Crotone 0-2 Roma: Match report, reaction and key statistics

On a typically-difficult day at the Stadio Ezio Scida, it was El Shaarawy who broke the deadlock just before half-time; steering home a pinpoint cross from Aleksandar Kolarov to give Eusebio Di Francesco's side the lead.

With Crotone desperately searching for an equaliser, in the second half it was Nainggolan who finally put the result beyond all doubt - rifling home from the edge of the box in trademark fashion.

The Giallorossi had other chances throughout the 90 minutes, both to put the game to bed sooner and to extend the advantage, but were thwarted by a combination of some timid finishing and dogged defending.

At the other end, they had Alisson Becker to thank for another handful of eye-catching moments, as the Brazilian kept his 13th clean sheet of the league campaign.

With the victory, the Giallorossi maintained their hold on third position in the standings going into the international break.

Team selection

Di Francesco made six changes from the side that beat Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Tuesday night, with Radja Nainggolan captaining the side in place of the suspended Daniele De Rossi.

Gerson, Bruno Peres and Juan Jesus were among those who came into the side - although Tuesday's hero Edin Dzeko once again led the line.

Key moments

FIRST HALF

1' - Roma immediately win the corner. Gonalons flicks on the inswinging delivery, but a Crotone defender then clears the danger.

12' - El Shaarawy finds space inside the box: his initial shot is blocked so he then lays it back for Radja who fires narrowly over!

16' - Roma slowly starting to take the initiative in this one. Dzeko finds some space on the edge of the box but his shot is scuffed at Cordaz.

25' - The visitors push the ball forward quickly and Dzeko releases Kolarov into space down the left - but his dangerous cross flashes across goal without getting a final touch!

32' - Capuano nearly slices into his own net after misjudging another dangerous cross from Kolarov. Close!

34' - The ball falls kindly for Stoian at the far post, but he gets his volley all wrong and Roma escape.

37' - CLOSE! Radja is scythed down, gets back up, latches onto the loose ball and swings in a beautiful first-time cross that Gerson heads narrowly over at the far post!

39' - GOAL! ROMA LEAD! That's the breakthrough! A slick passing move from Di Francesco's side ends with Kolarov putting in another pinpoint cross... and this time El Shaarawy is there to turn it home from a few yards out! 0-1!

45' - Two minutes of added time at the end of the first half, as Kolarov narrowly avoids conceding a freak own goal.

See more images in our dedicated match gallery.

SECOND HALF

46' - Early shot for Crotone, but Mandragora fires straight at Alisson.

51' - Nearly two! Nainggolan beats his man and cuts the ball back for Dzeko, but Cordaz makes an acrobatic stop! Radja tries to steer in the rebound but is flagged for offside...

55' - Pellegrini spins and shoots from 25 yards out, but it's comfortable for Cordaz.

56' - ALISSON... INCREDIBLE! Trotta pounces on a loose ball to break clean through on goal, but the goalkeeper closes the angles brilliantly and makes a vital stop!

58' - An important intervention from Bruno Peres at the far post keeps out Crotone as Ricci's cross threatened to find a man.

64' - Radja shoots straight at Cordaz from just outside the box.

65' - CLOSE! Kolarov chops his way past one defender and goes for goal with his right foot... curling just inches wide of the far post!

75' - GOAL! RADJA! A perfect left-footed finish from Radja! He cuts inside his man, shifts the ball out of his feet... and finds the bottom corner from 20 yards with unerring accuracy! YES! 0-2!

80' - Incredible goalline stand from Roma! Alisson makes the first save from Ricci, then Fazio does brilliant twice to somehow keep out the follow-up attempts!

89' - Gooa.... no! Florenzi has time in the box to weigh up his options; he picks out Cengiz with a perfect square ball, but the Crotone defender gets back to make a remarkable goalline block!

Key match statistics

See more game statistics in our dedicated match centre.

Social media reaction

Roma reaction

“It’s very pleasing, I’d gone a little while without a goal. We have won at a difficult place to go and have shown we have consistency. We are happy with the result."It can happen that you go through a phase lacking a bit of sharpness. It’s important to keep plugging away, and in the end the goal arrived."When you believe in what you are doing, when you have focus and the right spirit then things generally go better. Today we had the right enthusiasm and aggression and brought home the win."

- Stephan El Shaarawy

“It’s perhaps not been the case in every game we’ve played, but we’ve shown that the team is growing. We had a great first half, due to our decision-making: we played well and were patient, because they were compact and sat deep. We kept hold of the ball and eventually got what we needed with a lovely move, finished off by Stephan El Shaarawy. In the second half we made things difficult for ourselves. The pitch didn’t help, with the wind in particular, but my ball-players were not incisive enough.”

- Eusebio Di Francesco

What's next?

The Giallorossi now have a brief international break to navigate before their next Serie A clash - which will see them travel to face Bologna in two weeks' time.

Then follows the two Champions League quarter-final clashes against Barcelona - with a home Serie A meeting with Fiorentina slotted in between.

CROTONE 0-2 ROMA

Goalscorers: El Shaarawy (39'), Nainggolan (75')

Crotone: Cordaz; Faraoni, Ceccherini, Capuano, Martella; Stoian, Mandragora, Benali; Ricci, Trotta, Nalini.

Roma: Alisson, Peres, Fazio, J. Jesus, Kolarov; Pellegrini (Strootman), Gonalons, Nainggolan; El Shaarawy (Cengiz), Dzeko, Gerson (Florenzi).