Opinion: Dzeko fires way out of 'rough patch'

On a day where Eusebio Di Francesco named him captain, the Bosnian did all he could to get his side over the line by bagging a brace and playing a key role in Roma's third goal, as he was instrumental towards the Giallorossi racing into a 3-0 lead.

Though the Giallorossi ultimately couldn't hang on, Dzeko's individual performance would have been a positive – both for him and for his coach, Eusebio Di Francesco. Operating from his customary centre forward post, the 32-year-old never let his opposition settle into a rhythm of best to stop him, for he continually altered their reference points with his intelligent movement.

His two goals offered a fine testament to his aptitude in this regard. For his first, the way he began his run in behind between two markers, so he was on the move, free from any markers and ready to latch onto Nicolo Zaniolo's superb chest down assist in a forward facing posture was key.

Then for his second, he further demonstrated his match intelligence, expertly targeting the space behind Berat Djimsiti when he sprung forward to press Steven Nzonzi.

Moreover, Dzeko wreaked further havoc with his slick passing and tidy back to goal play, where he shrewdly judged when to drop deep to connect midfield and attack. This, in combination with his towering strength and usually sound touch, ball control and incisive link play, then meant he could hit his targets accurately despite being pressured by one or more opponents.

By performing subtle rotations with his fellow attackers, the former Manchester City man effectively destabilised La Dea's backline too, as these interchanges generated brief moments of indecision for the home side, which was enough to wriggle free of a marker.

Forever scanning his surroundings to update his mental imagery of his environment, he used this information to identify zones to exploit cleverly, so he knew exactly where best to situate himself in relation to the ball, unoccupied space, the defenders and his colleagues.

Complementing the aforementioned positiong with his exceptional finishing, something that allowed him to slot home his goals with unnerving precision, his encouraging body of work will have given him plenty of confidence ahead of a pivotal second half of the season.

Statistically speaking, the man who scored his first goals since October punctuated his quality with his four shots, four won aerial duels, five touches inside the box, one dribble and one key pass, plus the fact he completed 17 of his 22 attempted passes and made four of his six attempted passes into the box.

When speaking after the match Dzeko expressed his relief at returning to a level that resembles his best, despite his team not securing all three points.

“Hopefully I’m through a rough patch," he told Roma's official website.

"I have never been out so long because of an injury – and longer still because of the winter break. I had only played one game in the last two months and I was lacking a bit of match sharpness. I always try to work as hard as I can, and slowly I’m getting back to my best.

“I’m feeling better and better; these goals will give me confidence. I hope the last four months of the season will be better than the first six.”

Such a crucial component of Di Francesco's squad, everyone associated with the club will now be hoping the imposing frontman can remain fit and find his consistency to drive Roma forward both domestically and in Europe.


All statistics provided by InStat.