Roma’s dream start: Gasperini matches Mourinho, top defence, 12 points | OneFootball

With the victory over Verona, Roma moves up to 12 points and catches up with Milan and Napoli at the top of Serie A. Such a brilliant start hasn't been seen since the times of José Mourinho, when in 2021/22 the Giallorossi started with the same haul in the first five rounds.

Roma, dream start: Gasperini like the first Mourinho. Best defense in Europe and 12 points in 5 rounds

To find a similar start, we have to go back four years, to Mourinho's first season, when Roma won 12 points in the first five matches, with the only misstep in Verona. Even before, neither Spalletti nor Di Francesco managed to maintain such a pace. Rudi Garcia did better than all: in 2013/14 with ten consecutive victories at the start and in 2014/15 with 15 points in the first five, a streak interrupted by Juventus.

The hand of Gasperini and the limits to overcome

The success against Verona was not easy: the team suffered and, as already happened in Pisa, showed difficulty in building fluid play. The attack has not yet found continuity, but the group seems to have embraced the philosophy of Gian Piero Gasperini. The coach, who arrived this summer, is still getting to know the environment and players, but the harmony appears to be increasing.

Fabio Capello, the last coach to win the Scudetto with Roma, pointed out: "I see Gasperini very similar to me in the ability to bring out from the players what the team needs. At Atalanta he was in a protected environment, but in Rome he was able to immerse himself immediately in reality, and the results are visible".

The defense, key to the new cycle

If the attack has not yet made an impact as expected, the defense is proving to be Roma's real weapon. Only one goal conceded in five matches and the best rearguard in the top 5 European championships: numbers that certify a rare solidity and that continue the positive trend with which the Giallorossi had closed the last championship.

This defensive compactness, combined with an increasingly defined tactical identity, fuels the ambitions of a Roma aiming for a return to the Champions League. If offensive growth accompanies this solidity, the Giallorossi could really join the race for the Scudetto along with Milan, Napoli, and Juventus.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.