Empoli was dramatically safe from relegation after successfully beating AS Roma with a score of 2-1 in the giornata 38 Serie A 2023/2024 match which was held at the Stadio Carlo Castellani, Sunday (26/5/2024).
Matteo Cancellieri’s goal in the 13th minute was equalized by Houssem Aouar in first half injury time. The 1-1 score lasted until halftime.
Empoli was incredibly successful in sealing the win thanks to a goal scored by M’Baye Niang in the third minute of second half injury time. The score 2-1 was the final result of this match.
Thanks to this result, Roma had to finish in sixth place in the standings with 63 points. Meanwhile, Empoli escaped relegation and was ranked 17th with 36 points.
After the final game of the season, Roma coach Daniele de Rossi gave an honest look at his team’s performance. The match against Empoli, which ended in disappointment for the Giallorossi, provided a lot of material for reflection for the coach.
Even though they played seriously, Roma finally had to admit the superiority of Empoli who really needed a win. De Rossi emphasized that although Roma played seriously, there were many aspects that needed to be improved.
“A lot of things in football make a difference, don’t they? but we don’t need to pat ourselves on the back because we play seriously. “We don’t need to take a medal, we did what we had to do, but there are still many things to improve,” said De Rossi.
One of the main problems mentioned was a lack of defensive focus and a lack of shots on goal despite having a lot of ball possession. “You can’t have so many counterattacks and never shoot; “It’s something that has to be paid at this level,” he said.
Roma were seen using three defenders in this match, but the coach explained that this formation often changes depending on the team’s condition. “We played with four at the back, as we often do, and then sometimes, when we were deeper, we defended with three at the back,” he said.
However, he also stressed that conceding a goal in the last minute was an unacceptable mistake. “The last goal was a goal that even with four defenders you can’t concede, we were careless in the aerial duel,” he said.
Regarding plans for next season, the coach indicated that many things need to be evaluated. “We will go back to the drawing board, evaluating this match, this match should tell us a lot,” he said.
The coach also spoke about his meeting with new technical director Florent Ghisolfi. “We spent an afternoon together, we discussed both squad building and some names,” he said.
He added that it was too early to discuss specific details regarding player transfers. But there is alignment in their vision for the team’s future.
“We have a lot of time to talk about this. To assess opportunities and assess what is available,” he added.
