Four Things We Learned: Spinazzola responds in style

Threadbare Roma get the job done

Reverting back to his usual base 4-2-3-1 formation after the experimentation with a back three in the Coppa Italia, Paulo Fonseca's undermanned side produced a strong away performance to defeat Genoa 3-1.

After suffering defeats in their previous two Serie A fixtures, obtaining all three points was vital, as Cengiz Under and Edin Dzeko scored crucial goals to accompany Davide Biraschi's own goal.

It was also notable how brilliant Pau Lopez was in goal, with the Spaniard chiming in with a string of vital saves.

Outshooting their adversaries 16-9 and outshining them in Expected Goals 2.27 to 0.97, Fonseca cut a content figure in his post-match comments.

"All the lads produced a good display. Our first-half performance was almost perfect," Fonseca stated.

"We showed quality in attack, but can't afford to allow ourselves to concede goals like the one Genoa scored today just before half-time. Having said that, the whole team played very well."

Cengiz Under shows signs of growth

Having endured an interrupted season so far, it was pleasing to see Cengiz Under step up and stamp his mark on the contest from his right wing berth.

Lively and full of energy, the talented Turk always looked dangerous against his direct opponent, Antonio Barreca, who suffered greatly at his hands. Constantly getting the better of his man with his wizardry on the dribble, Cengiz's array of maneuvers, including blistering changes of pace and direction, skill moves and feints, ensured he was a huge menace.

Also important towards his success was how Roma usually created 1v1 conditions for him to shine, just like for his goal, with him persistently left isolated to get at his man. From here, he could either beat his man or cut infield sharply before firing in a cross or shot. In addition, the fact he was such a threat regularly meant Genoa would double team him, which created space for a teammate within the final third.

The way he rotated smartly with Lorenzo Pellegrini and switched flanks with Justin Kluivert on occasion, plus embarked on some shrewd runs in behind without the ball, offered further upside.

With Roma's many injury issues in their attacking ranks, Under's encouraging showing proved what a tremendous asset he is when he's fully fit and firing on all cylinders.

Roma control transitions soundly

With Roma enjoying large chunks of possession in the first half especially, which saw Genoa forced to sit deep and look to hit on the counter, the Giallorossi's fierce counterpressing allowed them to prevent many potentially damaging transitions.

By applying intense pressure towards the ball and nearby possible receivers once it was lost, Roma were able to force many turnovers or poor decisions from the home side, who were given little time or space to execute their actions.

In addition, how the Giallorossi curved and angled their pressure meant they used their covershadows to block passing lanes behind them, something that also allowed them to get back into shape by slowing Genoa's moves down.

The fact Roma's offensive shape was well staggered and spaced gave them excellent access to launch into life in their quest to regain possession high up and attack again too.

Moreover, the way the central defenders tracked their respective markers deep when they looked to be an outlet with their back to goal was key, for this gave the Genoa forwards no breathing room to control the ball cleanly.

If Roma were beaten on the odd occasion, however, they'd produce a tactical foul to stop transitions dead in the water, in a match where their counterpressing was a real feature.

Strategic use of a back three in possession

Although Roma were operating in a nominal 4-2-3-1 formation, there were many instances where they attacked using three at the back.

They did so by either pushing one of the central midfielders between the central defenders or by Davide Santon tucking inside from his right-back station, with the latter animation being used most frequently.

In doing so, not only did this give Roma a 3v2 numerical superiority against Genoa's first line and protected them against counters, it also threw up many other positives.

Due to Santon venturing infield and staying deeper, Cengiz could then enjoy a large majority of the flank for himself, as he relished being isolated 1v1 as previously mentioned.

Meanwhile, on the opposite flank, Kluivert often moved infield to get closer to Pellegrini and Dzeko, thus meaning he could be positioned to attack the box with the ball at his feet or via his crafty runs too.

As a result, Leonardo Spinazzola provided the width down the left. Interestingly, Roma's second goal was a good example of how Kluivert and Spinazzola worked, as Kluivert's indented positioning drew two men to allow Spinazzola to receive freely before going on to somewhat fortuitously have his cross deflected in for an own goal.

Another aspect of note was how it allowed the two central midfielders in Amadou Diawara and Jordan Veretout to push higher up. While Diawara typically provided stability, Veretout was subsequently granted more freedom to run in behind, rotate with Kluivert or find openings between the lines.

Once again showing great tactical flexibility and versatility, Fonseca's approach was pivotal towards getting the best out of his players despite Roma being without many key members for this clash.