ROMA OUTCAST PELLEGRINI COMES IN FROM COLD TO WIN DERBY LAZIO

Rome (AFP) – Lorenzo Pellegrini fired Roma to victory in the derby with Lazio on Sunday, the former captain coming in from the cold with the only goal in a 1-0 win at a boisterous Stadio Olimpico.

Lorenzo Pellegrini celebrates scoring Roma's derby-winning goal © Tiziana FABI / AFP

Roman-born Pellegrini lost the captaincy of his boyhood club and was placed on the transfer list over the summer, but he was decisive against Lazio in his first appearance of the season and put Roma fourth in Serie A on nine points.

Ahead of kick-off Fans unfurled a banner which read "welcome back, captain" for Pellegrini who also had to have surgery for an injury to his right thigh in May.

"I never doubted their affection for me and I have a lot of love for them too," said Pellegrini to DAZN.

"The one constant is that I love Roma, and as long as I'm here there will never be a day in which I won't give everything for the shirt.

"I don't know what will happen in the future because life is unpredictable... I was close to leaving and I had no idea in what condition I would be after my injury, but I come back in the derby and scored the winning goal."

Sunday's 38th-minute strike was Pellegrini's fourth in a Rome derby and repaid the faith shown in him by new coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who started the 29-year-old in one of Roma's biggest games of the season.

Gasperini seemed to have frozen out Pellegrini who has 36 caps for Italy but on Saturday hinted at a place in the derby, while making it clear the player was on borrowed time unless he "becomes an athlete and starts running".

And after the derby win he doubled down on Pellegrini needing to improve physically as Roma prepare to begin their Europa League campaign at Nice on Wednesday.

Lazio woes

Lazio are stuck on three points from their first four matches of the season but could have easily come away with a point from a typically tense derby, even after losing Reda Belahyane to a straight red card.

Matteo Guendouzi made matters worse for 13th-placed Lazio when he was sent off for a rant at officials after the final whistle.

The only serious efforts before Pellegrini's winner were from distance by Pedro and Mattia Zaccagni, the latter tipped over by Mile Svilar just before the half hour.

Lazio's Nicolo Rovella burst down the right and sent across a teasing low cross which dribbled in front of the Roma goal but was too far away from his onrushing teammates.

Pellegrini stroked home his first goal since January after Devyne Rensch robbed a dozing Nuno Tavares and Matias Soule perfectly fed the Italy international for a first-time finish.

Roma pressed high in the hope of forcing mistakes from Lazio but it was the nominal away team who left a huge gap through which Boulaye Dia charged in the 54th minute only to blast over when one-on-one with Svilar.

Dia's replacement Valentin Castellanos then whizzed a deflected effort just wide, before Danilo Cataldi came within millimetres of snatching a draw in stoppage time when his curling effort struck the outside of the post.

Roma held out and claimed bragging rights in the Eternal City, as well as moving to within a point of league leaders Juventus.

© 2025 AFP

LIVERPOOL COMEBACK FALLS SHORT AS ATALANTA REACH SEMIFINALS

 

Mohamed Salah and Liverpool couldn't get the goals they needed to deny Atalanta

Atalanta progressed to the Europa League semifinals despite losing 1-0 to Liverpool on Thursday as they triumphed 3-1 on aggregate to move one step closer to a first ever European final for the Serie A side.

Atalanta had stunned the Premier League club 3-0 in the first leg of their quarterfinal last week at Anfield, levelling another huge blow to Liverpool's dreams of a fairytale ending in manager Jurgen Klopp's final season.

"We gave ourselves a massive hurdle [in the first leg], but I liked the game a lot for a long time, the commitment, the desire, the power the boys showed was incredible," Klopp told TNT Sports.

"It is mixed emotions. We would have wished that we could have gone to Dublin [for the final], but that hasn't happened.

"We now have one competition left [Premier League] and we will throw ourselves into that completely."

Mohamed Salah and Liverpool couldn't get the goals they needed to deny Atalanta.

Timothy Rogers/Getty Images

Liverpool got off to a quick start in Italy as talisman Mohammed Salah scored from the penalty spot in the seventh minute, fuelling hope that a remarkable comeback was in the making.

But while Klopp's men looked little like the shaky side who were steamrolled by Atalanta at Anfield, particularly in the first half, Gian Piero Gasperini's team held on in what the manager had called the biggest game in the team's history to earn a semi-final place against Olympique de Marseille.

"If you don't win without danger, there's no glory to your triumph," Gasperini said.

"The fans always ask us for the shirt to be soaked in sweat, and that's one thing we must have at a minimum."

Salah had Liverpool's best chance at a second goal when he was sent in one-on-one against goalkeeper Juan Musso, but he chipped the ball well wide.

Later in the first half, Salah almost set up Luis Díaz with a ball over the top into the area, but it hit the arm of Isak Hien. Liverpool screamed for a penalty to no avail, and Diaz was booked for dissent.

"Last week we were very poor and they had a good game," Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk told TNT Sports. "They deserved to go through because we made it far too difficult for ourselves.

"Tonight was a good game and we showed great fight. It was an improvement but the reality is we are out. We are disappointed to be out of the competition as we really wanted to win it."

Liverpool, who won the League Cup earlier this season, now turn their attention back to the Premier League. They are level on 71 points with second-placed Arsenal and two points behind leaders Manchester City.

They play at Fulham on Sunday in a quick turnaround.

"We won tonight and we kept a clean sheet, so there are so many more positives we can take. Yes, it is a bad feeling to be out so we have to get back up," Van Dijk added.

"We have been through difficult moments all together, so showing maturity and togetherness is the key to this. We need everyone now for the last push in the league."

- Reuters