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

Luciano Spalletti’s Roma side ended the season on a victorious note at the weekend, as they beat AC Milan 3-1 at the San Siro.

Stephan El Shaarawy enjoyed a goalscoring return to his old stomping ground, while Emerson Palmieri scored his first goal in Giallorossi colours to cap off an impressive final performance.

Here our columnist looks at five lessons to take from the contest:

1. Roma finish third despite valiant final push

Despite Roma comprehensively brushing aside AC Milan 3-1 at the San Siro to close out the season, Napoli's similarly emphatic win over Frosinone meant Roma had to settle for third place in the league – still a creditable finish.

While Luciano Spalletti's men ultimately couldn't seal the coveted final automatic Champions League qualification spot, third still means entry to the competition should be attainable via a qualifying round.

2. An incredible end to the campaign bodes well for the future

There can be no denying the unmistakable impact Spalletti's appointment has had. Instilling balance, tactical acuity and unwavering dedication to his side, he's transformed Roma into a real force to be reckoned with. The immense character, fighting spirit and togetherness garnered by the Italian manager has seen the Giallorossi become an extremely difficult outfit to overcome.

The fact Roma finished the season on a tremendous 17-match unbeaten streak – and finished as Serie A's top scorers (with 83 goals) - is a testament to what a superb job he's done.

"We’ve improved in terms of our character but we can still do more. We need to take better advantage of the chances we create," reflected Spalletti.

"Our team has done some great things. Our players have done fantastically. They’ve shown massive potential this season."

3. Emerson's late-season emergence

The growth and development of Emerson Palmieri has been one of many positives to round out Roma’s season. Whenever he's been given a chance, the Santos loanee has shown a keen willingness to contribute and do all he can for the benefit of the team.

The Brazilian has proven himself to be a dependable back-up for Lucas Digne in recent weeks, and was emphatically rewarded for all his hard work against Milan by coming on to score his first goal for the club.

“I’m happy to have the coach’s faith,” the defender said after the game. “I’m doing everything I can to get onto the pitch and the boss is seeing that. I can’t let up now – I need to keep going the way I am.”

4. Sensational Salah

Mohamed Salah signed off on an overwhelmingly excellent season with a man of the match performance against the Rossoneri. The dynamic Egyptian was a constant menace to the Milan backline, as his pace, trickery, counter attacking effectiveness and underrated passing ability were too much for his opposition to handle.

Aside from scoring a wonderfully well-taken goal, his 14th this term, following a well-executed transition, his four key passes, three shots and 86.4% pass completion aptly illustrated his tremendous influence on the contest.

5. De Rossi shows his class

It was fantastic to see Daniele De Rossi back to his brilliant best, in a game where he ran the show from midfield. His wicked range of passing, which saw him accurately execute 12 of his 13 attempted long balls and operated at a nigh-on perfect 95% pass completion rate, ensured he had a profound impact in Roma’s possession phases.

Meanwhile, on the defensive end, he went about his work with customary grit and dedication on his way to registering a stirring two tackles, five clearances and one blocked shot.

A delighted Spalletti summed up the tough 32-year-old's fine body of work aptly in his post-match comments, saying: "De Rossi was back to his best. He dominated his area of the pitch – he really bossed it."