Roma had Edin Dzeko to thank for scraping a 3-2 win over a spirited Pescara side that threatened to overturn a two-goal half-time deficit and was unlucky to have left the Stadio Olimpico with nothing.
Two goals in three minutes, both excellently taken from glorious assists from the outstanding Diego Perotti (who bagged the third from the penalty spot), gave Roma a much-needed cushion within the first 10 minutes and moved his league tally up to 12 in 14 appearances. Without his goals, the Giallorossi would likely not have closed the gap between themselves and league leaders Juventus to four points, nor would they have kept AC Milan and Lazio at bay.
Pescara, a team that before this weekend had scored just nine goals, had seven shots on target on Sunday (the same number as Roma) and twice pegged back the hosts through goals from Ledian Memushaj and Gianluca Caprari, making the sparsely populated Olimpico sweat right to the final whistle. All in all it was a vital three points but Dzeko was right when he said that if they play like that in the Rome Derby next week, the result is unlikely to be the same.
Positives
Dzeko ended his three-game Serie A dry patch, looking every inch the match-winning centre-forward, while Diego Perotti was back to his very best with an elegant display on the left. The Argentine picked out Dzeko with two peachy crosses and showed customary coolness from the spot after winning a questionable penalty in the 71st minute. The first half was as assured a performance as you'll see -- if only they'd kept it up in the second half.
Negatives
Being 2-0 up against a team that has come into the match having lost five games on the bounce should make things easier, not harder, and yet Roma seemed paralysed by the chance to close in on Juve and make up for last week's disaster at Atalanta. It feels almost as if this team has a collective fear of winning.
Manager rating
5/10 -- Some of Luciano Spalletti's choices were forced on him by injuries, such as the untried central defensive partnership of Federico Fazio and Antonio Rudiger. Others, like Gerson in central midfield, were imposed on him by the need to rotate ahead of the brutal next three matches against Lazio, AC Milan and Juventus. Nonetheless his team had enough firepower to deal with Pescara, but they still suffered terribly in the second half against a side in the bottom three. A wake up call is severely needed.
Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best. Players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)
GK Wojciech Szczesny, 7 -- Was almost as important as Dzeko and Perotti, pulling off two excellent saves from Simone Pepe and Valerio Verre.
DF Bruno Peres, 5 -- When he doesn't shine going forward (as he didn't on Sunday night) his defensive weakness becomes even more apparent.
DF Antonio Rudiger, 5 -- Admittedly the German is working his way back from a long-term injury but he didn't take charge of the back line and looked wobbly throughout the second half. Needs more time.
DF Federico Fazio, 5 -- After weeks of improved form, it was a shock to see the Argentine struggle so badly with Pescara's nimble-footed attack.
DF Emerson Palmieri, 4 -- Managed the significant feat of being even worse than Peres.
MF Mohamed Salah, 5 -- The Egyptian has been below par for a couple of weeks now as his poor distribution lack of right foot really hampered his team's attacks.
MF Kevin Strootman, 5 -- Not dominant enough, which is not a promising sign against a side as lowly as Pescara.
MF Radja Nainggolan, 6 -- Still looks like something's holding him back. Surely Spalletti has to start considering him for a deeper role, as he doesn't look the right fit for attacking midfield.
MF Gerson, 6 -- Showed some signs of the player he's supposed to be, in particular in behind Dzeko, but looked scared to take responsibility in midfield. Understandable given how little he's played in the league up to now.
MF Diego Perotti, 9 -- Two assists and a nicely taken penalty were just reward for the Argentine's best display of the season. Smooth as silk on the left.
MF Edin Dzeko, 8 -- 17 goals in 18 matches in all competitions, and five in four days. It's fair to say that Dzeko has become the striker he was supposed to be when he arrived a year-and-a-half ago.
Substitutes
MF Daniele de Rossi, 5 -- Left on the bench to rest ahead of next week's Rome derby, his 400th Serie A appearance was one to forget, full of errors and bad positioning.
FW Francesco Totti, NR -- Tried his hardest to calm his teammates nerves in an 18-minute cameo but didn't quite manage it.
DF Thomas Vermaelen, NR -- Two stoppage time minutes, his first since August, in place of Salah.