Montreal Impact 0-2 Roma: Tour ends with another win

Roma continued their positive pre-season preparations with a hard-earned 2-0 victory over the Montreal Impact in Canada on Wednesday evening.

Goals from Edin Dzeko and Radja Nainggolan set the Giallorossi on their way, with coach Luciano Spalletti then making wholesale changes at half-time to take a look at the full depth of his squad.

And at a sold-out Stade Saputo there was plenty of action at either end, with summer arrival Alisson once again impressing between the sticks with a number of impressive saves.

Ten changes at the break allowed Spalletti to get a look at a large number of his travelling party, but a second victory in three days will ensure the coach and his players head back to Italy with confidence boosted ahead of the new season.

There was also a memorable moment for both teams before the match - as the two legendary stars on show, Francesco Totti and Didier Drogba, exchanged shirts.

First half

Spalletti perhaps surprised a few people with his starting XI, opting not to make vast changes from the team that began against Liverpool in St. Louis just two days earlier. There were just two changes, with Daniele De Rossi coming in as captain and Diego Perotti replacing Stephan El Shaarawy on the left flank.

Despite the settled nature of the lineup it was the Impact who made the initial running, much to the delight of a vociferous home crowd. Youngster David Choiniere saw his attempt deflected wide after a dangerous run, before Alisson had to dive at full length to claw a beautiful curling effort from Didier Drogba off the crossbar.

Immediately after that, however, the visitors would take the lead. And it was Dzeko who continued his rich vein of scoring form, as he passed the ball beautifully inside the near-post with a first-time shot after Perotti had squared the ball for him.

If that showed a lethal touch in front of goal then the striker would subsequently be less fortunate, as a number of chances did not quite fall for him inside the penalty box. Instead it would be Nainggolan who would double the advantage after 21 minutes – finding the same corner as Dzeko with similar precision after being played through by Mohamed Salah.

After that it would be Alisson’s turn to come to the fore, as he made a number of saves to preserve his clean sheet. The first, after Choiniere had hit the post, was to somehow palm away Drogba’s follow-up attempt, before he also foiled substitute Michael Salazar one-on-one inside the box.

Salazar would then drag wide again shortly before half-time, after good work from the experienced Drogba had created the opening.

Second half

Unlike in St. Louis, on this occasion Spalletti used half-time to freshen his side – making 10 changes. Francesco Totti, Leandro Paredes and Gerson were among those to arrive, with De Rossi the only outfield starter to remain on the pitch (he would come off, for Federico Ricci, ten minutes later).

An end-to-end game saw chances for both teams, with substitute Matteo Mancosu firing just wide and El Shaarawy also unable to find to find the target after clever footwork from Totti and Iturbe.

At the other end the Impact continued to struggle to find a way past Alisson, as the Brazilian made another fine stop with his legs to deny Anthony Jackson-Hamel. Soon after Jackson-Hamel had the ball in the net after Balou Jean Yves Tabla hit the bar, only for it to be chalked off for offside.

Totti then stung the palms of Maxime Crepeau in retaliation, but much of the second half saw the Impact pour forward. Mancosu headed over from close range as the hosts were denied from a number of good openings.

Roma had chances too - El Shaarawy seeing his volley blocked on the line - but in the end there would somehow not be another goal as Roma's North American tour ended with a second win in succession.

Roma starting XI: Alisson, Florenzi, Manolas, Juan Jesus, Emerson, De Rossi, Strootman, Nainggolan, Salah, Dzeko, Perotti.

Substitutes used: Torosidis, Gyomber, Marchizza, Seck, Paredes, Gerson, El Shaarawy, Iturbe, Totti, Ricci.

Montreal Impact starting XI: Kronberg, Toia, Cabrera, Fisher, Dia, Donadel, Bernier, Piatti, Oduro, Choiniere, Drogba.