New Delhi: Andrea Stramaccioni, the former Inter coach, finds it difficult to comprehend why Claudio Ranieri only used Paulo Dybala for the final three minutes of the match against Napoli: “It is a mystery.” Gli Azzuri, who had dominated both possession and territory throughout the 90 minutes, won the Derby del Sole, 1-0 at Stadio Maradona, spoiling Claudio Ranieri’s return to the Roma hot seat and reclaiming the top spot in Serie A.
Romelu Lukaku, a former Giallorosso, scored the lone goal early in the second half after converting Di Lorenzo’s low cross, proving that it was inevitable that he would provide the last blow. That goal was enough to sink Ranieri’s Roma side, as they slip to 12th position after the defeat.
Due to his lack of fitness, Dybala began the game at Stadio Maradona on the bench and was only brought on for the last three minutes. The Argentinean even came off the bench before Saud Abdulhamid and Samuel Dahl, while Matias Soulé, one of Roma’s most costly summer acquisitions, was on the bench the entire time.
This is what Andrea Stramaccioni had to say
Paulo Dybala avec l’AS Roma :
🏟️ 88 matchs
⚽ 36 buts
🎯 18 passes décisives
54 G/A. pic.twitter.com/U98poTpcJX
— Actu Foot Stats (@Actufoot_stats) October 31, 2024
Dybala trained on the Maradona field with Soulé and other Roma reserves following the final whistle. The Roma forward was exceptional in his first two seasons for Roma, despite being struck by a few injuries. This season, the Argentine has only started six games, and four more coming off the bench. He has scored twice this seaso and it is clear that the calibre he holds, Dybala can help the capital get back on winning terms and end the season strongly.
Stramaccioni stated that this decision of not bringing in Dybala and giving him the playing time leaves him in tremendous amount of doubt. The former Inter coach also suggested that if you see him train on the pitch, that means he is fit to play. Therefore, the fact that he played for barely three minutes is a mystery to him.
“He’s not necessarily fully fit, but I think he could have played 15 or 20 [minutes] if he was involved for just three. There isn’t a player who is fit for just three minutes.” stated Stramaccioni.
He further added; “He scored 11 goals last season, but Abdulhamid was picked over him.”
Roma is only four points above the drop zone in 12th place in the Serie A standings. On Thursday, November 28, they play Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League in their next competitive match.
Napoli managed to spoil Claudio Ranieri’s return to the capital as they beat Roma at home. However, Andrea Stramaccioni was left confused by Ranieri’s decision of not playing Paulo Dybala. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
