Opinion: 3 notable performances from dominant Bologna win

We’ve highlighted three individual Roma performances that stood out from the resounding 5-1 win at Bologna that moved the Giallorossi - for now at least - within five points of top-spot in Serie A.

LEONARDO SPINAZZOLA

Many of Roma’s squad have thrived since Paulo Fonseca made the switch to 3-4-3 at the backend of last season, but few have done so quite as much as Spinazzola.

Operating from the left of the four, Spinazzola has been one of the Giallorossi’s most consistent players over the past 18 months at both ends of the pitch, and his attacking devilment has particularly shone - as it did in a rampant performance at the Renato Dall’Ara.

The 27-year-old pestered the Bologna defence time and again, superbly driving beyond their back-four and then forcing Andrea Poli into an own-goal for Roma’s first before delightfully threading Lorenzo Pellegrini through with a reverse pass that split the hosts in two, all inside a blistering first 15 minutes of the match.

Spinazzola even had the ball in the back of the net himself within the opening 20 minutes but saw his smart finish chalked off for offside, another example of how the Roma wide-man epitomised his side’s emphatic first half performance that wrapped up a memorable win.

LORENZO PELLEGRINI

Fonseca has moved Pellegrini into his more traditional central midfield role this season, allowing the Roma coach to accommodate new signing Pedro alongside Henrikh Mkhitaryan in support of Edin Dzeko - a tactical tweak that has seen Pellegrini flourish as the perfect foil to Jordan Veretout.

With Pedro suspended, however, Pellegrini was given the opportunity to operate in the more advanced role that he took up for parts of last term and the 15-cap Italy international clearly enjoyed the added freedom as he injected pace and urgency to wave after wave of Roma attacks.

Like Spinazzola, he wasted no time getting stuck into Bolona, with his slick slide-rule pass freeing captain Edin Dzeko to make it 2-0 before he kept his composure to stroke his side into a 3-0 lead.

Pellegrini will most likely revert to partnering Veretout when Pedro returns and will most probably put in another star turn, but this was a reminder for Fonseca as to the danger his No. 7 possesses further up the pitch.

EDIN DZEKO

As an attacking force, Roma were sensational in Bologna and Dzeko led the way as he moved level with Amedeo Amadei in third on the club’s all-time top scorers list with his 111th Giallorossi goal.

In actual fact, he could have added to that and had a first half hat-trick after being presented with four goal-scoring chances, but - as so often is the case with Dzeko - it’s not just his performance in front of goal that caught the eye.

His ability to bring others into play is second-to-none, as exhibited with his role in Roma’s sublime fourth; Dzeko pulling out wide to receive the ball and drawing out his man before playing in Pellegrini, who in turn released Mkhitaryan, who then put it on a plate for Veretout to slot home.

Dzeko’s goalscoring will rightly draw acclaim after his latest milestone, but this was yet another display in which he contributed far more broadly and brought out the best in his teammates around him.