter with just three points from five games following last night's disaster at Be'er Sheva -- and while Fiorentina also sit top of their group, they're still sweating on qualification after conceding a 93rd-minute equaliser against PAOK.
Dzeko's hat-trick included this Francesco Totti-esque strike, which he called maybe his finest ever, and took his tally to 15 Roma goals in 17 appearances this season. However, while the Bosnian might be on fire in Europe -- his five Europa League strikes have all come in his last two games -- he hasn't scored in Serie A for a month, drawing a blank against Empoli, Bologna and Atalanta since his match-winning display at Sassuolo.
That run that has seen Roma pick up just four points from a possible nine and seen Juventus extend their lead on Luciano Spalletti's side at the top of Serie A to seven points. It's also seen Mauro Icardi and Torino's young Italian hotshot Andrea Belotti draw level with his league tally of 10, with Lazio's Ciro Immobile just a goal behind the trio.
Spalletti has repeatedly asked for more "focus and aggression" from Dzeko, and his team need him to end his mini league-drought between now and Christmas. Not so much for third-from-bottom Pescara, who have lost five on the bounce and are the sort of side Roma have shown they can easily overwhelm at home (even given the possible absence of Kostas Manolas), but for the string of horrible fixtures coming up afterwards.
The following three weeks bring the Rome derby, AC Milan and then leaders Juventus in Turin, and with Lazio and Milan breathing down Roma's necks for second spot, the missed chances that allowed Atalanta to get back into last week's match need to disappear.
Vincenzo Montella's Milan are level on 26 points with Roma and travel to an Empoli side fresh from a 4-0 swatting at the hands of Tuscan rivals Fiorentina, while Lazio, who are only a point behind level with Atalanta, are at second-from-bottom Palermo, who haven't won in over two months and have lost seven of their last eight. Napoli meanwhile are only two points back in sixth place, ready to pounce on any slip ups when they host stuttering Sassuolo on Monday evening.
Then there's the small matter of trying to claw back Juve. If this season is going to be anything more than another Bianconero procession, Roma must get to December's clash at the Juventus stadium at least no further behind than they are already, no easy task given Lazio and Milan's form and tJuve's slightly simpler set of upcoming fixtures -- away at Genoa on Sunday, then Atalanta at home and the Turin derby at Torino.
If Juve are going to drop any points it's more likely to be in the latter two fixtures, making the derby and Milan match absolutely crucial to the shape this season will take -- another battle for Champions League qualification, or the first genuine Scudetto challenge since Claudio Ranieri managed the club at the start of the decade.
The one thing playing in Roma's favour is that they now don't have to worry about Europe until February thanks to Thursday's win, and while Juve's impressive 3-1 win at Sevilla on Tuesday sealed qualification to the Champions League Round of 16, they still need a win over (an admittedly awful) Dinamo Zagreb to ensure top spot in Group H.
Roma have Dzeko to thank that they don't have to worry about the trip to Romania against Astra Giurgiu, inconveniently scheduled between the derby and Milan. If they're to keep Juve in their sights and the pretenders to second spot at bay they'll need the revitalised front man leading the line and the scoring charts.