Four Things We Learned: Pellegrini pulls the strings in Istanbul

Jordan Veretout, Justin Kluivert and Edin Dzeko scored the goals in a comprehensive 3-0 win in the Turkish capital.

Roma outclass their talented opponents

Putting Istanbul Basaksehir to the sword in a brilliant first half showing by scoring three goals, Roma's vital victory ensured their destiny is in their hands to qualify from their Europa League group.

Running out 3-0 winners with goals from Jordan Veretout, Justin Kluivert and Edin Dzeko, Roma outclassed their opponents, who hadn't lost in 11 matches since Roma beat them at the Stadio Olimpico back in September.

In a performance full of character and quality on their way to getting the better of Basaksehir in just about all aspects of the game, Paulo Fonseca cut a content figure when speaking after the match, saying: "Yes, it was very important to win here today against a strong side whose only recent loss came against us at the Stadio Olimpico.

"We had a very good first half and managed to control the game in the second half. We maybe didn't do a good job throughout, but I'm pleased."

Pellegrini's passing and movement key

Even though he's not completely back to his free flowing best as he continues to get back into the groove since returning from injury, Lorenzo Pellegrini still produced a display full of positives.

In a match where his ingenuitive passing and crafty movement especially stood out, Basaksehir struggled to contain the gifted Italian international. Supplying two magical assists and setting up many more opportunities for his colleagues, Pellegrini's distribution was a significant factor in Roma obtaining all three points.

Possessing a lovely range of passing, his assists encapsulated his class, with both being beautifully measured deliveries into the path of Kluivert and Dzeko respectively to cut open their adversaries with aplomb.

Also striking some incisive crosses, cutbacks, line breaking balls and recirculating possession coherently, he was a regular source of inspiration for the Giallorossi.

His movement was a crucial component too, for this afforded him the platform to get into such excellent positions to wreak havoc.

Taking up advantageous positions to connect attacks, he moved between the lines smartly, worked the channels, rotated with teammates (particularly well with Nicolo Zaniolo), supported wide attacks and ventured into the box cunningly.

Indeed, Pellegrini's space finding prowess was evidenced in the build up to his opening assist, which is demonstrated aptly in the graphic below.

One extra point to mention was his relentless pressing that was the catalyst for him recovering the ball before his second assist.

Dzeko hitting his straps

Scoring in his last two matches, it's been great to see Dzeko rediscover his scoring touch.

Aside from his instinctively taken goal, which included a magnificent chest down, that essentially put to bed any hopes of the away side coming back, there was so much more to admire about his work.

To start with, his movement was of a typically high standard as he picked the right moments when to drop deep, surge in behind, interchange positions with his fellow frontmen, burst into the box or hold his runs.

So good at exploiting the little gaps between defenders and their blindside, he persistently asked question of his markers and created space for others. A fine example of his aptitude here arose in the lead up to his goal, where his masterfully timed run was crucial towards him latching onto Pellegrini's through ball before scoring.

When it came to his output with the ball at his feet, the way he combined smoothly under pressure with some nice layoffs, switches of play and incisive forward passes warranted praise.

In addition, his capacity to hold the ball up, which notably drew his marker to open space behind him, also served his team well by producing disconnects in the opposition backline.

Dzeko's statistics further punctuate his accomplished performance, as he completed six touches inside the box, three shots, five of five attempted passes into the final third, two key passes and one dribble.

Such an asset to Fonseca's side, the multifaceted Dzeko showed precisely why he's a brilliant spearhead to lead the line for this exciting Roma.

Smalling and Mancini quell Crivelli

Knowing one of the keys to victory was stopping Basaksehir's imposing forward Enzo Crivelli, who's registered nine goals this season and poses a major threat, Roma's central defenders combined to nullify the imposing Frenchman.

Undertaking their duties with authority, intensity and intelligence, Chris Smalling and Gianluca Mancini ensured Crivelli found life extremely difficult to make an impact. Matching up with the 184 cm frontman nicely, they used their strength, speed and awareness to impose themselves on him and track any of his runs in behind or into the area.

Moreover, whenever he checked towards the ball, they followed him vigorously. Getting touchtight and constantly jostling him, this meant he found it trying to cleanly control the ball and execute his actions cleanly.

Competing sternly in aerial confrontations and monitoring his movement inside the box, how they dealt with these situations only compounded issues for Crivelli on a night where Smalling and Mancini shone.

Growing in confidence and improving their understanding with every passing week, this match served as another testament to the quality partnership Smalling and Mancini are forming.