Five players who have propelled Roma’s rise over the second-half of the season

So now the 2015-2016 Serie A season has only two games remaining.

And while the Scudetto and top-three finishers have already been secured, who will actually finish second and third has still to be finalized.

Roma currently sit just two points behind Napoli in a bid for the last automatic Champions League group stage qualification spot, with both teams locked in a race that could go down to the very final seconds of the last match of the season.

It seems like a distant memory now, but in late January a 5th place Roma were a massive 12 points behind then-league-leading Napoli. The 15 games since then have seen Luciano Spalletti’s men spring up the table, cutting the gap to Maurizio Sarri’s by a massive ten points as the sides remain the last two standing in the bid for Europe’s top competition.

So who has been the most responsible for surging the side from Europa League positioning to being on the brink of the Champions’ League group stage? Here are five key candidates:

1. Stephan El Shaarawy

The timelines match up perfectly; the Italian-Egyptian came to the side from AC Milan late in the January transfer window and the Giallorossi have been utterly changed ever since. The young winger has rejuvenated Roma’s offense and his incisiveness and unpredictability have provided an obvious spark.

Before his debut for the club Roma had managed just one goal per game in the previous three; in the 15 games since his arrival, they’ve failed to score more than once just three times. So much of the flowing offense has been due to him directly, with seven goals in 14 appearances of nearly every type, from his brilliant back-heel matchwinner against Frosinone in his first appearance to opening the scoring against Fiorentina in early March.

2. Radja Nainggolan

It’s no wonder the Belgian has found himself the subject of so many headlines recently. Between his work-rate, passing, late runs into the box, and penchant for scoring goals just when Roma need them, his place in the midfield gives the side a guarantee unlike any other.

His goals in the biggest matches during the second half of the season have been all the difference, as he singlehandedly grabbed four points against Napoli and Inter with strikes after the 85th minute to urge the side towards the top of the table.

3. Francesco Totti

If El Shaarawy has been the consistent scorer, and Nainggolan the name for the big games, then Totti has been Roma’s recent savior with seconds left on the clock. Astonishingly – although nothing is truly astonishing for him – he has somehow rescued Roma right at the end of the matches in three of the last four games.

Take away Totti’s goals since April 17th and Roma wouldn’t be two points behind Napoli – they would be eight.

4. Mohamed Salah

Let’s just take a second to note every assist or goal he’s had since February 1st. Ready?

1. February 1st: Opening goal (and matchwinner) vs Sassuolo
2. February 12th: 2 assists and the final goal in a 3-1 away win over Frosinone
3. February 21st: 2 goals in the 5-0 route of Palermo
4. March 4th: 2 goals and an assist in 4-1 win over Fiorentina
5. March 13th: Assisted the opening goal in a 2-1 win over Udinese
6. April 11th: Tied the game in the second half in the 1-1 with Bologna
7. April 17th: Assisted Roma’s second in a 3-3 draw with Atalanta
8. April 25th: Assisted Nainggolan’s matchwinner against Napoli
9. May 2nd: Scored Roma’s first goal in the 3-2 win over Genoa

Any concerns that Salah might fade in the second half of the season have clearly proven unfounded, and that’s partly due to the acquisition of El Shaaraw. With two pacey wingers who can dribble past their man and have enough technicality to score from even outside of the box, defending teams are left with major headaches - and more often than not, they simply cannot stop the duo.

5. Lucas Digne

Roma aren’t just in third, and so close to second, because of the league’s best offense due to the midfielders and forwards. The young Frenchman has become a influential cog in that machine this season, an impressive part of the backline. Only three players have more minutes than he does for Roma in the league this season; only four have more assists; he has become a key attacking influence with his style of play, motoring up and down the wing and combining so well with whichever forward or winger happens to cut inside at any given moment.He has a very, very difficult position, and Roma are excelling at the moment because he’s doing it so well.