Alberto De Rossi bemoans lack of physical edge after Primavera defeat

The Giallorossi were beaten 3-1, as the visitors scored twice towards the end of the first half and added a third just one minute after the restart. Riccardo Marchizza bagged a consolation goal for the Primavera, scoring from the penalty spot after 84 minutes.

After the game, coach Alberto De Rossi said: “Today we lacked that physical sharpness; you could see that we were being beaten to every ball.

“We could have taken the lead in the first half, but we didn’t show decisiveness with the final pass.”

The boss cited the Primavera’s hectic recent schedule as a potential explanation, noting, “You feel the effects of six games in eighteen days.”

With the loss, Roma failed to secure top spot in the league and now find themselves one point behind leaders Virtus Entella, after they drew 1-1 with Crotone.

“The boys are starting to feel the effects of having already played 20 games," the coach added. "We played our part too: the error we made was to push too hard in our frenzied pursuit of a goal. We didn’t play as we usually do.

“The lads weren’t fully sharp and we conceded the first two goals on the counter, something I was fearful of, knowing the Palermo players.”

The Giallorossi rallied towards the end of the match - even with fewer players after Edoardo Soleri was sent off - and had two good chances to get back into the game.

De Rossi said: “With the Youth League, the Primavera Super Cup and the Coppa Italia combined, the lads have won fifteen on the bounce. But sometimes you can end up empty handed.

"The game was put out of reach after the third goal, but I’m sure that if we still had 11 players we’d have fought right until the end, as we’d done previously.”