In a thrilling encounter at the Stadio Olimpico, AS Roma triumphed over Lazio with a convincing 2-0 win in the much-anticipated Italian capital derby, providing a vital boost to their Serie A campaign. Under Under the management of Claudio Ranieri, who maintains a perfect record in city derbies, the Giallorossi delivered a memorable performance.
Roma captain and staunch supporter Lorenzo Pellegrini opened the scoring with a magnificent curling strike from outside the box, marking a significant moment for the player who faced some criticism from ardent Roma fans. club this season. Just after Pellegrini’s inspiring strike, Alexis Saelemaekers doubled the advantage with a well-executed finish following a quick counter, putting Roma in front 2-0 after just 18 minutes of play.
With this victory, Roma have now won three of their last five Serie A matches, which propels them to 10th place in the table. Meanwhile, Lazio remain firmly in fourth position, reflecting on their missed opportunities.
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Claudio Ranieri has now recorded five wins in five derbies since taking charge of AS Roma, a remarkable feat considering he is already the club’s third manager this season following the dismissals of Daniele De Rossi and Ivan Juric. Ranieri’s previous derby successes include his spells with Roma from 2009 to 2011 and a brief return in 2019. He has also led teams to victories in other significant Italian derbies, including those involving Inter, Juventus and Sampdoria.
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Despite claiming he would retire from coaching after saving Cagliari from relegation last year, Ranieri couldn’t resist the lure of guiding his beloved Roma back to the top flight when they contacted him in November. His contract includes a clause allowing him to move into an executive role at the end of the season, where he will have a say in appointing the next head coach.
The match also had its share of off-field drama, as a car caught fire outside the stadium due to fireworks from rival supporters, increasing tensions ahead of kick-off .
On the same day, Cagliari showed their resilience by coming from behind to secure a 2-1 victory against bottom side Monza, thanks to goals from Nadir Zortea and Roberto Piccoli. The matches between Torino and Parma and Lecce and Genoa ended in 0-0 draws.
Meanwhile, in the Champions Trophy, Ousmane Dembélé’s last-minute goal gave Paris Saint-Germain a 1-0 triumph over Monaco, securing the trophy for the third consecutive year. Tournament record winners PSG faced last season’s Ligue 1 runners-up after an impressive season which saw them win both the league and the Coupe de France. This victory marked PSG’s 11th success in the last 12 years of the competition.
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In a match played at Stadium 974 in Doha, built from recycled shipping containers for the 2022 World Cup, PSG created 27 scoring chances, nine of which were on target. However, it was Dembélé’s tricky finish, coming two minutes into added time following a precise pass from Fabián Ruiz, that ultimately sealed victory for the Parisians, sparing them the anguish of penalties.
Gianluigi Donnarumma also returned to the field and made several decisive saves, putting aside a horrific facial injury suffered in the previous Ligue 1 encounter against Monaco. This victory strengthened PSG’s dominance in French football.
