In Focus: Strootman's bittersweet night against Cagliari

Our columnist reflects on Sunday's draw at Sant'Elia, a frustrating end to an otherwise positive evening for one player in particular...

The draw at Cagliari leaves a bittersweet taste for Kevin Strootman. Because Roma didn't win. Because Kevin always puts the team before any personal glory. And because three points would have been the perfect fillip after Porto.

Bittersweet because when he smashed home off the underside of the bar past Marco Storari – the man who did more than most to deny us at the Sant'Elia – we were 2-0 up, and you'd have been forgiven for thinking we were home and dry.

His goal brought back memories of a Gabriel Omar Batistuta strike against Lecce in 2000, 16 years ago.

There are certainly many similarities. The Argentine scored in Week 2, away from home in a white shirt, down the same end of the pitch. He even fired in off the bar, albeit from a different angle.

Sadly, that's where the parallels end. There were no full-time celebrations this time. Not for the visitors, anyway.

Bittersweet because it was Kevin's first league goal in 952 days, his last one coming in a 3-0 win over Livorno on 18 January 2014. Before that terrible injury run that kept him on the sidelines for way, way too long.

Bittersweet because of everything that was said, posted, tweeted and Instagrammed after he scored.

“Welcome back, Kevin.”

In truth, though, he'd been back for a while. For the Dutch midfielder has started every game this season. And together with Radja he was one of the last to give up the ghost against Porto, scrapping away until the very end.

After our Champions League elimination Strootman said: “You win and you lose together.”

True, but in Cagliari we didn't win or lose.

It finished 2-2. And it felt bittersweet.