Now, that’s more like it! Three days after succumbing to Como in a surprising 2-0 defeat, Claudio Ranieri’s crew rebounded with a resounding 4-1 victory over Sampdoria in today’s Coppa Italia Round of 16 fixture at the Olimpico. The former Serie A stalwarts were no match for the Giallorossi today, who hit the Blucherati early and often this evening, compiling a three-goal lead before the 25-minute mark, cruising to one of their biggest victories in 2024.
Given the quick turnaround from Wednesday’s loss in beautiful Lake Como and with two crucial league fixtures on the docket before the new year, Ranieri did a fair bit of tinkering today. In goal, we caught our first official glimpse of Tim Ryan, who has spent the entire season watching from the sidelines as Mile Svilar continued his ascent. The Australian keeper was joined by a slew of seldom-seen faces in the starting eleven, including Nicola Zalewski, Tommaso Baldanzi, and Mario Hermoso, among others.
However, the standout player in today’s 4-1 victory was Artem Dovbyk. The thirty-million-dollar acquisition from Girona hasn’t exactly hit the ground running during his first season with Roma. Following a sensational campaign in which he topped La Liga’s scoring charts, Dovbyk came into today’s match with just six goals in 20 appearances across all competitions.
Like nearly every other member of the squad, Dovbyk has struggled to gain traction through Roma’s multiple managerial changes. Couple that with a slew of nagging injuries and a general lack of service in the box, and it’s little wonder the 27-year-old Ukrainian strike has failed to make his mark in Italy.
So, when Alexis Saelemaekers served up a pinpoint cross into the box from the right flank, practically dropping it on Dovbyk’s right boot for a 9th-minute goal, the entire Olimpico was smiling ear-to-ear. Well, almost the entire Olimpico—Dovbyk remained stoic to the last.
And 10 minutes later, in one of the stranger sequences we’ve seen all season long, Dovbyk completed his first official double for the club. With Saelemaekers again controlling play on the right flank, the Belgian winger played a nearly identical ball into the heart of the six-yard box, picking out Dovbyk amidst a thicket of Samp defenders. While Samp defender Melle Meulensteen had a beat on the ball, he opted to chest the ball over the bar rather than hoofing it out of bounds. However, rather than seeing his effort sail harmlessly over the crossbar, it fell right to Dovbyk for a tap-in header.
Game, set, and match. Roma would add two more goals for good measure before calling it a day, including a lovely strike from Tommaso Baldanzi from the edge of the box in the 24th minute.
If you missed a minute of today’s Roma, please enjoy the highlights!
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