Analysis: Perez grasps first extended chance to impress

Handed his first start for the club by Paulo Fonseca for the Europa League clash with Gent, Carles Perez didn't let his manager down - putting in a man of the match performance in front of the Olimpico faithful.

Scoring his first Roma goal, which ultimately secured the 1-0 win, there was much to be excited about in his first full showing since making the move to the capital.

Operating out on the right wing but with the licence to drift infield and get involved, the Spaniard was certainly Roma's biggest threat throughout. Using his positional nous and intelligence, he occupied good areas to support attacks and cause issues for the away team.

With the Giallorossi channeling 55% of their attacks down the right, the presence of Perez was key in them effectively targeting Genk, with him key in forming 5v3, 4v3 or 3v2 overloads to bypass their opposition. By dovetailing with the likes of Lorenzo Pellegrini, Leonardo Spinazzola and Jordan Veretout, Perez played his role in manipulating Gent’s structure.

The way the 22-year-old rotated smoothly with Pellegrini was another positive, for not only did this allow him to explore dangerous central areas but it also disrupted the Belgians' marking scheme.

Placing doubt in regard to who should keep tabs on who, their indecision was all either man needed to find room to receive and look to go forth and threaten.

Full-back Spinazzola benefited from this too, with Perez's infield positioning drawing his marker inside, thus creating oceans of space for him to maraud into.

Perez was also a force when embarking on runs in behind and down the channels. Timing and curling his runs cleverly, this meant he could take advantage of the gaps between defenders, if they were caught ball watching or when the channel became free when the opposing fullback stepped up.

Attentive and quick to get on his bike when an opening came about, his wicked run prior to his goal was a good example of this.

Here, upon noticing Roma regaining possession, Perez immediately surged upfield. By the time Edin Dzeko was on the ball, Perez was in a perfect position to be an option, as Dzeko duly played him in with a crisp through ball.

To round off the passage, he then opened up his body superbly to place his finish expertly.

Some additional elements of his class here came from how he'd strategically open passing lanes by pinning an opponent and by performing opposite movements with Dzeko to ensure the centre forward slot wasn't left vacant.

While his movement was the most prominent component of his display, his powerful dribbling and crafty distribution also produced some good moments.

To start with the former, and his speed, agility and slick ball control ensured he was a real handful, where his changes of pace and direction and sharp feints were a highlight.

Factor in his strength and low centre of gravity, which saw him ride challenges and outmuscle his foes comfortably, and this compounded issues for Gent.

Meanwhile, in terms of his passing, he gave some glimpses of his quality here by combining neatly with teammates and hitting some incisive vertical passes into his forwards. Although not everything he attempted came off, expect him to fully showcase his technical skills, which he honed in Barcelona's famed La Masia academy, regularly going forward.

Statistically speaking, his numbers made for good reading, for he completed all six of his attempted dribbles, three shots, three progressive runs, two touches inside the box and 25 of his 30 attempted passes.

After an encouraging display, the energy and dynamism Perez exuded will give Roma's fans plenty of reason for excitement, as the gifted Spaniard is hoping to quickly prove himself worthy of a regular starting berth within Fonseca's starting lineup.