Opinion: Five things we learned from Roma’s 4-1 derby win over Lazio

1. Spalletti's tremendous impact continues

Roma's remarkable turnaround since Luciano Spalletti took over the managerial reins continued in style, with the Giallorossi beating fierce rivals Lazio 4-1. The win means that since Spalletti took over Roma have racked up an outstanding 29 points in 12 league games under his expert guidance.

Incredibly, only league leaders Juventus have picked up more points in the same period.

Moreover, the emphatic victory also means Roma are just four points off second place in the race for an all-important automatic Champions League spot, after Napoli suffered a surprise 3-1 loss to Udinese on Sunday.

2. Radja Nainggolan cannot be restrained

Roma's Belgian midfield powerhouse once again showed why he's such a valuable asset, as his tenacity, intensity and dynamism saw him play an instrumental role in the derby win. Whether powerfully running through midfield, using his exemplary range of passing to shift attacks, or moving smartly off the ball to create space, Nainggolan’s attacking influence was massive throughout.

On the defensive end, meanwhile, his relentless energy and desire to win the ball back was crucial in Lazio often struggling to find their offensive rhythm, particularly early in the contest.

"Nainggolan knows how to do well in both phases, giving him a role could limit him,” Spalletti said of his star man. “He's very good when allowed to use his creativity.”

3. Manolas and Rudiger continue to flourish as a pairing

In his post-match comments, Spalletti justifiably singled out Kostas Manolas and Antonio Rudiger for special praise, noting their respective performances had been "exceptional".

He was spot on in his assessment, as they dealt brilliantly with Alessandro Matri and any dangerous situations they were confronted with in a match where they exhibited what a formidable partnership they've developed.

4. Digne and El Shaarawy are beginning to understand each other better

Lucas Digne and Stephan El Shaarawy's ever-improving partnership down the left caused Lazio plenty of headaches throughout. The duo dovetailed beautifully on and off the ball, as they worked cohesively to get the best out of each other.

With El Shaarawy regularly opting to drift infield in search of possession, this provided the perfect platform for the dynamic, smooth-moving Digne to motor up the touchline and whip in dangerous crosses.

The tactic was duly rewarded when El Shaarawy, after having ventured infield, superbly nodded home Digne's delightful cross on 15 minutes to give Roma the lead.

5. Edin Dzeko is making his case to return to the starting XI

Edin Dzeko displayed why his worth to the team cannot be discounted. A lot has been written about the Bosnian this season, but it was great to see him come on and make his mark. Aside from showing off his impressive hold-up attributes and ability to link play, he scored a wonderfully well-taken goal and won a vital header in the build-up to Alessandro Florenzi's clinching strike.

"Dzeko did well coming off the bench, he made his contribution, doing what he has to do," Spalletti said.

"He has different attributes than the other guys we have in attack, but he's equally important to us. The team earned the three points today and Dzeko was part of that. He scored a good goal today."

If Dzeko can keep on finding the back of the net he might soon find himself back in the starting lineup.