Spalletti's first year back at Roma in numbers

Sunday's meeting with Genoa will be Spalletti's 38th Serie A match since his return to the Giallorossi dugout in January 2016, meaning he will have completed a 'full' season back at the helm.

The coach has taken 84 points from his first 37 league fixtures, just one shy of Roma's all-time record points haul in a single season (2013-14), and he has the chance to equal or better it at the Stadio Marassi this weekend.

Spalletti's first match in charge after replacing Rudi Garcia was against Verona at the Stadio Olimpico on 17 January. It ended 1-1 as Radja Nainggolan's first-half strike was cancelled out by Giampaolo Pazzini's penalty.

The team hadn't yet picked themselves up again following Garcia's sacking but Spalletti knew exactly what was needed. “We have to work hard in training and muster every last ounce of energy we have – I don't know any other way to succeed,” he said.

After drawing with Verona, the Giallorossi were narrowly beaten at Juventus Stadium, but that would be their last league defeat all season.

It was followed by eight consecutive wins, against Frosinone, Sassuolo, Sampdoria, Carpi, Palermo, Empoli, Fiorentina and Udinese.

Then there were three draws – interspersed with a 4-1 triumph in the derby – before another five straight victories to wrap up the Serie A campaign.

Spalletti hadn't quite hit the heights of his 11-game winning streak in 2005-06 but it was enough to lift the Giallorossi back up into the Champions League spots.

Roma were five points adrift of third place when Spalletti joined; they finished the year 13 points ahead of fourth, just two behind second-placed Napoli and 11 off champions Juventus.

The Giallorossi's surge up the table saw them earn 46 points (W14, D4) in the second half of the season, meaning they finished with 80 points come the end of May.

Sadly, finishing in the top three wasn't enough to guarantee a place in the Champions League group stage – Porto saw to that in our August play-off – but at least it ensured Roma confirmed their status as one of Italy's top sides.

Spalletti's men kicked off the 2016-17 Serie A campaign with a 4-0 home win over Udinese and have won 11, drawn two and lost four since then, taking 38 points from their first 18 games.

What's more, they still boast a 100% home record – nine wins from nine.

“It's a pity we've dropped points against the smaller teams,” Spalletti has rued.

Roma led 2-0 at Cagliari only for the Sardinians to peg them back to 2-2. They were held 0-0 at Empoli despite dominating the encounter. They lost to an offside goal at Fiorentina, then away to Torino and Atalanta.

There was less to recriminate after the defeat to Juventus. As Kevin Strootman said before the season began, “We only play Juve two times a year; we can beat everyone else.”

All told, Spalletti's 37 Serie A fixtures have yielded 84 points (an average of 2.27 per game), 26 wins, six draws and five defeats, with 86 goals scored and 37 conceded. That's a win percentage of 59.18%. The only European sides with a better record are Juventus, Real Madrid and Barcelona.

A draw in Genoa would equal Garcia's record tally of 85 points from 2013-14 while a win would see Spalletti better that figure.

Whatever happens, Spalletti's total – spread as it is across two half seasons – won't be going into the record books, but it's not a none too shabby first 12 months back at the club however you look at it.