Opinion: Five things we learned from Roma's win over Crotone

Our columnist looks at five key points from the contest...

Dzeko starts to show cutting edge

After a promising preseason full of goals, it's been encouraging to see Edin Dzeko transfer his form into the new Serie A campaign. Another two well-taken goals by the Bosnian against Crotone now brings his tally to four in his five games this term.

It's clear how much he enjoys playing alongside the creative exploits of Francesco Totti too, as the pair's complementary relationship was once again a key component for Roma in attack.

"It’s always good to play with [Totti]. When he gets the ball I know I need to peel off the back of the defenders – I scored another goal like the one against Sampdoria tonight like that," said Dzeko following the victory.

Fazio and Manolas looking increasingly comfortable

Roma's central defensive partnership of Federico Fazio and Kostas Manolas again put in a solid shift at the back. Backing up well from their strong outing against Fiorentina, the pair exuded confidence and authority throughout.

They dealt with Crotone's lone striker, Diego Falcinelli, with relative ease, and were quick to cover for one another or help a teammate whenever necessary. Evidence of their dominance is perhaps illustrated by the fact that between them they won 10 aerial duels and completed a further 19 successful defensive actions.

Once Thomas Vermaelen and Antonio Rudiger return to fitness Spalletti will have plenty of choices to make, but right now the Fazio-Manolas partnership appears to be developing well.

Totti's creative exploits prove vital

From his trequartista role, Totti really animated Roma's work in the final third, with his movement, decision-making and creativity making him a very menacing proposition for the Sharks to contain.

By constantly dropping deep into midfield to receive possession from Kevin Strootman and Leandro Paredes, he did a great job of linking defence and attack too. Importantly, a key by-product arose from this: for when he ventured into central midfield he'd drag his marker with him, which left space for Dzeko and Roma's wingers to exploit.

The man who turns 40 on Tuesday would've certainly been satisfied with his game changing outing. As was Spalletti, who said afterwards: “I started him because I was expecting a difficult game with Crotone sitting back, defending and looking to play on the counter.

"I needed a player that could break them down with that killer pass. Totti can make something out of nothing. I want the team to learn from him – the way he always plays the ball early, when his team-mates are in the best positions."

Salah’s dynamism

After a slightly off day in Roma's loss to La Viola, Salah was back to his free flowing best in the Giallorossi's 4-0 win over Crotone. The Egyptian's powerful dribbling and running ability had a profound influence on the contest, as it added a great deal of dynamism and unpredictability to the home side's attacking forays.

Salah was especially damaging in transition when he was afforded the chance to use his blistering pace and skills to drive at the unset Crotone defence. Scoring a slick goal and providing an assist were perfect rewards for his strong body of work.

Paredes’ classy showing

Handed his second league start of the season by Spalletti, Paredes duly repaid his manager's faith with a performance that showed glimpses of his influene. While he undertook his defensive responsibilities in an assured manner, it was in possession where he made an unmistakable impact.

In a match where he completed a whopping 107 passes at a 93.5% completion rate and created five chances, the most of any player on the pitch, Paredes' ability to dictate and orchestrate the play gave Roma a terrific foundation to retain possession and generate their attacks through.

Moreover, the 22-year-old's intelligent movement off the ball, both vertically and laterally, saw him persistently able to provide a viable passing outlet for his teammates.