An early Paulo Dybala penalty proved enough, as Roma took all three points away to Torino and leapfrogged over Inter and Milan into third place.
2022/2023 Serie A
0-1
Match Report
The Giallorossi knew that with Inter and Milan stalling, they could leapfrog into third place with a victory here. It was also Andrea Belotti’s first return to the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino since leaving as a free agent, having missed a penalty in their meeting earlier this season, but he was benched in favour of Paulo Dybala as a False 9. Rick Karsdorp was still out and Lorenzo Pellegrini had flu, but Bryan Cristante, Roger Ibanez, Gianluca Mancini and Marash Kumbulla returned from suspension. Toro missed David Zima, Ola Aina, Ivan Ilic and Ronaldo Vieira.
In the opening minutes, Nicola Zalewski saw his strike charged down by Perr Schuurs with the arm in an unnatural position as he came sliding in for the block. Dybala converted the resulting penalty and celebrated by wishing his mother a happy birthday.
Ricardo Rodriguez’s ferocious volley was deflected just wide off Gini Wijnaldum, as was a Nemanja Radonjic cross-shot from a tight angle, while Chris Smalling threw himself in the way of Samuele Ricci’s rocket.
Rui Patricio flew to fingertip a wonderful Miranchuk header around the far top corner, as it was sneaking into the net straight after the restart on Rodriguez’s cross.
Smalling was allowed a free header on Dybala’s corner only to turn it well over, but Roma lost Ola Solbakken to a dislocated shoulder.
In the final minutes, Pietro Pellegri gathered with his back to goal, turned and the finish was deflected inches wide by Smalling.
Tammy Abraham had the opportunity to seal it in stoppages, only to fire over right-footed after cutting back past a defender.
Line-ups
Torino XI: Rodriguez, Sanabria, Radonjic, Miranchuk, Vanja Milinković-Savić, Gravillon, Schuurs, Buongiorno, Samuele Ricci, Singo, Gvidas Gineitis
Subs: Djidji, Linetty, Lazaro, Vlasic, Mërgim Vojvoda, Karamoh, Pellegri, Luca Gemello, Michel Adopo, Brian Bayeye, Demba Seck, Matteo Fiorenza
Roma XI: Wijnaldum, Patricio, El Shaarawy, Smalling, Spinazzola, Dybala, Cristante, D.Llorente, G. Mancini, Ola Solbakken, Nicola Zalewski
Subs: Matic, Belotti, Zeki Celik, Pellegrini, Mile Svilar, Abraham, Ibanez, Kumbulla, Ebrima Darboe, Benjamin Tahirovic, Pietro Boer